Shizuka Umehara Kanazawa (CEO)

2022-Current: CEO of Square Up Consulting, supporting international startups in expanding their business into the US market. Our services encompass U.S. corporate registration, market research, organizing exhibitions, event planning and management, strategic/tax/sales/marketing advisory, accelerator program mentoring, University lecturing, and various other aspects related to supporting the U.S. expansion of international startups.

2015-2022: Worked at Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support Tokyo office. I was engaged in supporting the overseas expansion of Japanese startups and supporting female entrepreneurs. I supported multiple successful cases of small and medium-sized startups expanding overseas and business alliances between overseas startups and Japanese large corporations. I was responsible for a management training program run with government agencies and local governments that foster female entrepreneurs, and spoke at symposiums for women entrepreneurs held all over the world.

2007-2014: Worked as a tax professional at Ernst & Young's New York office and PriceWaterhouseCoopers' Los Angeles office. Engaged in tax compliance advisory services for numerous Japanese companies in the US.

2007: Completed M.S. in Accountancy from California State University Los Angeles

Media Coverage

pilot boat: New York Silicon Alley Meetup #11

pilot boat: Japanese women startups pitch to investors from New York

5/29/23 NHK International Reporting 2023 featured the female entrepreneurs' exhibition that Square Up co-hosted in NY

Shukan New York Seikatsu: Supporting Japanese female entrepreneurs’ business expansion into the US Market

Forbes JAPAN: The “Three key points” necessary for Japanese female entrepreneurs to drive innovation

Jiji Press: Supporting exports of Japanese female entrepreneurs’ products including Japanese Sake and chocolate

Weekly ASCII: Puns? No, Pay attention to “Silicon Alley” startups

HUFFPOST: Soar high, Japanese female entrepreneurs: Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s support

Note: Elevating Japanese women to global success and taking Japan to the top of the World!