We are Explorers Seeking Disruptors and Innovators

Bob Wolfe has more than 30 years of experience in investment banking, finance, and investment management. Since 2008, he has been the principal of Windy Point, LLC, a private investment and strategic consulting firm. He has served on numerous private and public company boards, and is currently on the board of directors for Toyota Ventures.

From 2002 to 2008, he was a partner at Northwest Venture Associates (NWVA), a venture capital fund that invested exclusively in companies based in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to his time at NWVA, Bob was president and chief operating officer of Toronto-based GT Group Telecom, which was Canada’s largest independent local exchange carrier.

He received a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Pacific Lutheran University.

Dr. Gill Pratt is the chief scientist and executive fellow for research for Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), founding chief executive officer of Toyota Research Institute (TRI), and executive advisor of Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc. (TCRDL).

As TMC chief scientist and executive fellow for research and as executive advisor at TCRDL, Dr. Pratt helps guide research strategy for TMC and the Toyota Group. At TRI, he directs research to create new tools and capabilities focused on improving the human condition through research in energy and materials, human-centered AI, human interactive driving, machine learning, and robotics.

Dr. Pratt joined Toyota from the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he served as a program manager in the Defense Sciences Office. Prior to that, he was a professor and the associate dean of faculty affairs and research at Franklin W. Olin College.

He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was an associate professor and director of the Leg Lab.

Jim Adler is the founder and general partner of Toyota Ventures, responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the firm’s investment activities. In addition to serving on the board of directors for Toyota Ventures, he also serves as an executive advisor at Toyota Research Institute (TRI).

Jim joined Toyota Ventures from TRI, where he served as vice president of data and business development. Prior to that, Jim was vice president of products and marketing at Metanautix, a big data analytics startup funded by Sequoia Capital and Workday that was acquired by Microsoft.

Previously, Jim was the vice president of data systems and chief privacy officer at Intelius, which was acquired by H.I.G. Capital. In addition, he founded VoteHere, a pioneer in cryptographic secure and secret online voting for public elections that was funded by Cisco and HP, among others. Jim started his career as a rocket engineer for Lockheed Martin.

He is a member of the board of directors for several Toyota Ventures portfolio companies, including Intuition Robotics, Moodify, Revel, and SLAMcore. He is also a board observer for Burro and Joby Aviation.

He previously served on the board of directors of the Toyota Financial Savings Bank and on the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee.

He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with high honors from the University of Florida, and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

Natalie Fonseca Licciardi is a managing partner at Toyota Ventures, responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, including finance, portfolio support, diversity and inclusion initiatives, marketing and communications, and business management. She is a key member of the executive team, helping to define and refine the firm’s strategy.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Natalie consulted with the Toyota Research Institute on data policy and governance. She was also founder and CEO of SageScape, a boutique events and marketing agency specializing in the technology industry, and co-founder and executive producer of Tech Policy Summit and Privacy Identity Innovation. She has worked with several tech startups and media companies, including Vox Media where she served as head of conference development and marketing, and Recode where she led marketing and audience development.

She received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Chris Abshire is a principal at Toyota Ventures, responsible for originating and driving investments, conducting diligence, and leading deal negotiations and closings for the Frontier Fund.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Chris was on the investment team at Fenox Venture Capital, where he led the U.S. due diligence process and market research activities. He also was executive director of the firm’s Startup World Cup event, a platform that created innovation opportunities for startup ecosystems around the world.

He received a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Kansas, where he received the CPE Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for graduating at the top of his class.

Anton Molodetskiy is the communications manager for Toyota Ventures, responsible for developing content and driving brand awareness and media outreach for the firm.

Anton joins Toyota Ventures with eight years of experience in the public relations industry, having worked for several high tech PR agencies in Silicon Valley. He has crafted communications programs for technology companies of all sizes, helping them tell their stories in relevant and interesting ways.

Most recently, he was a senior account supervisor at Lumina Communications, working with companies in the virtual reality (VR), intent-based networking, and martech industries. Prior to that, he was an account manager at Bhava Communications, where he supported VR, augmented reality, and open-source startups. Anton also helped create PR plans for software, telecommunications, and semiconductor clients while at LEWIS PR San Francisco and the Hoffman Agency.

He received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from San Jose State University.

Joan Lee is a senior marketing and events director at Toyota Ventures, responsible for developing strategies for campaigns, content, and events.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Joan was the head of partnerships marketing for tech entrepreneurs at Indiegogo. She has also held marketing roles at a variety of media and publishing companies, including the Walt Disney Company, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Penguin.

Joan received a bachelor’s degree in English and mass communications at the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Oxford, Saïd Business School.

Carlo Cruz is a corporate engagement director at Toyota Ventures, responsible for developing and supporting initiatives that promote the portfolio and deliver strategic value to Toyota. He previously served as a portfolio engagement director for the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Carlo led the Future Factory team at Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) TILT Lab, an internal makerspace that identifies key strategic problems and evaluates emerging technologies in manufacturing. He originally joined TMNA production engineering in 2012 as a paint shop engineer working across various manufacturing centers. Carlo’s responsibilities included construction project management and multiple collaborations with early-stage startups and large enterprises to advance the development of future factories.

Carlo received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati, where he was also a Darwin T. Turner diversity scholar.

Terence Craig is a hands-on early-stage investor, serial entrepreneur, and advisor to venture funds with expertise in deep technology/AI, femtech, SaaS, digital health, B2B, medical devices, and big data. In addition, he specializes in investing in and supporting diverse founders and emerging fund managers. His investing thesis is straightforward: Given the consistent research on the higher returns from diverse managers and teams, diversity is not just a social good; it is a fiduciary responsibility.

An experienced technologist, speaker and author, Terence has founded multiple companies and has served as the chief technology officer at multiple venture-backed companies, including the Mayfield-funded Consensys Software and several pioneering enterprise and big data software companies.

Terence was one of the earliest Black CEOs and founders to raise venture capital, and he uses that experience and expertise to improve the startup ecosystem. His goal has been to support other “non-traditional” founders in navigating the startup landscape. His efforts to increase inclusion in the startup ecosystem led Terence to join the executive team at Astia Angels, where he ran a pilot investment program to support women of color.

Jennifer Haroon is an experienced operator, executive and board member. She is currently the chief financial officer at Standard Cognition. Previously she was an executive-in-residence at Greylock Partners and prior to that, the chief operating officer and interim chief financial officer at Nauto, responsible for teams as diverse as finance, data analytics, business operations, people and talent, customer support & installation, international sales, business development, and PR and communications.

Before Nauto, Jennifer was the head of business operations for the Google Self-driving Car Project (now Waymo), focusing on strategy and business development. She also spent six years at Google, working on CSquared, a wholesale metro fiber optic network business in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as many of Google’s early health-related initiatives.

Prior to Google, Jennifer was a project leader at Boston Consulting Group and an equity research associate at Thomas Weisel Partners. She received her bachelor of science degree from Duke University and her master’s in business administration from Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley.

Evan Kaplan is a passionate entrepreneur and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience in the CEO role. He currently serves as CEO at InfluxData. Evan’s career spans from creating startups in his own garage to leading NASDAQ-listed companies generating nearly $200M in annual revenue.

Prior to InfluxData, Evan served as executive-in-residence at Trinity Ventures. He was also president and CEO at global Wi-Fi connectivity leader iPass Corporation, and the founder, Chairman, and CEO at Aventail Corporation, a pioneer of SSL VPNs (now part of Dell Corporation).

Miki Kapoor is a healthcare executive with a history of scaling companies at strategic inflection points, serving as CEO, president, co-founder, and board member for several healthcare companies that have been acquired and gone public while he has been at the helm. He is currently an operating partner at Linden Capital Partners.

Previously, Miki co-founded and served as the president and CEO of Verana Health, a healthcare technology company that has assembled the largest clinical databases in medicine. Prior to Verana Health, he was CEO of Tea Leaves Health, a software-as-a-service healthcare data company that was acquired by Welltok. Miki also served as president of Everyday Health, which was acquired by J2 Global.

Prior to Everyday Health, Miki served as the head of the global payer and provider division for IMS Health. He has also served as executive vice president for the Clinton Foundation while living in Africa and India, and has in-depth experience advising healthcare executives for approximately a decade at McKinsey & Company and on Wall Street.

Miki attended graduate school at Yale University, where he received both a master’s degree in business administration iand of public health. He is a graduate of Washington University in Saint Louis, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. A Fulbright Fellow and formerly a visiting professor at two universities, he serves on the boards of several healthcare organizations.

A leading technology analyst for more than 30 years, Chris Shipley is passionate about entrepreneurship as the driver of innovation, economic growth, and restorative sustainability. She has built a career identifying innovative startups that create markets and drive positive and disruptive change. As the executive producer of the DEMO conference from 1996 to 2009, Chris helped more than 1,500 companies make their market debut. If those companies were a portfolio, they would have a combined market value of more than $300 billion.

Chris began her career at Ziff-Davis, where she worked as a writer and editor for 12 years before joining International Data Group to lead DEMO. Chris co-founded two companies, including the startup media and consulting firm Guidewire Labs. She is currently a partner at CR Strategy Consulting, collaborating with corporate and venture capital clients to innovate at startup speed.

Her work has won numerous citations, including the prestigious SVForum Visionary Award in 2010. Chris sits on the governing and advisory boards of a number of high-impact early-stage companies. She holds bachelor’s degrees in literature and communication arts from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

Lisa Coca is a partner for Toyota Ventures where she leads the firm’s Climate Fund, which focuses on investing in innovative solutions for carbon neutrality.

Prior to Toyota, Lisa served as a managing director and entrepreneur-in-residence with Intel’s emerging growth and incubations division where she led teams creating disruptive new businesses. Lisa was also a founding member of GE Ventures, responsible for launching and leading the enterprise software investment practice, as well as the EDGE program, a platform for portfolio companies to leverage the global scale, expertise, and resources of GE.

Previously, Lisa developed her passion for climate as the global sustainability and Ecomagination leader for GE real estate where she launched a program to leverage technology and operating best practices to reduce the environmental impact of its assets and improve financial performance. She has also held multiple roles focused on strategy, innovation and new businesses. Lisa started her career as a financial analyst on Wall Street.

She serves on the board of trustees for the Girls Middle School and as independent board director for Apollo Realty Income Solutions. Lisa graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with Honors, and earned an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Maggie Mouat is a communications manager at Toyota Ventures, responsible for content development, coordinating marketing initiatives, spearheading thought leadership and media campaigns, as well as supporting internal operations.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Maggie served as a senior account executive at Antenna Group, an integrated communications and marketing firm, where she supported the communications needs of a range of startups within the advanced mobility and clean energy ecosystem. She also held public relations positions at Mission Control Communications, a strategic communications agency supporting planet-first pioneers at the intersections of clean energy, advanced mobility, renewable resources and sustainable infrastructure. Her key responsibilities included content development and creation, social media campaigns, media relations and client messaging strategy.

She received a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ethan Sohn is a principal on the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund investment team, responsible for sourcing startups, evaluating opportunities, and negotiating and closing investments.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Ethan worked in the global energy, power and utilities investment banking group at TD Securities, advising on mergers and acquisitions transactions for power and renewable companies, regulated utilities, and financial investors. Prior to TD, Ethan worked at Siemens Financial Services, where he was responsible for underwriting and portfolio management of project finance investments across power and renewable assets. Ethan began his career as a power markets consultant at Siemens Energy Business Advisory (formerly known as Pace Global).

He received a bachelor’s degree in international political economy from Georgetown University, graduating with honors.

Evan Cohen is a senior portfolio engagement director at Toyota Ventures, responsible for supporting startups across frontier tech and climate tech and developing and implementing programs that add value to portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Evan was the accelerator manager for SVG Ventures where he oversaw the development and execution of the award-winning THRIVE Accelerator. He had previously run the cleantech cohort of the Canadian Technology Accelerator, and founded its agtech cohort.

Evan started his career in the United States Marine Corps, where he served in multiple leadership positions at the infantry team, squad and platoon level. Following his time on active duty and deployment to Iraq, he worked in politics as a member of the Obama Administration serving as a political appointee at both the White House and U.S. Department of Energy. He was previously a fellow with both the Clean Energy Leadership Institute and On Deck Climate Tech.

Phillip Zackler is general counsel, vice president of operations, chief safety officer and secretary at Toyota Research Institute (TRI). Phillip is responsible for TRI’s legal/compliance, facilities, and general operations functions and provides executive support to the people/culture and executive program management.

Phillip started his legal career at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Minami Tamaki LLP in San Francisco before joining the in-house legal team at GoPro, Inc. Phillip has also served for over 10 years on the board of directors of the Glide Foundation in San Francisco, providing pro bono representation to various San Francisco entrepreneurs, small businesses and charitable/educational organizations and serving in various capacities on local community boards and committees.

Phillip received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley and a juris doctor degree from Duke Law School.

Danai Sakutukwa is an office manager at Toyota Ventures, responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the company’s San Francisco office.

Previously, Danai worked as a guest services representative at The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California. Prior to that, she held several roles in international education and immigration, including as an international student advisor with the University of California at Berkeley, a resident advisor and program manager for college interns in China, and a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Brazil. She is also a yoga teacher.

She received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Jay Patel is an analyst at Toyota Ventures, where he helps source startups, evaluate opportunities, and conduct market research for the Climate Fund.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Jay was a competitive intelligence summer analyst on the corporate strategy and sustainability team at Chevron. Previously, he held internships in corporate sustainability and climate tech at Levi Strauss & Co., the United States Department of Energy, and CalWave Power Technologies. He also founded the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative Consulting Division, a consulting organization that focuses on tackling climate challenges within the energy industry.

Jay received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in global management and a minor in conservation and resource studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

David Sokolic is a partner at Toyota Ventures, responsible for leading investments for the Frontier Fund and overseeing the firm’s activities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, David was an investment partner at OurCrowd, where he led investments in companies in mobility, robotics, digital health, cybersecurity, as well as software companies applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize enterprise operations, generate new analytic insights, improve healthcare, and discover novel therapeutic treatments. He has also held roles on the board of directors of several portfolio companies. Earlier in his venture capital career, David was a vice president on the investment team at Battery Ventures, focused on early-stage investing.

David’s operating career includes stints at companies ranging from seed-stage startup to major multinational companies, spanning roles in product management, product marketing, business development, and corporate strategy. In his most recent operating role, David served as chief executive officer of CyKick Labs, an early-stage cybersecurity company. Prior to that, David served as vice president of marketing and business development at Peerapp, which developed intelligent caching software to optimize the delivery of content over IP networks.

Earlier in his career, David spent time at Microsoft in the Office Communications product group and the Mobile Information Workers product group, and contributed to shipping five products. Other past operational roles include leadership positions in marketing and product management at companies such as RADVISION, Gizmoz, and VocalTec Communications. David also worked for several years as a strategy consultant with Braxton Associates, Deloitte’s strategy consulting arm, and HK Catalyst, a boutique firm focused on telecom and technology companies.

He received a bachelor’s of science degree in economics with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Katie Lam is an executive assistant at Toyota Ventures, responsible for providing administrative support to the Climate Fund partner and Frontier Fund partner.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Katie supported executives at Cruise and Truepill. With a background in marketing and project management, Katie has worked in a variety of industries, including digital health, venture capital, and beauty tech.

Katie received a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California at San Diego.

Jeff Bullock is the head of finance at Toyota Ventures, responsible for the management of funds, portfolio valuation, and other business operations.

Jeff joins Toyota Ventures from a finance and accounting role at NFX Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, where he led the financial reporting, compliance, portfolio monitoring and other firm operations. Previously, he held roles within the private equity industry at Francisco Partners, Bank of America and Ernst & Young.

He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois.

Katherine is a senior finance and operations advisor at Toyota Ventures, responsible for shaping the firm’s financial strategy, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Previously, she served as the firm’s controller.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Katherine worked for Global Asset Capital, a family office. She has more than 30 years of diverse experience building and growing finance and administration functions at software startups and publicly traded companies, as well as in family offices, venture capital, and private equity environments. Her previous experience includes senior finance positions at Kleiner Perkins, the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC), Asset Management Company and Terayon. She also worked for Apple and DHL, as well as at KPMG and Deloitte earlier in her career.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in business administration from Santa Clara University. She also holds an active CPA license with the state of California.

Chris Casillas is a senior fund accountant at Toyota Ventures, responsible for fund-related financial operations, including full-cycle financial close procedures, capital calls, and fund distributions.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Chris worked on Carta’s fund administration team, where he managed venture capital firms on the Carta platform. He led and developed an accounting team to produce financial reports for funds and management companies.

Chris also previously worked at Foundation Capital, a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto. Prior to working in venture capital, he spent several years in public accounting, gaining experience in audit, tax, and various consulting engagements.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from California State University, Stanislaus, where he also served as the president of Beta Alpha Psi.

Kalyn Simon is a portfolio engagement director at Toyota Ventures, responsible for supporting startups across frontier tech and climate tech.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Kalyn was the director of engagement at OceanWell, an early-stage water technology startup, where she led the company’s strategic partnerships and government relations. Kalyn also previously held roles at Elemental Excelerator, where she accelerated climate technology project deployment, and at SVG Ventures, where she supported corporate innovation and facilitated the growth of the award-winning THRIVE accelerator program.

Kalyn received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in international studies from the University of San Francisco, and a master’s of business administration degree from Santa Clara University.

Eric Swanson serves as a legal counsel for Toyota Ventures, responsible for leading initiatives such as legal diligence on portfolio investments, fund formation, corporate governance, and compliance.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Eric served as head of legal for a venture-backed startup building software to facilitate angel investing. He previously managed compliance at AngelList, helping to scale the venture ecosystem through process and technology. Eric has also previously held positions at Lyft and Google.

Eric received a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and chemistry from Berry College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Caitlin Ploch is a portfolio engagement director at Toyota Ventures, responsible for supporting startups across frontier tech and climate tech.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Caitlin was a partner at Schox Patent Group, a boutique patent firm specializing in developing and executing the patent strategy for venture-backed startups. There she supported numerous startups in the mobility, health, and sustainability spaces, helping them leverage their intellectual property for potential funding and exits. Caitlin also previously worked in medical device design, and conducted research in brain mechanics.

Caitlin received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, and bachelor’s degrees in engineering and physics from Hope College.

Boston Schwarz serves as a legal counsel for Toyota Ventures, focusing on transactional matters, including due diligence, deal structuring, and negotiation of investment agreements.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Boston was legal counsel at Samsung NEXT, where he was responsible for negotiating and closing all of the organization’s venture deals and for providing legal support to portfolio companies. Previously he was a corporate associate focusing on venture capital and emerging companies at Latham & Watkins and DLA Piper.

Boston received a bachelor of science degree in business management from Brigham Young University and a law degree from the Duke University School of Law.

Sonny Nishida serves as a senior coordinator at Toyota Ventures. His responsibilities include facilitating strategic relationships between portfolio companies and Toyota as part of the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund, as well as providing ongoing support to portfolio companies.

Sonny joins Toyota Ventures from Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) where he has worked for over 12 years. Most recently, Sonny was an assistant manager in the new business planning division, where he was a product owner for several new businesses. In previous roles at TMC, he has worked in the purchasing division and formulated strategy for supply chain management, continuity of supply, and improved productivity.

He received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Doshisha University.

Sean is an assistant controller at Toyota Ventures, responsible for operational oversight of fund accounting, ensuring accuracy in reporting, and enhancing processes and workflows.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Sean worked for Kortschak Consulting, a family office, where he managed the financial and accounting functions for several entities, including family businesses, portfolio companies, and venture capital funds. Sean also previously worked at NGP Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund where he was responsible for management company and general partner accounting.

Sean has more than 16 years of experience across a variety of venture capital and private equity environments, including early-stage, growth equity, fund-of-funds, and mid-market buyouts. Prior responsibilities have covered a variety of functions for fund and management company operations, including full-cycle accounting, budgeting and forecasting, multi-entity consolidations, audit and tax engagements, portfolio monitoring, investor reporting, and human resources.

Sean received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah.

Katie Kloska is a senior analyst on the Toyota Ventures investment team, responsible for sourcing early-stage climate technology startups, leading technical and market diligence, and supporting transaction execution.

Katie received her doctorate degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago, where her research focused on designing and optimizing bench-scale photothermal carbon capture systems. She also led techno-economic and industry analyses to tackle feasibility, cost, and siting challenges.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Katie served as an associate at Helikon Consulting, evaluating climate and biotech startups—including direct air capture, ocean alkalinity enhancement, sustainable hydrogen, and biochar. She also contributed to climate policy research in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, analyzing frameworks for hydrogen, e-waste recycling, and emerging climate technologies.

Evelyn Lassman is a controller at Toyota Ventures, responsible for managing fund accounting, internal controls, and financial reporting.

Before joining Toyota Ventures, Evelyn was the controller at Opus Capital, an early-stage technology venture firm. She is a financial professional with over thirty years of finance, accounting, and business administration experience in public, private, and venture capital companies, including Mission Motors, Electronic for Imaging, and KPMG.

Evelyn graduated from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and has a master’s degree in business administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She holds an active CPA license with the state of California.

Sonoko Plummer is an executive assistant at Toyota Ventures, responsible for providing administrative support to the firm’s general partner.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Sonoko served as director of administration at the U.S.-Japan Council, where she oversaw executive office operations, board governance, and core administrative functions, including human resources, corporate insurance, and IT systems management. Her background also includes experience with Studebaker & Brackett, PC, and Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Sonoko received a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, and a master’s degree in tourism administration from The George Washington University.

Laura Bocek is a senior analyst on the Toyota Ventures investment team, responsible for sourcing early-stage deep technology startups, leading technical and market diligence, and supporting transaction execution.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Laura worked on cyber and artificial intelligence investments across several venture firms, including Cerberus Ventures, Darwin Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. At Darwin Ventures, based in Taiwan, Laura was also the lead software engineer for AI tooling.

Laura received her master’s degree in computer science and bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University, where she conducted research on the state of the Chinese innovation ecosystem and the critical minerals supply chain.

Ken Kiyono serves as a senior coordinator at Toyota Ventures. His responsibilities include facilitating strategic relationships between portfolio companies and Toyota, as well as providing ongoing support to portfolio companies.

Ken joined Toyota Ventures after ten years at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). He most recently served as an assistant manager in the finance division, where he managed foreign exchange hedging and asset management for Toyota’s global operations. Previously, Ken worked in TMC’s accounting division, focusing on consolidated financial reporting and operating income variance analysis.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hitotsubashi University.

Sherry Xie is a senior fund accountant at Toyota Ventures, where she supports fund and management company accounting operations. Her responsibilities include full-cycle financial close procedures, capital calls, and fund distributions.

Prior to joining Toyota Ventures, Sherry worked as a senior accountant consultant at Toyota Research Institute, where she supported accounting close activities and coordinated with accounting, finance, procurement, and external partners to ensure efficient close and reporting operations. Previously, she spent four years at Alegeus Technologies, where she focused on Workday financial system implementations and accounting close operations, including bank reconciliations, accruals, and internal audits.

Sherry holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University at Buffalo and a master’s of business administration from the University of South Carolina Aiken. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Massachusetts.