Speaker Bios
Jeff Acton, Partner, Partner and Co-Head of Tokyo, BDA Partners
Jeff Acton is a Partner at BDA Partners based in Tokyo. Mr. Acton has a solid track record in originating and executing acquisitions and divestments for corporate clients and financial sponsors in Japan, China, Korea, and Singapore, focusing on the advanced manufacturing, automotive, consumer, and specialty chemicals sectors.
He has advised clients on transactions in Asia, including Clariant, Cookson Group, Henkel, J-Will Partners, and Kennametal. He started his career as an aerospace engineer with Pratt & Whitney in Canada. Mr. Acton has an MBA from INSEAD in France and an MSc/BSc from Queen’s University in Canada (with a year at Kyoto University). He is fluent in spoken and written Japanese and conversant in French.
Richard I. Anslow, Partner, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Richard I. Anslow, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, is a senior corporate and securities attorney whose practice focuses on domestic and international securities, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate representation. He represents a variety of public and private company issuers, investors, and investment banks.
Drew Bernstein, Co-Chair, Marcum Asia CPAs LLC
Drew Bernstein is the Co-Chairman of MarcumAsia, initially co-founder of Bernstein & Pinchuk, a PCAOB registered accounting firm that has been providing SEC audit and advisory services to Asian companies since 1983. The firm is a member of the Marcum Group and an affiliate of Marcum LLP, a leading U.S. accounting and advisory firm. The combined firm is one of the largest middle market accounting firms servicing Asia-based, US publicly traded companies.
Tina Cheng, Partner, Quality Control, MarcumAsia CPAs LLC
Tina Cheng has over 20 years of experience in accounting, auditing, and supervision. Before joining MarcumAsia, Ms. Cheng worked at three major U.S. accounting firms, including KPMG. She also worked in the audit department of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). She provided training for the SEC as a technical director at Plante Moran LLP on issues including internal process design and supervision. Ms. Cheng attaches great importance to high-quality service delivery. She establishes, implements, and maintains the firm’s audit service policies and procedures and ensures the firm’s compliance with the relevant regulations of regulatory agencies. She guides the firm’s professionals on accounting and auditing techniques. Ms. Cheng serves as the firm’s quality control representative to review the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-related audit services.
Crocker Coulson, CEO, AUM Media Inc
Crocker is an award-winning investor relations and corporate communications advisor with two decades of experience helping public and private companies access the capital markets and complete major acquisitions and business transformations. He has worked with senior leaders of over 100 companies across various industries ranging from startups to Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 scale enterprises. His firm, AUM Media, provides capital markets, investor relations, financial reporting, and corporate communications advisory services, with a strong focus on companies from Asia going public in the U.S. via IPO or SPAC merger.
David E. Danovitch, Partner, Sullivan & Worcester LLP
David is the managing partner of Sullivan's New York office, where he is also director of the Corporate Department and co-heads the Firm’s Asia practice. He has extensive cross-border transaction experience representing issuers, broker-dealers and investment funds in financings, capital markets transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. David's clients span a variety of industries and his practice includes such matters as general corporate governance, securities regulation, mergers and acquisitions, and financings, and has defended numerous government enforcement actions. He also maintains several securities industry licenses, including the Series 24 (Registered Principal), Series 7 (General Securities), Series 79 (Investment Banking), and Series 99 (Operations), which gives him a unique insight into the challenges facing regulated firms.
Douglas S. Ellenoff, Partner, Ellenoff Grossman & Schole
Douglas S. Ellenoff, a member of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole since its founding in 1992, is a corporate and securities attorney who focuses on business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate financings. He has represented public companies in connection with their initial public offerings, SPACS, secondary public offerings, regulatory compliance, strategic initiatives, and general corporate governance matters. During his career, he has represented numerous broker-dealers, venture capital investor groups, and corporations involved in the capital formation process.
Lisa Forcht, Partner, Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li
Ms. Forcht is a Partner at Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li's New York office, specializing in securities law and corporate governance. Her practice emphasizes representing both public and private companies in IPOs, public financings, and strategic acquisitions. With extensive experience in capital markets transactions, she has also served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, and underwriter’s counsel for numerous public authorities, including state and local governments.
Keitaro Ishii, Director, Kura Sushi
Mr. Ishii has served as a member of our board of directors of Kura Sushi (NASDAQ: KRUS) since October 2018. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of IIOSS K.K., a Japanese professional consulting services firm specializing in organizational development and financial management (“IIOSS”), where he has served in such capacity since 2008. From 1980 to 2005, he served in various management capacities with Applied Materials, Inc., a semiconductor equipment company, including Regional Chief Financial Officer in Japan as well as positions within global human resources and global operations. Prior to his service with Applied Materials, Inc., Mr. Ishii served as an internal audit manager for Gulf & Western, Inc. and prior to that as a staff accountant with Peat Marwick & Mitchell, predecessor to KPMG LLP. Mr. Ishii holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pace University.
Joshua Kaufman, Co-Chair, Capital Markets & Public Company Advisory Group, DLA Piper
Josh Kaufman of DLA Piper is a commercially oriented corporate counselor who advises high-growth businesses on financing pathways, strategic development, and transformational transactions. He specializes in cross-border matters, advising leading innovative companies in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Mr. Kaufman represents US and foreign private issuers and underwriters in various public offerings and private placements, primarily in the life sciences and technology. He has advised on more than 200 financing transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $100 billion. Mr. Kaufman represents clients before the Securities and Exchange Commission and advises on corporate governance and general corporate and commercial matters.
Craig Linder, Partner, Anthony, Linder & Cacomanolis, PLLC
Craig D. Linder, Esq. is a partner at Anthony, Linder & Cacomanolis, PLLC and has over 28 years of experience as a securities lawyer to issuers and underwriters, specializing in public registration of securities (with particular emphasis as issuer’s counsel in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of domestic and foreign private issuers, registered direct offerings (RDOs), and confidentially marketed public offerings (CMPOs), private investment in public equity transactions (PIPEs), and listing of securities on the NASDAQ and NYSE. Craig has worked with a number of Japanese issuers on their listings on U.S. exchanges. He is a graduate of NYU Law School.
Rong Liu, Senior Partner, Head of Japanese Practice, Marcum Asia CPAs LLC
Rong Liu, Senior Partner, Asia Practice at MarcumAsia, has over 30 years of experience working with publicly and privately held companies overseeing complex audits, M&A transactions, financial due diligence, forensic accounting, internal controls, and international tax matters. Mr. Liu plays a central role in MarcumAsia’s SEC practice in Japan by assisting clients with initial public offerings (IPOs), SPAC IPOs, SPAC mergers, and various complex accounting and financial reporting issues. Before joining MarcumAsia, he was a partner at Friedman LLP’s New York office and a Senior Manager at Deloitte’s Dallas office, among other positions.
Yoichi（Chi）Morimoto, Executive Officer, Head of Business development, HiJoJo Partners
Chi is an Executive Officer at HiJoJo Partners, where he leads new business development, including the launch of investment banking services, IPO consulting for startups, and supporting the sustainable growth of portfolio companies. Previously, Chi managed institutional investor sales, block origination business, and corporate access teams at Goldman Sachs Japan, overseeing strategies to enhance corporate value and directing IPO/Follow On offerings for the firm.
HiJoJo Partners manages SPVs targeting middle/later-stage private companies, including US unicorns, while providing capital strategy and business growth support. In 2024, Chi played a key role in forming a strategic alliance with Nasdaq Private Market, the world’s largest secondary market platform, and in 2021, contributed to regulatory reforms as a member of the Japan Securities Dealers Association Deregulation Committee member, advocating for the relaxation of Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
Chieko Murata, Japan Representative, NASDAQ
Chieko Murata joined Nasdaq in 2008 as an initial member of Nasdaq Tokyo office.
Since then, working for Nasdaq Technology clients for trading, clearing and look after listing business.
As a Nasdaq Tokyo listing rep, provides comprehensive support from initial stage of the listing to pre-IPO, post IPO phases.
Support connecting all key parties including VCs, investment banks, audit firms, law firms, IR agents. Always happy to work with companies!
Jesse Pichel, Managing Director, Roth Capital
Jesse Pichel is a managing director and co-head of sustainability investment banking at Roth Capital Partners. Before joining Roth, he was the Managing Director and Global Head of Clean Technology Research at Jefferies Group Inc. With 25 years of capital markets experience, including 14 years as a highly ranked sell-side analyst, Jesse is widely recognized as a leading expert in the solar and new energy technologies sector.
Neil Pinchuk, Co-Chair, Marcum Asia CPAs LLC
Neil Pinchuk is the Co-Chairman of MarcumAsia, a PCAOB-registered accounting firm headquartered in New York. The firm is one of the largest accounting firms servicing Asia-based, US publicly traded companies. Mr. Pinchuk has more than 30 years of experience advising public (Securities and Exchange Commission – regulated) and non-public companies in diverse industries, including manufacturing, wholesaling, retail, professional entertainers, professional athletes, professional practices, nonprofit entities, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, investment funds, broker-dealers, and real estate. He is considered a technical expert in multi-state taxation, partnership and corporate taxation, U.S. taxation of foreign companies and investors, payroll and sales taxes, and taxability of like-kind exchanges. His extensive international experiences have made him an authority in forming U.S. companies complying with federal, state, and local tax laws, as well as SEC and U.S. accounting and auditing standards and regulations.
Junsei Ryu, Chairman and CEO, TOYO Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: TOYO)
Mr. Junsei Ryu has served as the representative of TOYO Solar since November 2022 and brings a wealth of experience to his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors at TOYO Co., Ltd. With nearly two decades of expertise in the solar solutions industry, Mr. Ryu has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Abalance Corporation, a Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed company specializing in global solar energy investment, development, construction, and operation. He has served as a director or representative for various affiliates, including WWB Corporation, VSUN, Fuji Solar, VALORS Corporation, Birdy Fuel Cells LLC, and Japan Photocatalyst Center Corporation. Mr. Ryu holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Nagoya City University and a Master's degree in International Management from Waseda University, further augmenting his qualifications in the field.
Jason Tang, Partner, MarcumAsia
Jason Tang is a partner of MarcumAsia with over 25 years of diversified accounting and management advisory experience. He currently manages Marcum Asia’s Singapore office and participates in the business development and promotion of Marcum Asia’s brand image in the Asia Pacific region. Before joining Marcum Asia, Jason was a senior partner at Friedman LLP’s New York office and one of the core leaders of Friedman’s China practice.
Jason earned his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of International Business & Economics in Beijing, China, and his Master’s in business administration from Seton Hall University in the United States. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of New Jersey and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Tony Tian, Senior Managing Director, Kingswood Capital Partners LLC
Tony Tian currently serves as Senior Managing Director at Kingswood Capital Partners and has over 15 years of experience in capital markets, investment banking, research, and investor relations. Along with leading Kingswood’s investment banking efforts in Asia, Mr. Tian also serves as Co-CEO of a NASDAQ-listed gaming company and CFO and Director of AIMfinity Investment Corp. Previously, he was Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets at US Tiger Securities. Before that, he was a sell-side analyst for several investment banks, including Oppenheimer, Ladenburg Thalmann, Ticonderoga Securities, and Pacific Crest Securities.
Ed Tsuker, Senior Managing Director, Kingswood Capital Partners LLC
Ed Tsuker currently serves as Senior Managing Director at Kingswood Capital Partners and has over 30 years of experience in capital markets, investment banking, and corporate finance, servicing emerging growth, small-cap, and middle market companies, specializing in life sciences, healthcare, technology, energy, metals, and mining. Previously, Mr. Tsuker was a co-founder of EF Hutton as well as held senior management positions with Aegis Capital, Knight Capital Markets, Maxim Group, as well as Rodman & Renshaw, and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. He has been responsible for structuring, closing, and participating in over 500 equity and equity-linked offerings as well as responsible for raising more than ~$15 billion for emerging growth companies.
Enna Weng, Managing Director, Freedom Capital Markets
Enna Weng is a Managing Director of Freedom Capital Markets, managing the investment banking business with expertise in equity capital market, venture investing, and family office investing. Prior to joining Freedom, Enna held senior positions in various global financial institutions. She was the Head of U.S. Equity Structured Issuance at Barclays. Before that, she managed the Fully Funded Portfolio Risk Trading desk at Wells Fargo. In her earlier career, she also covered Structured Financing at Macquarie USA and Fixed Income at Morgan Stanley. Her experience includes deal origination, due diligence, and execution of domestic and cross-border transactions across industry sectors. She has a breadth of knowledge as an entrepreneur and a deep understanding of the capital markets. Enna holds an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She also has a BBA from Macaulay Honors College and completed her Economics degree at Sophia University in Japan.
Yingjie Weng, Managing Director, Chardan
Yingjie Weng is a Managing Director of SPAC Investment Banking at Chardan. She joined Chardan in 2011 and has originated and executed over $5 billion worth of transactions in her career, including IPOs, M&As, and public and private capital raises. Ms. Weng has extensive experience in cross-border SPAC mergers and has provided in-depth deal structuring and financing solutions for emerging growth companies in Asia and Europe. Ms. Weng holds a Bachelors Degree in Financial Mathematics and Economics from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese.