NextGen Leaders Series powered by Kauffman Fellows #3: The Next Frontier of B2B: Products That Will Reshape Industries
Gain valuable insights into the future and explore how leading Japanese corporations can position themselves for the next wave of innovation.
Hosted at the Japan Innovation Campus, this exclusive conversation brings together Kotai Gen, his Kauffman Fellows classmates, and industry leaders from across the innovation ecosystem to share perspectives on emerging technologies, shifting markets, and the ideas shaping the future.
Our third session will explore the next frontier of B2B products—where breakthroughs in AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise software are redefining what’s possible, reshaping industries, and creating the next generation of market leaders.
This event is presented in collaboration with Sorenson Capital, a venture capital firm partnering with product-driven founders to build and scale leading B2B software companies.
Time Schedule:
3:45 PM Door open
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM Sector Trends
4:45 PM - 5:15 PM Pannel and QA
5:15 PM - 6PM Networking
Speaker:
Rob Rueckert
Rob Rueckert is a partner at Sorenson’s Growth and Ventures teams, and co-founded the firm’s Ventures practice in 2017. Influenced by his engineering background, Rob is a “product-first” software investor, focusing on product leadership, technical depth, and differentiation. He enjoys working closely with ambitious leaders and is equally devoted to both solving challenges and celebrating accomplishments.
Jeff Todd
Jeff Todd is a vice president on Sorenson’s Growth team. He joined Sorenson in 2021 and focuses on finding, evaluating, and supporting exceptional enterprise software companies. He believes that technology is fundamentally reshaping our lives and has the power to make the world a better place for everyone.
Prior to joining Sorenson, Jeff focused on investing in special situations for technology companies at Vector Capital, where he was a board observer for companies in the cloud CPQ and live event ticketing industries.
Moderator:
Kotai Gen
Kotai Gen is Director at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC). He oversees SMBC’s strategic investments into venture capital funds as an LP investor and startups through CVC as a GP investor. He manages GP-LP relationships, drives business development initiatives, and helps connect Japanese corporations with emerging technologies and innovation ecosystems. Kotai is a Sozo Scholar at Sozo Ventures and is a Kauffman Fellow (Class 30).
Parking Information
Street parking is available around the Japan Innovation Campus in Palo Alto.
For additional options, a public parking garage is located just a couple of blocks away beside Palo Alto City Hall: View on Google Maps