Having worked in NTT DATA for nearly three decades, Zamma knows the IT industry of Japan inside out, and firmly believes that open innovation will revitalize his company and the industry.

As the head of Open Innovation and Business Incubation, he directs biannual contests and monthly forums to find and introduce promising startups to business units and customers of NTT DATA, and runs programs that put the partner startups on the fast track to proof-of-concept and new business.

Kaz Okada is a Senior Expert in Open Innovation and Business Incubation section of NTT DATA Corporation, which is Japan's largest systems integrator, and he is responsible for globalizing NTT DATA's open innovation program.

His career started as a network engineer serving NASA and the Japanese space agency, but he has also worked as a software engineer at Microsoft in Seattle. He then moved to Washington, DC where he came across countless innovations both as a Manager of Research and Business Development and as a Visiting Fellow of CSIS, which is a top think tank in the United States.
His diverse and international experience makes him an ideal consultant for open innovation, and he is now leading the globalization of NTT DATA’s open innovation program.

Mr. Okada earned his Master of Science from George Washington University School of Business in 2006.

With a degree in Electrical Engineering, António joined everis in 1999, accepting the challenge of establishing this consulting firm in Portugal.

Throughout his career, which is linked to both public and private sectors, he has always worked in the Information Technology industry. He forms part of the everis Foundation board of Trustees, and participates of several non-profit organizations and business associations’ Advisory Boards.

Pedro Vilarinho is currently Managing Director of HiSeedTech.

Pedro was previously an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics, Management and Industrial Engineering of Universidade de Aveiro.

He has an undergraduate degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Universidade de Aveiro, a MSc in Computer Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidade de Coimbra and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Universidade do Porto.

João Freire de Andrade is the head of BiG Start Ventures, an early-stage Venture Capital investing in startups innovating in the fields of finance (FinTech), insurance (InsurTech) and cybersecurity. The geographical focus is Lisbon, Berlin and London, but it is open to startups from other locations. BiG Start Ventures provides entrepreneurs with an unique environment for FinTech development, with access to banking infrastructures, systems expertise, banking products, banking users, compliance and regulation. João was a volunteer at the microfinance NGO Move, where has been in charge of supporting the creation of 7 businesses with underprivileged entrepreneurs in Mozambique. Founder President of Bring Entrepreneurs Together. BET has been responsible for the 24 Hours Entrepreneurship event, involving thousands of participants through the different editions. João has an Economics Bachelor degree from Nova SBE, a Master in Management with Major in Finance from Católica Lisbon SBE and the Fintech Course of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He was a Teaching Assistant at the Master of Finance and Executive Education of Nova SBE and in 2017 has joined Católica Lisbon SBE to fully focus his academic contribution in Fintech.

Luís Vaz de Carvalho is currently a Manager at everis Business Consulting unit in Lisbon. Luís has an undergraduate 5 year degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico and an MBA from INSEAD. Luís has focused his professional career in consulting being driven by disruptive thinking and transformational project implementation having done both as a consultant as well as in his management roles in other organizations.