Yuko Ueno completed the latter half of the doctoral program at Rikkyo University Graduate School of Science (Ph.D. in Science). Yuko conducted research on extremophiles at the University of Maryland Center of Marine Biotechnology while still a doctoral student. She joined Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. in 2013. Yuko assumed office as President of Leave a Nest America in 2018 after serving as Director of the Human Resources Development Division and Editor-in-Chief of the brochure “Sogyo O-en”. Yuko draws on her own research experience to design new business projects for Japanese companies while identifying and fostering deep tech startups in the United States and Southeast Asia. She also has experience providing support for Japanese deep tech startups advancing into Southeast Asia markets and vice versa.