Judges Announced for Track 4 “Creativity Well-being” of WE AT CHALLENGE 2026, a Global Pitch Contest Aiming to Become One of Asia’s Largest Well-being Festivals
WE AT, a general incorporated association dedicated to advancing the well-being industry by addressing global social challenges, is pleased to announce the judges and Science Advisor for Track 4 “Creativity Well-being” of WE AT CHALLENGE 2026, its annual global pitch contest aiming to become one of Asia’s largest well-being festivals.
WE AT CHALLENGE Enters Its Third Year with Leading Experts from Industry, Academia, and the Public Sector
WE AT CHALLENGE is an annual global pitch contest organized by WE AT with the aim of becoming one of Asia’s largest festivals for well-being. Now entering its third year, WE AT CHALLENGE 2026 features four tracks covering different areas of social challenges. Each track will conduct its own selection process to identify teams that will receive support from WE AT.
Track 4 “Creativity Well-being — Art with Purpose. Creativity with Impact.” recognizes creativity and cultural activities as essential elements of well-being. It is designed for challengers seeking to transform creativity—the power to generate new value from people’s interests, questions, and sense that something should be different—into viable businesses.
The track welcomes ideas and ventures that build on creative elements across art and culture, bring them to market as new products, services, or experiences, and create a cycle in which new value is discovered, shared, and sustained.
We are pleased to announce the four Guest Judges and one Science Advisor for Track 4. Covering an exceptionally broad range of fields, including art, entertainment, design, and culture, Track 4 brings together distinguished experts capable of evaluating challengers from both global and highly specialized perspectives.
The Guest Judges will participate in the second and final selection rounds, contributing their expertise as external specialists to the selection of teams that will receive support from WE AT, as well as the winning team. To enable evaluation from multiple perspectives, each track brings together four leading experts from industry, academia, and the public sector.
During the final selection round, the Science Advisor will provide academic and expert insights into the significance, latest developments, and key agendas of the field covered by the track, and will pose questions to the candidates. One Science Advisor is appointed for each track.
Track 4 The Head Judge
Tony Hughes
UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) / Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP); Future of Creativity Institute (FOCI), Goldsmiths, University of London
Dealmaker, UK Global Entrepreneur Programme; AI & Creativity Research Lead, Future of Creativity Institute
Biography
Tony Hughes is an entrepreneur, innovation specialist and advisor with more than 25 years’ experience working across the creative industries, technology, investment and international business.
He is a Dealmaker with the UK Government’s Global Entrepreneur Programme, supporting high-growth international technology and creative businesses to establish and scale in the UK. Over his career, Tony has worked with entrepreneurs, investors, universities and global companies across Europe, Asia and North America, with particular expertise in digital media, games, AI and the creative economy.
Tony established one of the UK’s first digital-content incubators and has helped develop university-industry innovation initiatives involving organisations including the BBC, Channel 4 and major technology companies. He is currently helping to develop the Future of Creativity Institute at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he leads work exploring AI and creativity and new models for collaboration between research, industry and entrepreneurs.
His particular interest is in how creativity, technology and entrepreneurship can combine to create commercially sustainable businesses with meaningful cultural and social impact.
Comment
“Creativity is becoming more important, not less, in an age of AI and rapid technological change. I’m excited to see entrepreneurs who can combine imagination, technology and commercial ambition to create experiences and businesses that genuinely improve people’s lives. WE AT CHALLENGE can help turn those ideas into globally scalable ventures with lasting cultural and social impact.”
Track 4 Guest Judges
Hironori Iwasaki
Musashino Art University
Professor
Biography
Hironori is a professor at Institute of Innovation, Musashino Art University in Tokyo, where he teaches business strategy and design practice. He is specialized in strategic design. As a strategic designer, He has been leading innovation projects and new product / new business development projects for major companies in Japan for more than twenty years. He had been working on branding, innovation, new business development and startup investment during his tenure at Hakuhodo. He has been awarded many awards including Red Dot Award Communication Design and D&AD Awards Design Transformation Category. He received Bachelor’s Degree from International Christian University, Master Degree from Keio University, and Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology, PhD in Management Science from Kyoto University.
Comment
In the age of AI, creativity is one of the essential strengths that must remain in human hands—a force that drives new businesses and creates real impact on society. I look forward to bold, innovative proposals that challenge conventional wisdom and bring wonder and excitement to society and everyday life in ways never seen before.
Eriko Suzuki
Dears Capital / Kind Capital
CEO/Founder
Biography
Partner at Dears Capital, a Japan-based private equity buyout fund focused on value creation in small-cap companies through human capital and female empowerment. And founder CEO of Kind Capital, which conducts wellbeing related consulting and businesses.
Eriko also serves as an outside director on Boards of several companies and is Director of Tokyo Women in VC. Previously, Eriko was a founding member and Managing Director of MPower Partners, Japan’s first ESG-focused venture capital firm, and has held leadership roles across multiple venture capital funds. Eriko began her career in investment banking, working on global M&A and IPO transactions, before becoming Japan Country Manager of a Silicon Valley–based drone startup. Eriko is the author of How We Live Will Be How We Work (Daiwa Shobo, 2018) and the Japanese translator of the New York Times bestseller Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism by Mariana Mazzucato (NewsPicks Publishing, 2021).
Comment
As an investor, I see wellbeing not as a nice-to-have, but as the defining market of the coming decades. In an age of AI and massive technological change, I believe wellbeing is what matters most — the ultimate goal of everything we build. And now more than ever, we need creativity to get there in ways that are sustainable and regenerative — the kind of creativity that emerges when diverse people and ideas converge. I’m excited to see entrepreneurs boldly leaping into this space at WE AT CHALLENGE.
Takehiro Ikeda
Panasonic Design London
Director
Biography
Director of Panasonic Design London within the Design Division of Panasonic Operational Excellence Co., Ltd. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Design from Aalto University in Finland.Before joining Panasonic, Takehiro spent more than ten years at Seymourpowell, one of the UK’s leading creative consultancies. There, he led numerous projects for global companies, including the development of brand visions, innovation strategies, and design-led business transformation programmes. Working across a wide range of industries, he helped organisations connect design with business strategy and create sustainable competitive advantage. Since joining Panasonic in 2018, Takehiro has led initiatives to strengthen the contribution of design to management and business performance. Beginning with the transformation of the former Appliances Company Design Centre, he has expanded the strategic role of design across a broad range of businesses, from B2C consumer appliances to B2B energy and industrial sectors. His work brings together brand, customer experience, business strategy, and organisational transformation through design management. Based at Panasonic Design London, he is currently responsible for strengthening Panasonic’s global design capabilities. Through collaboration with international offices, business divisions, universities, and external partners, he promotes leadership development, organisational transformation, cross-cultural collaboration, and the creation of new global innovation opportunities.
Comment
To me, well-being is not simply about solving problems—it is about creating a richer quality of life and shaping new cultures of living that inspire a better future. Through WE AT CHALLENGE 2026, I look forward to meeting startups that refine unique ideas born in Japan and boldly challenge the global market. I hope to see innovations that connect diverse cultures and values, create meaningful impact, and inspire people around the world through new perspectives on well-being.
Track 4 Science Advisor
NAKAO Tomoyuki
Agency for Cultural Affairs,Government of Japan
Senior Specialist for museums support
Biography
Museum Support Officer at the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan. Engaged in strengthening the functions of cultural hubs, including museums, and promoting the social value of arts and culture. Interested in the role of arts and culture in fostering creativity, human connection, and well-being, and in expanding their potential through cultural policy.
Comment
Culture and the arts nurture creativity and empathy and form an important foundation for well-being. I hope that WE AT CHALLENGE 2026 will unlock new possibilities for both Art & Culture and well-being through the diverse challenges and ideas brought forward by participants.
With the support of diverse experts from industry, academia, and the public sector, WE AT will continue to identify and support challengers addressing critical social issues and work toward the realization of well-being.
About WE AT
Legal entity:
General Incorporated Association WE AT
Founding organizations:
The University of Tokyo; Kyoto University; Institute of Science Tokyo; UTokyo Innovation Platform Co., Ltd.; Hakuhodo Inc.; Sumitomo Life Insurance Company; and Canon Marketing Japan Inc.
Member companies:
Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited; Panasonic Holdings Corporation; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation; TBS Holdings, Inc.; ABeam Consulting Ltd.; Tokyu Land Corporation; and MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
Established:
May 16, 2024
Headquarters:
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Representatives:
Co-Representative Directors: Itaru Yoshizawa and Hiroki Fujimoto
Vice-Representative Director: Daisuke Kanema
Business activities:
Identifying and nurturing social entrepreneurs; supporting startup creation and growth; organizing and co-hosting events; developing human resources; and conducting research, surveys, and policy recommendations.
Official website:
https://we-at.tokyo/en/