Jim Maricondo, US-Japan Blockchain Business Development at Wave Financial. Ex-ConsenSys Japan lead; Partner at MetaMesh; privacy; vintage Apple II; growth, adventure & fun! Jim focuses on blockchain business development, specializing between the US and Japan. At ConsenSys, he created and executed plans for the Tokyo office, sourced opportunities and partnerships with Japanese and US enterprises, and participated in the due diligence team for the in-house venture capital investment platform, Coven. Previously, he also served as VP of Strategic Alliances at ISI-Dentsu, the IT systems integrator group company of Dentsu, and worked in business development for LiDAR sensors used in autonomous vehicles. A Silicon Valley techie with an entrepreneurial and cross-cultural mindset, Jim has many years of experience in international business development, partner strategy, product and software engineering. He especially understand the mindset of Japanese companies and customers and can eliminate “lost in translation” moments. He has a passion for breaking down cultural barriers and translating language and customs between American and foreign groups to bridge diverse cultures across people and help realize their business goals. Receiving BSCS and MSCS degrees from Stanford, as a student Jim also studied at Stanford’s Center for Technology and Innovation (SCTI) in Kyoto. After graduating he worked as a software engineer for startups, investment banks, and research labs, and lived over 10 years in Japan.