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TYPICA Announces New Leadership Team Under New President, Joined by Four Executive Officers to Foster a Celebratory Coffee Trade Culture
TYPICA, a global venture dedicated to advancing the sustainability of high-quality coffee, announced its new leadership structure on November 23, 2024, under the direction of newly appointed Director and President Tatsuya Kasai. Alongside the three executive officers appointed last year, one new executive officer has joined the team. Together, they will leverage TYPICA’s extensive network of coffee producers, roasters, and partner companies to co-create greater value and drive the realization of future potential across the coffee industry.
Since its founding in 2019, TYPICA has been on a mission to revolutionize the coffee industry through the creation of a new international coffee market. With offices in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and the United States, TYPICA has built a robust network connecting approximately 110,000 coffee producers and roasters across 84 countries and regions worldwide.
TYPICA’s online platform aims to fundamentally transform the coffee industry and enhance its sustainability. By enabling direct trade with producers, the platform fosters a community of sustainable trust-based transactions, where prices are determined independently of the futures market.
The foundation of TYPICA’s business lies in two key pillars: directly addressing the profitability challenges of producers by shifting coffee trade to a direct model, and establishing logistics systems that allow green coffee purchases by the jute bag instead of by the container. At the same time, TYPICA’s mission extends to addressing broader societal issues surrounding the coffee industry, including environmental impact in production regions, poverty, and human rights concerns, using business as a tool to drive meaningful change and elevate the industry to a higher standard.
For centuries, festivals have been celebrated around the world in various forms. Across different cultures and traditions, these events – meant to honor harvests, express gratitude, and pray for future abundance – remain deeply rooted in our lives, transcending time and place.
TYPICA sees a “celebratory culture of coffee trade” as a festival – a shared endeavor to nurture and celebrate the lasting growth of coffee’s unique terroir. It’s about reevaluating every stage of coffee’s journey, from its harvest to how we enjoy coffee, and building a culture that honors and celebrates this entire process.
We envision a future where gratitude flows in a continuous cycle: gratitude to the earth that produces coffee cherries, to the people who harvest and process them into green beans, to those who transport the coffee, to the roasters, and to everyone who enjoys each cup. Through this cycle of gratitude, we aim to foster a sustainable culture that circles back to the land and forward to future generations.
Each day, as we celebrate harvest updates from producers around the globe, we’ll work hand in hand with coffee lovers everywhere to nurture this celebratory culture.
■ New Leadership Structure
The new leadership team, effective November 23, 2024, is as follows:
Masashi Goto, Representative Director and CEO
Ayane Yamada, Representative Director and CQO
Shintaro Asako, Representative Director and CFO
Tatsuya Kasai, Director and President
Shuhei Hagimori, Executive Officer and Business Officer (New Appointment)
Kosuke Arisawa, Executive Officer and Technology Officer
Shizuka Funayama, Executive Officer and Social Impact Officer
Akiyo Azuma, Executive Officer and Administrative Officer
Under this new leadership structure, the President and Executive Officers will leverage their expertise to support TYPICA’s mission of realizing future value. At the same time, they’ll focus on refining operations and strengthening the organization.
■ Tatsuya Kasai, Director and President
It’s a great pleasure to introduce our new executive team as we take the next step toward achieving our ambitious dreams.
Business, product, social impact, and corporate functions are the four essential pillars of TYPICA’s global vision. Together as a united team, we will advance our mission – celebrating each year’s coffee harvest directly with producers and coffee lovers around the world while looking ahead to even greater harvests in the years to come. As a catalyst for innovation in the coffee industry, we will continue to address small challenges with intention and enhance our active engagement toward achieving our big dreams.
■ Shuhei Hagimori, Executive Officer and Business Officer (New Appointment)
In my two years at TYPICA, I’ve experienced firsthand the transformative power of direct trade, but I’ve also seen how deeply entrenched traditional trading structures remain. What drives me is the question: how can we push our business forward and create new possibilities that lead to meaningful global change? I want to envision that transformation with others and turn it into reality.
In my previous career, I was convinced that creating essential, forward-thinking value could help the world move in a better direction. At TYPICA, my mission is to combine business growth with social good on a global scale. Through coffee, I aim to bring happiness to as many people as possible and reduce suffering, even if just by a little.
Career Background:
Shuhei Hagimori graduated from Ritsumeikan University and began his career at BizReach in 2017. During his time there, he held diverse roles in new business development, customer success, B2B marketing, and recruitment, contributing to the rapid growth of the company. In November 2022, he joined TYPICA with the aim of driving global business creation. Since joining, he has spearheaded key initiatives, including the establishment of TYPICA’s U.S. operations, the development of a new online platform, and mid-career recruitment efforts. Currently, he focuses on democratizing direct trade by optimizing the value chain from coffee producers to roasters.
■ Kosuke Arisawa, Executive Officer and Technology Officer (Reappointment)
Since taking on the role of Executive Officer at TYPICA last year, I’ve been dedicated to rebuilding the core technology of our platform. As a platform that connects coffee producers with roasters, it must strike a balance between stability and scalability.
The process involved reconstructing existing features while laying the groundwork for future growth. In August, we successfully launched the New Model, marking a critical milestone in positioning the platform for long-term development.
Looking ahead, we plan to begin developing new features on this new platform. By continuing to strengthen the technical foundation, we aim to deliver even greater value to both producers and roasters, while driving forward the rollout of new services.
■ Shizuka Funayama, Executive Officer and Social Impact Officer (Reappointment)
It has been exactly one year since I was appointed as an Executive Officer. Since then, we have made great strides in social impact. Notably, TYPICA was selected for the TSUBASA program, organized by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This allowed us to turn ideas into action, such as visualizing the environmental impact of coffee production and establishing local initiatives within producing countries. We’ve also added talented new members to our team and built connections with like-minded organizations, researchers, and startups both inside and outside the coffee industry, creating a growing network of people united by a shared purpose.
At TYPICA, social impact isn’t just about giving back, but it’s a core philosophy that sits at the heart of everything we do. As we continue working toward the future we envision, I’m starting this new chapter with fresh determination and look forward to your continued support.
■ Akiyo Azuma, Executive Officer and Administrative Officer (Reappointment)
Over the past year, we’ve marked milestones such as the release of the New Model and the addition of like-minded team members, living each day with a renewed sense of purpose. In this environment, I’ve gained not only knowledge and experience but also valuable lessons in integrity and team-building. I feel that these efforts over the past year have brought us a step closer to the future TYPICA envisions.
As we look ahead, I’m committed to leading the charge in creating innovative structures that help TYPICA, its partners, and the people they serve reach their full potential. With the experienced guidance of President Kasai, we will strengthen our foundation and build a vibrant, dynamic organization. Working as one team under the leadership of our four Directors, we will continue striving toward a more open and brighter future.
Lastly, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who joined TYPICA this year and to those who have continued to support us.
Visit our website to read Narrative articles on our President and Executive Officers:
・Tatsuya Kasai: Everyone Is the CEO of Their Own Life: Striving for Liberation of Our True Nature
https://typica.coffee/en/tatsuya-kasai/
・Shuhei Hagimori: From “Me” to “Us”: Believing in Potential
https://typica.coffee/en/shuhei-hagimori2/
・Akiyo Azuma: Giving Your All in the Present: A Back Office Manager’s Relentless Self-Challenge
https://typica.coffee/en/akiyo-azuma/
Under its newly launched leadership team, TYPICA will continue working as one toward realizing its vision of enhancing coffee sustainability through the co-creation of a celebratory culture of coffee trade. By further expanding direct trade in specialty coffee and creating a revolutionary new commodity market, we aim to achieve sustained growth.