Asia Tech Podcast

I caught up with Akemi Tsunagawa, the Founder and CEO of Bespoke, a real-time engagement platform for tourists and the tourism industry.  When we last spoke in September 2018, the team had no intention of expanding to the United States.  However, after being introduced to Gabe Klein, now and advisor to Bespoke, all of that changed.  Notably, Gabe has been the Director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and the Commissioner of Transportation for the City of Chicago.  These roles, along with myriad other experiences, gives him connectivity to United States based clients that would not have been possible previously. Making further progress and seeing strong interest from US potentials, led Bespoke to open an office in San Francisco and set up a proper entity to operate in the United States.  Akemi had been following the career of Tobias Wessels for a while now.  She noted jokingly that she had been ‘cyber-stalking’ him since they met at a conference almost three years ago…