TEDxTokyo

Connector, Entrepreneur and People Mover

Sungene Ryang wants to coax a new generation of Asian entrepreneurs and venture businesses into the fray. As an associate partner at visionary global design firm IDEO—and co-leader of the company’s efforts in Asia—he’s got a prime platform for the task. Sungene knows the entrepreneurial mindset, too: he co-founded one of China’s first online recruiting services, Beijing Leading Resources and also led the Asia group of wcities.com a social media travel and information-sharing spin-off by British Telecom.

Previously at Samsung, and now at IDEO, he forms and launches new businesses, focusing on partner and people development for consumer-related corporations, startups and venture-backed firms. He regularly links up organizations and inspires people to make legacy systems more nimble, accessible, collaborative and creative—what you’d expect of an ultimate Frisbee devotee who spent many years living, traveling and observing different cultures throughout Asia and the EU.

Recently transplanted to Tokyo to spearhead IDEO’s Tokyo efforts, he is eager to help Japan rebuild from the inside and in ways he never expected just a few months ago.