Management
Robert Yamashita
Managing Director – Innovation Services
Mr. Yamashita is a co-founder of Cogentic Advisors. He drives Cogentic’s engagements in corporate and technology strategy, ecosystem development, and alliances/partnerships. He has led such initiatives for major Hollywood studios, large CE companies and various technology startups. Mr. Yamashita has over 21 years in strategy, business development, alliance management, and management consulting (including 5-years with Big 4 firms). He also has extensive experience with international standards organizations, including MPEG, IEEE, SMPTE, and others – along with a lengthy publication and speaking history.
Prior to co-founding Cogentic, Mr. Yamashita was most recently an Associate Partner at IBM Global Services, where he drove $10M strategic engagements and alliances to support deployment of IBM’s Watson Artificial Intelligence platform. Prior to this, he was the V.P. of Strategy and Business Development for THX Ltd., a technology licensing and professional services company spun off from Lucasfilm. His earlier work included growing a DivX (software licensing) business unit by 4x to power its IPO, as well as building consortia and alliances that enabled Sony to generate $300M of incremental revenue in 3 years.
Mr. Yamashita holds a B.S. with Honors from the California Institute of Technology. He is also learning more about Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in short courses from Stanford University.
Michael Wood
Managing Director – Incubation Services
Mr. Wood has extensive experience as a Senior Executive (COO, EVP, VP/GM) for Consumer Electronics (CE) chip and software companies, including 13 years of general and operations management, product and marketing strategy, IP portfolio management, systems/software architecture and technology commercialization. His track record of success includes growing revenue, market share and profit at multiple companies ranging from early stage ventures to Fortune 100.
With deep expertise in the CE ecosystem, Mr. Wood has held leadership roles at Spatializer Audio Labs (COO/EVP Business Development) where he was in charge of all IP licensing operations, product, and technology roadmap; Zoran Corporation (VP/GM – Home Entertainment) where he grew revenue 3x and increased market share 50%; and C-Cube Microsystems, where he established the company as the market leader in video compression devices for the CE market. He also has significant technology architecture and strategic marketing experience from roles at Intel and Stanford Telecom.
Mr. Wood has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Kelli Richards
Director – Media Vertical
Ms. Richards specializes in strategic partnerships & alliances, content acquisition, brand strategy and campaign development, event production, new business model deployment for A-List musicians, disruptive innovative technology companies, and established CE and media companies.
Most recently, Ms. Richards spent 10 years at Apple, spearheading and driving their music and entertainment initiatives. She also worked with Silicon Graphics (SGI) in their Entertainment Marketing group; with EMI Music (A&R executive), and at Guitar Player Publications earlier in her career. During her consulting career, her clients have included Apple, Motorola, Sony, Philips, Virgin Mobile, PassAlong Networks, Orb Networks, Todd Rundgren, and Triumph.
Ms. Richards is acknowledged as an early pioneer in digital music. For the past two decades, she has also been an acclaimed producer of projects and events including: MB-5, Tribute to Paul McCartney CD, California Music Awards (formerly the BAMMIES), Webby Awards, the Pollstar Awards, and many others. She has co-authored two books – “The Art of Digital Music: 56 Artists, Visionaries & Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets” (2005), and “Creating Business Breakthroughs You Want: Secrets and Strategies of the World’s Greatest Mentors” (2004). A frequent panel moderator and speaker at digital media conferences, Ms. Richards is an expert advisor to the media on digital music and entertainment, artist-related issues, and integrated brand entertainment.
Ms. Richards holds an MBA with an emphasis in marketing, and a BA in marketing/filmmaking from San Jose State University, and she is also a Certified Life Coach.
Johney Kim
Director – APAC Vertical
Mr. Kim has been working in the consumer electronics and technology licensing business for over 20 years. From 1989 to 2005, Mr. Kim held various management roles at Samsung Electronics. His responsibilities included market research, product development, technology outsourcing, sales channel development, business management, and marketing for CE products..
Mr. Kim has been engaged in consulting in invention monetization and patent strategies since 2007, and helped many Asian companies to successfully monetize their intellectual property. He has also been quite successful in identifying M&A exits and IP-acquisition opportunities for IP-based start-up ventures and has helped many of these companies source investment capital from global major financial and strategic investors. Mr. Kim also has deep experience in business relations and markets in both Asia and North America.
Mr. Kim earned postgraduate qualifications in Marketing and Business from Samsung Institute Management & Technology.
