After years of buildup 5G networks are finally going live across the world.  In the US and Japan alone, tens of billions of dollars will be spent building newer and faster wireless networks. In Japan, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank have all recently launched 5G service, and Rakuten Mobile will enter the market as a new, potentially disruptive competitor in what’s already a tightly contested market.

In this online event for wireless experts and novices alike, our panelists will discuss:

• What is 5G, anyway?  How does it differ from prior generations like 3G and 4G?
• What can a 5G wireless carrier do that couldn’t be done before?
• Is 5G more secure?
• Why is Rakuten Mobile entering the market at this moment in time, and what can consumers expect from a new 4G/5G-only carrier?

Please come to take advantage of this unusual opportunity to hear from three of the Bay Area’s top mobile experts!

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Date and Time:

PST/US  Wednesday, April 22, 2020  4:00-5:00PM

JAPAN Thursday, April 23, 2020 8:00-9:00AM

How to join:

You will receive the Zoom information and link upon registering!

4:00 – 4:05 Opening Remark

4:05 – 4:15 Jon Metzler | Lecturer, Haas School of Business (moderator)

4:15 – 4:25 Azita Arvani | General Manager, Rakuten Mobile, Inc.

4:25-4:35 Jay Goldberg | Wireless industry analyst and Corporate Strategy Principal, D2D Advisory Inc

Speakers

Azita Arvani | General Manager, Rakuten Mobile, Inc.

Azita Arvani is General Manager of Rakuten Mobile in the Americas, building the business and overseeing its development, strategy, and deployment. Arvani is an executive high-tech leader who delivers innovation-led revenue growth. Deploying the latest digital technologies including 5G, AI, IoT, cloud, and AR/VR, Arvani has created new businesses, developed products, and built partnerships for both established Fortune 500 companies as well as rapid-growth startups. Prior to Rakuten, Arvani served as Head of Innovation Partnering & Venture Management at Nokia. Arvani has also held senior leadership and advisory roles at Docomo, Xerox, Upek (now part of Apple), and 6WIND. Arvani serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC). She holds a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University (Sloan Fellow), a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science in Math/Computer Science (Magna Cum Laude) from University of California, Los Angeles. Arvani is recognized as an avid evangelist of true digital transformation for telcos as well as other industries.

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Jay Goldberg | Wireless industry analyst and Corporate Strategy Principal, D2D Advisory Inc

Jay Goldberg is the CEO and founder of D2D Advisory, a strategic advisory firm operating at the intersection of Technology and Finance. D2D provides strategic advisory, capital raising, financial planning and M&A planning for companies across all stages of their development. Prior to D2D, Jay was Senior Director of Strategy of Qualcomm’s Data Center Group and Senior Director of Corporate Development and Investor Relations at Peregrine Semiconductor. In these roles he provided strategic guidance for those companies as they entered new products and markets, and led partnering, ecosystem building and fundraising activities. At Peregrine Jay managed the sale process of that company. Joining when the company’s share price was $3/share, he helped craft the communications and development plan that ultimately resulted in the sale of the company to Murata Manufacturing for $12.50/share. Jay has a CFA, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA from University of California, Berkeley.
For more background, please see https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygoldberg888/

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Jon Metzler | Lecturer, Haas School of Business (Event Moderator)

Jon is Japan Society board chairman. He is also lecturer at the Haas School of Business at UC-Berkeley, where he teaches on competitive strategy; strategy in technology markets; international business; and  business in Japan. He is also associated faculty for the UC-Berkeley Center for Japanese Studies. His research areas include cybersecurity and the sharing economy. Jon is also President of Blue Field Strategies, a consulting firm supporting US and Japanese clients, with a focus on harnessing innovation. Jon has launch experience in print, digital media, services, edtech, wireless broadband, geolocation, innovation spaces and events. Jon completed his MBA/MA-Asian Studies at UC-Berkeley. There, he co-founded the Berkeley Asia Business Conference, and authored a thesis comparing startup creation in Silicon Valley and Japan. Jon also has a B.A. from the University of Michigan, and is an alum of the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies.   @jonjmetz

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