Rie Yano is a serial entrepreneur and investor with deep expertise in the U.S. and Japanese startup ecosystems.
She founded Material World in New York in 2012, a pioneering fashion trade-in platform that redefined luxury resale. As CEO, she led product development, fundraising, global team building, and business development, culminating in the company’s acquisition by MIXI. After serving as GM of the U.S. entity post-exit, Rie returned to building and advising startups—now focused on longevity, AI, and robotics—while supporting cross-border expansion and early-stage innovation.
Rie began her career at Mitsubishi Corporation, working in both Tokyo and New York. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Sophia University.
