Tuesday, March 17, 2026
3:30 PM Registration Begins
4:00 - 6:00 PM Seminar
6:00 -7:00 PM Networking Reception
In-person attendance is strongly encouraged for local participants.
Virtual participation via Zoom is available for non-local participants during the Seminar only.
Time Zones for Virtual Attendees:
• Eastern Time (ET): 7:00–9:00 PM
• Japan Standard Time (JST): Wednesday, March 18, 8:00–10:00 AM
Location
Loyola Marymount University – University Hall
1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Admission
Free
Parking: Paid parking is available on campus ($15 per vehicle, payable onsite).
Speakers
Anthony Vetro
President & CEO, Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs (MERL)
Deputy Head of Corporate R&D, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Anthony Vetro joined Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) in 1996 and has been part of its executive leadership team since 2014. He became President & CEO of MERL in 2023 and was appointed Deputy Head of Corporate Research and Development at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in April 2025.
Over his nearly 30-year career with the company, Dr. Vetro has shaped strategic R&D directions, led teams in emerging technology areas, and contributed to transferring several innovations into commercial products. His technical background is in multimedia signal processing, particularly video compression. He has been active in both academic and standardization communities, with contributions to digital TV, surveillance, automotive, and satellite imaging systems.
Dr. Vetro is an IEEE Fellow and has received several awards for his work on video transcoding. He has published over 200 papers and has served on various IEEE conference committees, technical boards, and editorial panels. He currently chairs the IEEE Signal Processing Society’s Industry Board and serves on its Board of Governors.
He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from New York University.
Kazuhiro Gomi
President and CEO, NTT Research, Inc.
Kazuhiro Gomi serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NTT Research Inc., the global research and development arm of NTT Inc. NTT Research, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, conducts fundamental research in the fields of Optical Computing, Advanced Cryptography, Cardio-Vascular Bio-Digital Twin, and Physics of Artificial Intelligence.
Mr. Gomi has been with NTT for over 35 years and has been involved in its United States operation since 2004. He held the position of CEO of NTT America Inc. from 2010 to 2019 before assuming his current role. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors at NTT Communications from 2012 to 2019. In September 2009, Mr. Gomi was recognized as one of the 100 most influential individuals in the telecommunications industry, as part of the Global Telecoms Business Power100 list.
Mr. Gomi holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSIE) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) from Keio University in Tokyo. Furthermore, he is the President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California, a member of the board of directors at the Japan Society of Northern California, and a member of the President’s Advisory Board at the US Japan Council.
Moderator
Suzanne Basalla
Partner, Geodesic Capital
Suzanne Basalla is a Partner at Geodesic Capital, where she works on the Geodesic Alliance Fund, an early-stage venture fund focused on backing transformative technology companies and strengthening innovation collaboration among the United States and its allies, particularly Japan. Her work sits at the intersection of venture capital, geopolitics, and emerging technology, drawing on decades of leadership across government, industry, and nonprofit sectors.
Previously, Suzanne served as President & CEO of the U.S.-Japan Council, where she advanced flagship initiatives including the TOMODACHI Initiative and the Silicon Valley Japan Platform, deepening people-to-people and technology ties between the two countries. Earlier in her career, she was Chief of Staff at Toyota Research Institute and a Naval officer, with assignments in Japan, the Pentagon, and Diego Garcia. Following her naval service, she was Director for Japan in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington, DC, and later served as Senior Advisor to John Roos, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, from 2010 to 2012.
Suzanne holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree from George Washington University. She also studied at the Naval War College and at Keio University as an Olmsted Scholar.
This program is supported by a grant from the National Association of Japan-America Societies, Inc. with the support of the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.
