Board of Directors
Satoru Murase, Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Masahisa Kogure, Executive Director, TABLE FOR TWO International
Atsushi Kuromatsu, President, Mitery Associates
Hideharu Kojima, Managing Director, KPMG
Fumitsugu Tosu, Programe Officer, UN World Food Programme
Daniel Goldstein, Business Development, Yamamotoyama
Our Team
Mayumi Uejima-Carr
Mayumi became the President of TABLE FOR TWO USA following work with Accenture and Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company and earning an MBA from Thunderbird. With TFT, she has developed a program to provide healthier school meals for children in the U.S. In doing so, she realized the need for a more structured food education program. She is a delegate to the US-Japan Leadership Program (2017-18).
Debra Samuels
Debra leads the program content and curriculum development. She is a food writer and contributor to the Food Section of The Boston Globe and has authored two cookbooks: “My Japanese Table,” and “The Korean Table.” She lived in Japan for 12 years cumulatively and specializes in Japanese cuisine. Currently she travels around the country teaching hands on workshops on bento, the Japanese lunchbox.
Nazumi Takeda
Nazumi leads the Wa-Shokuiku operations in DC and develops hands-on curriculum. She is an active member of the DC school community which includes being on the DC School Food Advisory Board, an organization that aims to enhance the quality of school meals program in DC public schools. She worked at the World Bank for over ten years and supported a number of education projects in developing countries.
SANAE UCHINAKA
Sanae manages marketing, communication design, and event planning. She has engaged in multiple industries, including graphic & web design, sales promotion, restaurants, and mass media. Her cross-cultural experience, having lived in seven countries in Asia, Europe, and America, nurtured her foundation working in a diversified environment and addressing multi-cultural thoughts. She received an MSc in Digital Marketing from Northumbria University in the UK.
MIWAKO FELIX
Miwako is engaged in partnership management and development. She spent about 20 years in the financial information industry in New York and Tokyo, mainly being responsible for account management for institutional clients. She is deeply appreciative about how food can simply bring happiness and peace to people, especially when it's shared with others. She received B.A. from Keio University in Japan, and M. Ed from University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Amy Klouse Fuentes
Amy handles communications, marketing, and public relations initiatives. She previously worked for the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, for an international executive search partnership organization and has worked as a freelancer on various projects. She has a M.A. from Indiana University in East Asian Studies. She aspires to one day open a café that offers wholesome “cute” Japanese inspired latte art, pastries, and healthy bento boxes to lift spirits and nourish bodies.
Torie Silverstone
Torie is a registered dietitian and certified specialist in pediatric nutrition. An avid traveler, she values learning food and lifestyle practices of different cultures, especially Japanese and Mediterranean, and promoting health back home from a global perspective. She has a M.S. in nutrition and food science, clinical experience at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and owns a nutrition private practice.