Kikka Hanazawa

Kikka Hanazawa is an internationally recognized social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader with a focus on social impact, women’s entrepreneurship, and sustainability in the fashion industry. She is the co-founder and CEO of Yabbey, a digital fashion library, and co-founder of Fashion Girls for Humanity, an award-winning nonprofit organization. She also serves on the board of Mercari, a publicly listed Japanese e-commerce company.

Ms. Hanazawa has held several leadership roles in the fashion industry, including serving as CEO of VPL, a U.S.-based fashion brand and Certified B Corporation. Previously, she was a senior executive at Theory, where she managed strategic development, M&A activities, and the company’s IPO. She also served as CEO of Cygne International, where she led a management buyout of its international business. Ms. Hanazawa began her career at Itochu Corporation in New York, where she became one of the company’s youngest female executives.

In addition to her corporate work, Ms. Hanazawa is active in nonprofit leadership. She serves as chair of the Executive Director’s Council for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and on the finance committee of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as well as the Japanese Art Committee of Asia Society. She has also served as an advisor to the New York Economic Development Corporation’s Incubator Fund and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s APT Women program, which supports female entrepreneurs.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Ms. Hanazawa graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University’s School of General Studies with a degree in Art History and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at Columbia University, serves on the School of General Studies Board of Visitors, and was a recipient of the GS Owl Award in 2024.