2026 SAUPO - Atlanta

saupo symposium on asia usa partnership opportunities

USA time: 9:00am to 5:00pm EST, Friday April 17, 2026

China time: 9:00pm Friday 04/17/26 to 5:00am Saturday 04/18/26

Japan time: 10:00pm Friday 04/17/26 to 6:00am Saturday 04/18/26

Ðǿմ«Ã½ Center, 3333 Busbee Dr., Kennesaw GA 30144

2026-SAUPO-Atlanta will be live-streamed via Zoom.

SAUPO 2026 Itinerary: Friday April 17, 2026 from 9:00am to 5:00pm

9:00am-10:00am: Registration & Breakfast with Live Guzheng Music Performance
Sponsored by Ðǿմ«Ã½ College of Architecture and Construction Management

10:00am-10:30am: Opening & Introductions

Sponsored by Ðǿմ«Ã½ Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences (RCHSS)

  • Sha Huang, Asian Studies Director, Chinese Program Director, Professor of Chinese, Ðǿմ«Ã½
  • May Gao, SAUPO Chair, Professor of Communication & Asian Studies, Ðǿմ«Ã½
  • Gregory Paul, Associate Dean, Radow College of Humanities & SS., Ðǿմ«Ã½
  • Kenichi Matsuda, Consul General of Japan in Atlanta
  • Kiyo Kojima, Partner, Smith Gambrell Russell

10:30am-11:30am: Sponsored by Ðǿմ«Ã½ Coles College of Business

SAUPO Panel #1: Global Business and Sustainability Strategies

Moderator: Hazem Rashed-Ali, Dean, Ðǿմ«Ã½ College of Architecture and Construction Management

  • Raymond Shelton, VP, Chief Sustainability & Communications Officer, YKK AP America
  • William Strang, President, TOTO USA
  • Robin Cheramie, Dean, Ðǿմ«Ã½ Coles College of Business
  • Madison Conway, Chief Marketing Officer, The DDC Group

11:30am-1:30pm: Sponsored by Toyo Tires

SAUPO Networking Lunch with Keynote Speeches

Introduced by: George Mui, Managing Partner, Global Consultants United

  • Patrick Lenz, President & COO, Toyo Tires
  • DeAnn Golden, President & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties

1:30pm-2:30pm: Sponsored by Ðǿմ«Ã½ College of Computing and Software Engineering

SAUPO Panel #2: AI, Technology and Innovation

Moderator: Lawrence Whitman, Dean, Ðǿմ«Ã½ Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering & Engineering Technology

  • Dylan Goldblatt, AI Strategist and Applied Researcher, Ðǿմ«Ã½
  • Connor Murray, Head of Stewardship, BSV Association
  • Lucy Lu, Founder & CEO, aiLegal
  • Mahmut Karakaya, Program Director, Master of Science in AI, Ðǿմ«Ã½

2:30pm-3:00pm: Sponsored by YKK AP

Afternoon Networking Break

3:00pm-4:00pm: Sponsored by Ðǿմ«Ã½ College of Science & Mathematics

SAUPO Panel #3: Global Workforce Development

Moderator: Nozomi Morgan, Founder & CEO, Michiki Morgan Worldwide

  • Sachiko Ueno, HR Manager, Nissei ASB Company
  • Rose Jarboe, Founder & CEO, WePartner
  • Ming Francis, Co-Founder, The LiveHaus Group
  • Heather Koopman, Dean, Ðǿմ«Ã½ College of Science & Mathematics

4:00pm-5:00pm: Sponsored by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties (BHHSGA)

Live Jazz Concert

Led by Yuichi Arai, Executive Director, Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia (JCCG)

SAUPO Networking Reception with visit by Ðǿմ«Ã½ mascot “Scrappyâ€

SAUPO Zoom Webinar for global livestream will be operated and recorded by

  • Brian Olovson, Director of Modern Languages and Cultures, Ðǿմ«Ã½

SAUPO 2026 goes from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday April 17, 2026, in person at Ðǿմ«Ã½ Center in Atlanta.