Benj Gershman

Benj Gershman is a dynamic musician, podcast host, and community activist committed to improving lives through music, storytelling, and advocacy. As an original member of the band O.A.R., Benj has spent three decades touring and performing in legendary venues around the country. Beyond music, he founded impactful initiatives like the Heard the World Fund, which has donated over $1 million to youth and education programs. Through his podcast, What Could Be Bad, Benj sparks powerful conversations that challenge stigmas around mental health. His work bridges creativity and social impact, inspiring individuals and communities to embrace healthier, more meaningful lives.

Kristin Biggs

Kristin Biggs is an accomplished retail operations executive and certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with deep expertise in global merchandising, inventory planning, and organizational transformation, managing budgets up to $300M. She is recognized for her ability to drive operational excellence through data-driven methodologies, achieving a 71% reduction in inventory days while maintaining revenue targets across 30+ countries. Beyond process optimization, she is known for scaling organizations and developing high-performing teams with a 50% internal promotion rate and 85%+ retention.

Kristin is an influential business partner, change catalyst, and complex problem-solver with talent for integrating advanced retail operations acumen with strategic planning expertise to revolutionize business processes and drive sustainable growth across wholesale and DTC channels.

Saniya Kazmi Bloomer

Saniya Kazmi Bloomer is a seasoned marketing professional with extensive expertise in devising and executing transformative brand and consumer engagement strategies for multinational corporations across diverse industries.

During her tenure with a Tokyo-based agency, she led global assignments spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Prior to transitioning to the agency world, Saniya held various sales and marketing roles in the hotel industry.

Originally from Pakistan, Saniya’s life and travels across many developing countries where U-GO operates have fueled her deep passion for uplifting marginalized communities. Committed to philanthropy, she has taken on leadership roles in educational, human rights, and healthcare nonprofits. She has also participated in service missions to Sri Lanka, Ghana, Malaysia, and Peru, underscoring her ongoing commitment to supporting communities in need.

After more than 25 years of expatriate life in Bangkok, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, Saniya and her husband, Kavin, now reside in Southern California, dividing their time between Los Angeles and Del Mar.

Joe and Elizabeth Pomerenke

Joe and Elizabeth became best friends in college where they both studied civil engineering,  later got married, and began their lives together in Chicago. Elizabeth went on to pursue a Masters in Non-profit Business Administration and Joe furthered his education with a Masters in Architectural Engineering.

Elizabeth has stayed home to raise their four children, Michael (12), Susan (10), Thomas (8), and Matthew (6).  In her spare time, she works with non-profit organizations to review grants.  She is also an avid reader.

Joe pursued a career in design-build construction at ARCO/Murray National Construction company. Over 18 years, he and his partners grew the business to be a top 10 firm in the United States. In 2022, the partners sold the business to the associates, and Joe now serves on the Board of Directors. Joe continues to work with his numerous private investments in real estate, design and construction technology, location based entertainment, and hospitality.

In July 2021, they decided to pursue their family's dream of living in the mountains and they moved to Golden, Colorado. They like to bike, hike, ski, fish, and spend time outdoors with family and friends.  

Mayumi Brenner

Born in Japan, Mayumi studied in the UK, where she realized that the world extends far beyond Japan. This led her to make the bold decision to move to Hong Kong alone for a career transition. She spent 22 years in Hong Kong, serving as the head of a recruitment company in both Hong Kong and China.

During her time in Hong Kong, she met Brian Brenner, got married, and together they raised three children. She relocated to the U.S. in 2017 and initially became actively involved in the local Japanese community, volunteering and serving as a PTA board member at her children’s school.

Mayumi then launched her own company Cross Border Connect LLC , dedicating herself as a career coach to supporting Japanese professionals who aspire to work overseas. With a client base spanning 25 countries, she provides hands-on, goal-oriented coaching to help professionals successfully transition to international careers.

Mayumi is passionate about supporting U-GO as it relates to her journey and the importance of helping so many young women with their education.

Lauren Lin

Lauren Lin is a Public Relations, Marketing and Business Development professional with 20+ years of experience in the hospitality, luxury retail, and entertainment industries.

Her experience in the Hospitality sector includes managing headliner entertainment at the Encore Theatre at the Five Star Five Diamond Wynn & Encore Resort in Las Vegas (NYSE:WYNN). She also managed partner marketing for PLAYSTUDIOS, a social games startup which ultimately scaled to become a top-8 global revenue leader as a public company (NASDAQ:MYPS).

While living in Hong Hong Kong for seven years, she co-founded PIVOT, a boutique recruitment firm focused on connecting companies with highly skilled professional women seeking flexible work arrangements. She was driven by a deep understanding of the evolving professional landscape and a passion for empowering women. Recognizing a significant disconnect between the talent pool of highly skilled women and the traditional hiring practices of companies in Hong Kong, Lauren envisioned a recruitment firm that would bridge this gap.

Lauren has consistently demonstrated a deep engagement with organizations that champion the cause of women's empowerment, and has previously held leadership roles within organizations including Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong, Joy Prom Las Vegas, and Shade Tree.

She currently lives in Mill Valley, CA with her four children, and husband, John. Lauren holds a B.S. in Marketing and an International Business Certificate from Arizona State University and is passionate about travel, yoga and pilates, and hiking.

Laura Howard

Laura recently retired from Morgan Stanley after working for 27 years in the Healthcare Group within the Investment Banking Division. She spent 11 years with MS in Asia working across the region in Southeast Asia, Korea, China and Japan and 16 years working in Morgan Stanley’s European business. She is currently spending her time on a number of volunteer opportunities and also getting more involved in Golden Seed, a venture capital group supporting women owned and run businesses. 

In addition Laura is a member of the APAC board for Room to Read where she was co-Chair from 2021-2024 and also sat on the board of the Chelsea & Westminster Healthcare Trust. Laura is a keen trail runner, skier and reader. She also loves classical music and opera. She also thoroughly enjoys being a mother to her twin boys Max and Sebastian (currently 15). 

Kirsten Sansom

Kirsten Sansom has over 20 years of non-profit experience in Asia and the U.S., advocating for quality education for children in developing countries. For nearly two decades, she lived and traveled throughout Asia, witnessing the barriers to education firsthand. In Shanghai, she led fundraising efforts for Operation Smile, Habitat for Humanity, The Jane Goodall Institute, and the Li Ming Migrant School. In Singapore, she was the Executive Team Leader for Room to Read’s gala, raising millions for literacy and girls' education. Subsequently, she served as a consultant for Room to Read’s events in Hong Kong and New York. 

Previously, Kirsten was an Advanced Systems Engineer at Electronic Data Systems, applying creative IT solutions to solve business problems in the manufacturing, telecommunications, and retail sectors in the U.S. and Europe. 

Now, as Senior VP of Storytelling, she shares compelling scholar stories to inspire donor support, enabling more young women to achieve a university education. 

Kirsten holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is also Vice President of the Black Butte Conservancy, a conservation non-profit she co-founded in Central Oregon. When not crafting inspiring stories, she’s keeping a watchful eye on the plight of western bluebirds in her cherished Ponderosa pine forest. 

Ken Sansom

Ken Sansom has nearly 40 years of global business and technology experience. He is currently developing a GenAI startup, penning a novel, and refining his fly-tying and fishing skills. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Securities Services Technology at Citi in New York. Previously, he spent a decade growing Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he held senior leadership roles in Asia and the U.S. He led global teams that helped customers use the most advanced cloud technology, including AI, Data & Analytics, Blockchain, Internet of Things, and Quantum Computing.

Previously, Ken was CEO of Experian Asia Pacific for seven years and a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Diamond Technology Partners. He began his career in Electronic Data Systems’ (EDS) Systems Engineering program.

A native of Oregon and now a global citizen, Ken has lived and worked in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Japan, China, Costa Rica, Singapore, and multiple U.S. cities. He spent nearly 20 years in Asia with his wife and two sons.

Ken holds an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and a B.A. in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from Lewis & Clark College.

Kavin Bloomer

Kavin Bloomer is Executive Director and Head of Hospitality Investing at Morgan Stanley based in Los Angeles, California. He is responsible for the group’s hotel asset management and acquisition efforts for funds managed or advised by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) throughout North America. Prior to his current role, Kavin was with Morgan Stanley based in Hong Kong and Tokyo with hotel asset management and acquisition responsibility for the Asia Pacific region.

Before joining Morgan Stanley, Kavin held senior management positions with Goldman Sachs Realty Japan Limited and its affiliate, Archon Group L.P., working in Japan, the United States, and Thailand.

Kavin's career in hospitality began with ITT Sheraton Corporation and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he was general manager and held leadership roles in finance and franchise operations.

Kavin earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Master of Professional Studies from Cornell University's Graduate School of Hotel Administration. 

Jodi Morris

Jodi Morris is a modern venture guide. She’s sought as a Success Coach, curates immersive small group Venture Travel and invests in impactful companies and girls’ education non-profits. Her passion is connecting people and ideas globally.

Jodi spent 22+ years in the investment industry, leading U.S. business-building initiatives at JP Morgan and Matthews Asia. Combining her analytical mindset, education-based communication style and connecting prowess, she led teams that raised billions of dollars in innovative investment strategies.

An avid traveler, Jodi is inspired by ideas, passion, grit and goals. She invests in entrepreneurs globally and believes that girls’ education is the best investment of our lifetime. 

Jodi is a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) and served as President of the IWF Northern California Legacy Foundation. She is a Renew Capital and Portfolia investor and CFA® Charterholder. She invests in global non-profits Room to Read, U-GO, Rise Up, Nurturing Minds/SEGA and SHE-CAN. Jodi graduated with honors from Northwestern University with a degree in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) and Economics. Raised in the Midwest, she spent three decades living in New York City and San Francisco before settling with her husband Bob in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

John B. Lin

John has engaged the development, operations, and marketing of direct-to-consumer businesses since 2002, with concentrations in consumer health data technologies, integrated resort development in Asia, Europe, and the United States; and mobile games development and operations for global audiences. John’s expertise includes product development and operations, corporate & strategic development, marketing and user acquisition, international organizational and resource development, and general C-suite and senior management responsibilities.

John currently serves as the Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Paceline, a next-generation wellness and consumer financial services platform creating sustainably transformative health outcomes for individuals at scale.

Prior to Paceline, John was the Chief Operating Officer of PLAYSTUDIOS Inc (NASDAQ:MYPS), a leading developer and operator of mobile games including the myVEGAS franchise of social casino games and TETRIS, where he helped scale the company from a startup to an NASDAQ IPO in 2021.

Previously, as an executive in the land-based casino sector for Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) and Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD), John led greenfield development, legislative and regulatory initiatives, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and design and development of integrated casino resorts from Macau, Singapore, and the UK to regional US markets and the Las Vegas Strip.

John has a Masters degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and received his Bachelors in Architecture with honors from University of California Berkeley.

Dieter Turowski

Dieter has been an investment banker with Morgan Stanley for 37 years, where he has worked in six different offices (Toronto, New York, London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Menlo Park), and advised clients on over 400 M&A and financing transactions. Particular areas of focus include technology, M&A, private equity, and energy transition. He earned his BASc in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and his MBA at Harvard University. In addition to U-GO, Dieter also sits on the Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, and on the Asia-Pacific Board of Room to Read.

Brian Brenner

Brian Brenner is driven by a deep commitment to helping others, whether it’s supporting his family, his community, or the companies he serves. A devoted husband and father of three, Brian finds joy in life’s small moments, staying active, and giving back. In addition to supporting U-GO University, he serves on the board of the Irvine Valley College Foundation.

Professionally, Brian brings nearly 30 years of experience in commercial real estate globally.  His focus is supporting companies with life sciences and advanced manufacturing navigating complex needs like cGMP facilities, lab spaces, and industrial hubs and has completed over 600 projects across 100+ global markets.  

Brian’s global perspective and dedication to building relationships sets him apart. Whether he’s helping a biotech company expand or mentoring future leaders, Brian is motivated by a genuine desire to make a positive impact—both professionally and personally.