Chris Fitzgerald, Executive Director

As an ardent advocate for youth voice and empowerment, Chris is dedicated to youth leadership development and creating opportunities for the next generation. He brings to Kizuna his background with youth-focused nonprofit organizations and STEAM initiatives, including creating art and mentorship programs for youth with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Previously, Chris lived in Seattle, Washington, and worked to lower barriers of access for youth interested in digital arts, building new and vibrant curricula and expanding programs to reach youth who are furthest from education justice.

Chris describes himself as a strategic, big picture thinker who loves finding creative solutions, harnessing a vision, and collaborating to define success. He has a proven track record of developing impactful partnerships across local and youth organizations and a knack for novel and meaningful programming for youth of all ages.

‍Through this work, he has helped to create community bonds by connecting youth through art, education, and expression and by providing opportunities for youth to tell their stories. He looks to bring his skills and passion to helping to build the community’s leadership for generations to come.

‍Chris is a resident of downtown Los Angeles and you can find him jogging with his wife and dog through the city most days, picking up a latte at Cafe Dulce, and making art in his free time. He graduated with a Fine Arts and Photography degree from the University of Memphis.

Miki Matsumoto, Development and Administrative Coordinator

Miki Matsumoto is the youngest of three and from a very early age wanted to take care of others, especially kids younger than herself. She pursued a degree in psychology, with a focus in educational psychology at Boston University. She spent her youth on both the East Coast and in Tokyo where she ultimately graduated from an international high school. Being naturally immersed in a diverse atmosphere, she has learned to value the perspective of many cultures and always seeks to discover more through her travels and interactions with others.

In addition to working as an educator and administrator, both public and private, Miki has also developed her skills in the community while volunteering for nonprofit Japanese and Asian American groups in the Bay Area. After moving to LA a few years after getting her Masters in Early Childhood Education, she spent some time in legal studies to learn more about Educational Law. When not studying she worked as an English instructor where she obtained her Teaching English as Foreign Language certification.

Miki is a life-long learner. In her spare time she likes to crochet and is currently working on a sensory project for her niece. She also has a few children’s picture book manuscripts that she hopes to find an agent and publisher for soon.

Miki looks forward to working with the Kizuna family and further expanding her skills and network. She believes there is a future and huge potential in today's multigenerational Japanese community to share and grow.

Alan Takashi Riley, Program Coordinator

Alan cherishes the opportunity to work with youth by assisting them on their respective journeys of self-discovery through learning about their strengths and uniqueness. Empowering their voices by understanding their stories is critical for raising up leaders for generations to come, and Alan feels privileged to be a part of Kizuna, where this can take place. Alan brings nearly 20 years of experience of mentoring youth in the performing arts as well as an educational consulting background, where he served families and students who sought to understand how they can meaningfully make a difference in their education and future careers.

Growing up in Los Angeles as a “Hapa” Yonsei with a strong connection to the Japanese American community has played a pivotal role in Alan’s identity formation. Having heard first-hand accounts of his ancestors’ experiences dating back to their immigration from Japan, Alan appreciates the sacrifices and hardships that previous generations of Japanese Americans made and endured in order for him to experience a gratifying life.

Alan graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a B.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and a M.A. in Management, also from APU. In 2017, he joined Makoto Taiko in Pasadena and has been a performing member and instructor since 2019, which has brought him immense satisfaction. When Alan isn’t playing taiko or spending time with his friends and family, you can probably find him watching the Lakers, Dodgers, Packers, or UCLA because he loves irrationally expressing his joy and sorrows through watching live sports on television.

Kali Ayumi Kishi, Communications Coordinator

Kali Kishi is a proud fourth-generation Japanese-American with a deep sense of gratitude and love for the beautiful and resilient JA community. She is focused on giving back as much as possible and stepping up as the next generation. 

She recently graduated cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in psychological science from the University of California, Irvine. ZOT ZOT ZOT! Her time there was a blast, especially as an active intern and cabinet member for her Nikkei Student Union, also known as Tomo No Kai. She has countless experiences working with like-minded youth and organizations, who want to cherish and spread JA culture to the world. Kali brings with her a huge willingness to learn with an open mind and open heart.

Born and raised in Los Angeles her whole life, Kali sees Little Tokyo as a second home and is beyond excited to be working within such a lovely community. You can find her during her free time with a boba in hand by day and finally learning how to play video games with friends by night.

Bryce Ikemura

Bryce Ikemura is a Partnership Manager at TDW+Co, a full-service, multicultural marketing agency with a focus on Asian audiences. Bryce is passionate about incommunity building through accurate representation and visibility for Asian American communities. His work has helped broaden his perspective on the national Asian American landscape as he continues to connect with organizations across the country.

Bryce has been involved with Kizuna since 2014 and is an alumnus of both Kizuna’s Internship program and Board Fellowship program, in addition to proudly serving as an instructor in Kizuna’s Leadership and Summer Camp programs. His participation across Kizuna’s program pipeline has impressed on him the importance of supporting the next generation of leaders and defining a more collective, progressive vision for the future of “community.” Prior to his role at TDW+Co, Bryce also worked for Keiro as a Program Analyst, an experience which further impassioned him to the Japanese American community.

Born and raised in Southern California, Bryce graduated from Chapman University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in English. In his spare time, Bryce serves as a member of the board-at-large for the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute and enjoys basketball, photography, and hanging out with his dog.

Eric Komatsu

Eric Komatsu is the Lead Software Engineer at Choose Your Horizon, a psychiatric telemedicine platform. Eric is passionate about expanding access to mental health services and engineering high quality patient experiences. Through his work, he serves as a patient advocate and increases awareness for innovative mental health treatments. 

Eric was first introduced to Kizuna through the NCI program in 2015 and has since served as a counselor for Kizuna’s Summer Camp and Leadership programs. Through his time mentoring and teaching the next generation, Eric has found and grown his own passion for community service. Additionally, Eric previously worked at Keiro under their grants program where he healthcare advocacy

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eric received his B.A. in Biology from Brown University. In his free time, Eric enjoys playing basketball, running, and volunteering.

Ally Oishi

Allyson “Ally” Oishi is a Senior Associate at Everett Dorey, a full-service civil defense litigation firm based in Orange County. Ally earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Asian American Studies, at the University of California, Los Angeles, and obtained a Juris Doctorate, with an emphasis on International Law, from Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

Prior to starting her legal career, Ally lived abroad and taught English in Kyoto, Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. While in law school, she served as a mediator for the small claims court at the Orange County Central Justice Center and assisted domestic violence victims seeking permanent legal status in the United States through the Violence Against Women Act.

Growing up in Southern California, Ally has proudly been involved with various organizations such as the Orange County Buddhist Church, South East Youth Organization, Yonsei Basketball, LABCC Camp, Nikkei Student Union, Japan American Cultural & Community Center, and the Little Tokyo Service Center and is continually seeking opportunities to further enrich and develop the Japanese American community. In her free time, Ally enjoys playing sports, reading books, playing games, and going on adventures with friends and family.

Robin Vanneman

Robin is a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) at The Walt Disney Company and supports several client groups, including Production, Casting and Music for 20th Century, Searchlight Pictures, and Disney Live-Action films at Studios. A strong collaborator, she works closely with other leaders and functional partners to deliver solutions and change management plans that provide sustainable benefits. Robin brings a background of strong business acumen, Human Resources, and Organization Development expertise, as well as consulting skills. Her role requires assessing business performance to identify gaps and develop HR solutions to act as an advisor to business leaders regarding HR policies and processes (e.g. merit and promotion planning, performance management, and talent planning). She is most passionate about creating innovative ways to optimize employee productivity and engagement. Prior to Disney, Robin was a Learning and Development Manager and spent several years as an HR consultant at both Deloitte and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Robin is a proud "Hapa", with a mother from Japan and a father from the U.S. From the age of 9 months, she grew up visiting family in Japan every single summer with her mother and still continues to travel to Japan frequently. While in Japan, she attended her local elementary and middle schools as an exchange student and has fond memories of her time, making life-long friends and traveling around the country. In the States, she was enrolled in Washington Japanese Language School from 1995 - 2004, attending from 1st grade to High School. Robin later utilized her knowledge of the Japanese language and culture and was a college TA for Japanese 101 and 102.

Born and raised on the East Coast in Virginia, Robin graduated from The College of William and Mary with a B.A. in East Asian Studies and was a DI athlete in Cross Country and Track. In her spare time, Robin volunteers as a tutor for School on Wheels, as well as Grateful Crane Ensemble, and enjoys working out, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Candice Shikai, Esq.

Candice Shikai is an attorney at Seki, Nishimura & Watase, PLC, where she focuses her practice on general liability, complex general liability, and product liability defense. Candice joined the Kizuna Board in 2019. She also serves on the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA) Board of Governors, the JABA Educational Foundation Board of Directors, and the TAIKOPROJECT Board of Directors.

Before attending law school, Candice worked for the U.S. Japan Council and played taiko while living in Los Angeles and in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a Boyle Heights native, Candice grew up in and around Little Tokyo, attending kendo tournaments, Nisei Week, and other community events with her family. She obtained her J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) and her B.A. from UCLA, where she was a member of the Nikkei Student Union, Kyodo Taiko, and the Asian Pacific Coalition.

Chase Nishida

Prior to joining the board, Chase participated in the Leadership program offered by Kizuna and served as a counselor.

Born and raised in Southern California, Chase graduated with a degree in finance from California State University – Fullerton. In his free time, Chase enjoys basketball, golf, and volunteering.

Nina Takenouchi

Nina Takenouchi brings over fifteen years of experience in marketing and communications within diverse landscapes. She currently serves as Director of Organizational Communications at Cedars-Sinai. Prior to this role, as Account Director of Experiential Marketing at Optimist, Inc. she contributed to the strategic success of major clients, including multiple verticals within the Nike corporation. She holds a Master of Arts in Video Production from Middlesex University, where she graduated with honors, and a Bachelor of Arts in Media from the University of California San Diego.

Nina is a proud mom of a Kizuna kid whose son is just starting his journey with the organization, happily participating in Summer Camp and looking forward to the opportunities ahead of him. Her family is a longtime supporter of the Japanese American National Museum (JANM), with her husband, Travis, leading their IT department.

Desiree Tanimura

Desiree M. Tanimura, M.A. is a doctoral student and researcher in the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research has focused on race/ethnicity identity in education and currently examines how the school context (e.g., racial climate, peer interactions, perceptions of representation, etc.) catalyzes changes in self- identification for Multiracial youth. Her experience researching youth from diverse California schools, assisting with teaching classes on education law and policy, and mentoring college students underscores the importance of supporting organizations like Kizuna – to educate, empower, and engage the next generation of community leaders. 

Desiree joined Kizuna via placement through the Board Fellowship Program last year in 2023. In 2024, she officially joined Kizuna as a Board Member. Prior to Kizuna, her community involvement included serving East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley through field work at early childcare education centers, weekly volunteer hours with non-profits focused on legal education and medical access, and serving as a teaching assistant for a STEAM enrichment program. Her experiences with the Los Angeles community affirmed that the strengths already found within the cultures represented in our neighborhoods should be centered when determining future directions in both non-profit work and research.

Raised in Salinas and Fresno, California, as a Multiracial gosei (fifth-generation Japanese American), the importance of historical communities that foster intergenerational ties like Little Tokyo was experienced through many impromptu day trips to her childhood nihonmachi, San Jose Japantown, with her Bachan (great-grandmother). Desiree earned her B.A. in Child Development with minors in Political Science and Asian American Studies from Cal State LA where she also studied global education abroad at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. She received her M.A. in Education, Human Development and Psychology from UCLA and is expected to graduate with her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education in 2024. In her spare time, Desiree enjoys volunteering with the Youth Justice Navigator Project at UCLA,  attending museum exhibitions, visiting LA city libraries, and exploring Southern California by skateboard.

Terra-Lynn Tokiwa

Terra-Lynn Tokiwa is a U.S. Executive Risk Underwriter at Beazley, a commercial insurance carrier, that is a syndicate of Lloyd’s of London. Terra-Lynn is passionate about analyzing complex risks and creating transferable solutions for both private and public companies. Alongside her work, she remains an active member of the USC Trailblazer’s Council, PLUS SoCal Chapter Committee, and continually contributes to panels discussing risk management at various speaker events.

Terra-Lynn was first introduced to Kizuna through the NCI program in 2019 and has since served as an active alumni within the San Jose chapter. After partaking in the program, Terra-Lynn found a newfound enthusiasm for maintaining the Japanese American Community and culture.

Born and raised in San Jose, CA; Terra-Lynn received her B.A. in Business Administration and studied Risk Management from the University of Southern California. In her free time, Terra-Lynn enjoys skateboarding, traveling, and volunteering at community events.