Yoko Nakao Joins Benetech Board of Directors
Operations executive lends growth industry perspective and expertise to scale global impact for inclusive and equitable education
PALO ALTO, Calif. — February 9, 2022 — Benetech, the leading software for social good nonprofit, today announced the appointment of Yoko Nakao to its Board of Directors. Nakao is a game industry veteran with extensive expertise in operations and strategy. The Benetech board, a diverse and highly experienced group of professionals, leverages collective expertise and leadership from a broad spectrum of sectors including technology, business, philanthropy, and law to advance the organization’s software for social good mission.
“As a leading tech social enterprise, it is imperative that we continue to innovate and put emerging technologies to use to reduce barriers for and afford engaging equitable education experiences to the communities we serve,” said Ayan Kishore, CEO, Benetech. “Yoko’s expertise in developing, operating and scaling immersive technologies globally brings to us a valuable perspective that we will undoubtedly benefit from.”
As the newest member of Benetech’s board of directors, Nakao will serve on both the Nominating and the Program and Development Committees as well as provide strategic guidance to help Benetech deliver on its impact goals.
“Technology has the ability to shape how people access and experience the world around them. Benetech’s focus on inclusion and equity in education and the larger community resonates with my values,” said Nakao. “I look forward to working with Benetech to deliver on the promise of education for all students and leverage tech to scale impact for global communities.”
View all Benetech board member profiles at: https://benetech.org/about/leadership/board/
Background on Yoko Nakao
- Nearly two decades of experience launching successful products and services in the game industry
- Head of Game Operations at Netflix where the service delivers innovative game experiences
- Previously the COO at FoxNext Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of 21st Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company
- Previously the COO of Worldwide Studios at Kabam, a leader in AAA mobile free-to-play games, where she oversaw operations teams in San Francisco, Berlin, Seoul and Beijing
- MBA from the University of California and a BA from Middlebury College
- Active advisor to several technology start-ups
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing social and economic inequity in partnership with the communities that we serve through software for social good. Benetech’s initiatives are transforming how students, jobseekers, and older adults across the globe read, learn, and work. Benetech believes that access to information is a human right, and no person should encounter barriers to education, literacy, or employment due to differences or disability. Visit www.benetech.org