Episode 17

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Published on:

24th Oct 2022

Cogo enters Japan to help reduce carbon footprints with Julie Lindenberg

Carbon emissions are on everyone’s minds right now and in Japan, the commitment is to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Kiwi company Cogo is already starting to help Japan reach its goals. 785 local governments including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Yokohama announced their commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. These local governments represent 119 million people (94.3% of Japan's population). Cogo is a startup that is making it easy for everyone to know what kind of emissions you are creating and how you can reduce your carbon footprint. Cogo is niching in Japan for bank customers. But how do you make that work in Japan where the banking system is still very traditional? Julie Lindenberg shares Cogo’s progress so far and we unpack some of the challenges for bringing tech solutions to Japan.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

  • What Cogo’s mission is, and how it works with banking software to help consumers and businesses track their carbon footprint
  • Cogo’s entry to Japan and their next steps to build the market
  • The challenges of Japan and how Cogo views "competition" (hint: competitors are not competition!)
  • Want to work at Cogo? Listen to find out more about the company, the culture and what they are looking for in team members as they grow


About Julie Lindenberg

Julie Lindenberg, a respected leader in the digital banking and carbon emissions industry, is CEO of the APAC region at Cogo. Tasked with building Cogo’s reputation as a category leader in climate solutions, Julie is building a cross-disciplinary team that started with the goal of empowering millions of businesses and consumers to understand their carbon footprint and how they can take action to reduce and offset their impact. They have gone beyond that already empowering 50 million digital bank users in 7 of the world’s top banks! They plan to double the number of banks on the platform in the next 12 months, and enable the solution to be available for 200M digital bank users by the end of 2023! Julie is passionate about the power of collective change and the fact that we can all take steps to lower our carbon footprint and move the sustainability conversation forward - individually and together. Having worked in senior roles in some of the most innovative brands in the Fintech and banking sectors, Julie is influential in all aspects of change but is best known for her ability to inspire teams to achieve audacious goals.


Connect with Julie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Cogo-connecting-good/ 

Website: https://www.Cogo.co/ 


Connect with Jayne and Catherine

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jandals-in-japan-podcast/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jandalsinjapan/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jandalsinjapan 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdbd0QSHSLlOSPcpceHOcA 

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About the Podcast

Jandals in Japan
Bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
The best show about New Zealanders doing business in Japan, bringing The Land of the Long White Cloud to The Land of the Rising Sun
How do you build a brand in Japan and nurture a loyal customer base?
What do you need to have in your tool belt if you are thinking of coming to Japan to launch a business here?
Japan is often considered to be in the "too hard" basket but we are here to open up the black box of doing business in Japan.
We will share stories from successful Kiwis selling their products and services here in Japan.
They'll tell you their tips for success and pitfalls to avoid.
They'll share their challenges and what they did to overcome them.
They will tell you things you can't find in textbooks or on the internet.
We will also be sharing the latest intel and insights on Japan from our on-the-ground presence
And you'll hear some super business culture and other tips from us sprinkled throughout.
Grab a glass of sake and let's get into it.
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About your hosts

Jayne Nakata

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Jayne Nakata is a Southland girl who arrived in Japan in 2002, planning to stay just two years. 20 years later she is still living in Fukushima Prefecture with her Japanese husband and two children. When the triple disaster hit in 2011, Jayne made the commitment to stay in Fukushima and contribute to rebuilding the area. She is the host of the award winning podcast Transformations with Jayne, which is a favourite with international women living in Japan. She is also the double award winning podcast producer and manager for PodLaunch with Jayne.

Catherine O’Connell

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Born and bred in Christchurch, Catherine O'Connell landed in Japan in 2002, on a one year contract, and 20 years later she's planted her feet firmly in Japan. She built a wealth of business and cultural experience working at the coal face of brand-name Japanese corporates as in house legal counsel. Catherine took a leap of faith down the entrepreneurial route launching her own multi award-winning boutique law firm in Tokyo in 2018, being the first Kiwi and first foreign female to do so. She is Vice Chair of the Australian & New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan and helps businesses thrive in the Japan market delivering business insights meshed with legal instincts. Catherine is also host of the award-winning Lawyer on Air Podcast.