Rika Nishizawa
Rika Nishizawa, born in 1996, spent her childhood years in China, Germany, and the US. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Applied Mathematics at UC Berkeley, followed by a master's degree in Data Analytics for Education Policy at Columbia University. After returning to Japan in 2018, she founded Chai, initially building a direct-to-consumer brand in the organic dog food market. This experience led her to question the complexities of consumer-brand interactions, leading to the development of "BuyChat," a platform designed to simplify the buying experience. BuyChat allows businesses to create their own online shops entirely within LINE, a popular messaging app in Japan. This strategy taps into the natural flow of conversation, making shopping more intuitive and engaging. Looking ahead, there are plans to expand the service to other countries and integrate with additional messaging tools. Listed in Forbes' 30 under 30 Japan 2023.