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PHIL WICKHAM
Kauffman Fellows Program
USA
Phil serves as the CEO of the Kauffman Fellows Program, which aims to develop the next
generation of leaders in venture capital. He oversees all aspects of program and continues
to push the program's international expansion. Phil is a veteran venture investor and startup
entrepreneur. Early in his career, Phil co-founded the publishing company Reference Media
in Tokyo, Japan, grew it to scale and sold it to the Princeton Review, where he became VP of
Sales for Japan and Korea. Later, Phil served as General Partner at JAFCO America Ventures,
a billion-dollar fund backed by leading Japanese financial and technology players such as
Hitachi, Mitsubishi, NEC, Itochu, Nomura, and Nippon Life Insurance.
