Meet the FEW Japan Board
FEW Japan is led by a volunteer board of members who help shape our events, partnerships and community throughout the year. We’re a member-led organisation, which means our community is shaped by the women who are part of it.
Curious about getting more involved? There are lots of ways to contribute, from helping at an event or sharing your skills and ideas to taking on a board or volunteer role in the future.
Get to know our current directors by hovering over or clicking on their profile to meet the women helping to shape FEW today.
Katie Marple
Representative Director & President
Katie Marple
Katie Marple is a Membership Manager at one of Japan’s largest international communities, a community builder, and a corporate communication trainer. Outside work, she organizes monthly women’s Sunday socials and loves creating spaces where people can connect, have fun, and build friendships.
As President of FEW Japan, Katie works alongside the directors and members to shape a community that is sustainable, impactful, and always heart-first. After speaking with hundreds of women in Japan, she keeps hearing the same wish: more connection, more authenticity, and more belonging.
She joined the board to bring more fun, create more meaningful events, and help FEW enter a new chapter that feels both familiar and fresh. She is also a sunshine girl at heart who loves summer, humidity included, and is always up for a beach partner.
Helen Rivero
Finance Director
Helen Rivero
Helen is a business control and corporate governance professional with more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. Originally from Uruguay, she has been living in Japan for more than 18 years and feels deeply connected to both countries, with her heart always somewhere between Japan and her hometown in Uruguay.
She joined FEW because she has always enjoyed being part of women’s circles and believes there is a special energy that comes from women coming together, sharing experiences, supporting one another, and building genuine friendships.
For her, FEW is a place to connect with women from different backgrounds while creating a sense of community away from home. She loves spinning and crochet, and enjoys the simple pleasure of making time for herself.
Nancy Miyaji
Legal Secretary
Nancy Miyaji
Nancy Miyaji is a New York-qualified attorney working on cross-border matters, with experience in both private practice and in-house legal roles. She serves as Legal Secretary on the FEW Japan board.
Having moved from the U.S. to Japan with her family at age 11, she has called Japan home for most of her life. She joined FEW because she wanted to help create a community where women can meet, build genuine friendships, and support one another.
Outside work, Nancy enjoys wandering through unfamiliar neighborhoods and discovering new cafes and restaurants along the way.
Rowan Hatcher
Director
Rowan Hatcher
Rowan designs custom itineraries for travelers to Japan, drawing on a design background, operations experience, and a deep love of trivia about Japan. They have a particular interest in regional revitalization, sustainable tourism, and traditional craft.
Rowan arrived in Japan in 2015 on the JET Programme and turned to FEW to build a longer-lasting community when the JET network thinned out. Since joining the board in 2025, Rowan has brought an eye for detail and a knack for building systems and processes that hold up through change.
Today, Rowan raises two kids with their partner in a multilingual, multicultural home, and their go-to party trick is the “fairy whistle,” whistling and humming at once for a convincing UFO noise.
Yu-Ching Chang
Director
Yu-Ching Chang | 張 毓青 (チャン ユーチン)
Yu-Ching is a marketing professional and social entrepreneur with a strong interest in sustainability, working with iconic Danish design houses in Japan. Born and raised in Tokyo to a Taiwanese family, she studied in the US before returning to build her career. She sometimes isn’t quite sure how to answer where she is from, but Tokyo has always been her home ground.
She joined FEW because she enjoys bringing people together, and she believes it takes a village, adults included. She hopes to help create a kind, meaningful community where women can support and empower one another, share ideas, and make things happen together.
Outside work, she is raising a newly-teenage son, and she has never needed an alarm clock to wake up.
Lizeth Flores
Director
Lizeth Flores
Lizeth Flores has served as a nonprofit grant manager for over ten years and now leverages that experience to support FEW’s fundraising efforts. She joined FEW in 2025 while packing up her apartment in Los Angeles, attending online events before dawn in Pacific time, and felt grateful to already be part of a community of women by the time she landed in Tokyo.
Her love of learning about other cultures shaped her studies: she intentionally picked degrees with the word “international” in them, earning a BA in International Development from UCLA and an MPA with a focus on International Policy from Cornell University.
Outside work, Lizeth is an introvert who can talk for a long time about her cats, public transit, and Mexican food.
Betsy Kimmel
Director
Betsy Kimmel
Betsy is an ICF-credentialed coach and E-RYT 500 yoga teacher who works with humanitarians and professionals in high-pressure jobs around the world, offering coaching and functional movement sessions. She spent the last eight years supporting the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, working in HR and developing well-being programs for staff supporting refugees.
Betsy came to Japan last year when her husband received a Rotary Peace Fellowship at ICU, and the first event she attended was hosted by FEW, where she met amazing women. Now on the board, she helps organize events.
Outside work, Betsy explores Japan by motorcycle, taking the scenic route because you never know what you’ll find. Got an out-of-the-way favorite? Betsy can’t wait to visit.
Ruca Nagayama
Director
Ruca Nagayama
Ruca Nagayama was born and raised in a musical family and has managed a music office specializing in the piano. For over 20 years, she has been involved in international activities across Japan, Europe, and the United States. She joined the FEW Japan Board of Directors this year and looks forward to working together!
During a stay in Kyoto in 2025, she was deeply moved by touching Kyoto The Stone, a large natural stone in the Sagano district. Since then, she has come to realize that, no matter how busy life gets, the health of the mind and body matters most. Now she is discovering a deeper happiness that comes from within in daily life.
Committees
Each director belongs to one or more of the following committees. As a fully volunteer-led organization, this grouping of resources allows us to better serve our community.
Events
The Events Committee plans and runs FEW's calendar throughout the year, from social gatherings and workshops to our bi-annual FEWTURE Conference.
Membership
The Membership Committee welcomes new members, supports renewals, and helps every woman find her place in the FEW community.
Communications
The Communications Committee keeps our community informed, sharing news, event updates, and stories through our newsletter, website, and social media.
Development
The Development Committee builds the partnerships and sponsorships that help FEW grow and keep serving women across Japan.
Want to get involved?
There are many ways to be part of FEW; find the one that fits you.