40 Under 40 2025: Yumi An King, Aww Inc.

Yumi An King

Executive director
Aww Inc.
Japan

Yumi An King is a rare find in Japan, known for her open-minded, cross-cultural creative mindset and instinctive storytelling. As a Korean-Japanese-American woman in a traditionally conservative and male-dominated industry, she stands out for her ideas and presence. She began her career in film, drawn to its potential to tell intimate stories that transcend borders. In her twenties, she founded Start It All, which evolved into a trusted innovation partner for clients across Asia. This early momentum led her to co-found Aww Inc., where she now serves as executive director. Aww is best known for creating ‘Imma’, Asia’s first virtual human, and for building emotionally resonant digital experiences at the intersection of identity and AI.

King has collaborated with a wide range of brands including Disney, Coach, Meta, Amazon, P&G, and Unilever to deliver campaigns that are both high-concept and culturally attuned. She also spearheaded Japan’s first AI stylist in retail, partnering with NVIDIA to bridge the physical and digital fashion worlds.

She led the ‘Style Coach’ experience for Coach Play Harajuku, a project that earned media attention for combining a physical retail space with an AI-powered digital human. King has also advised multiple US animation studios and fashion houses on virtual production, IP innovation, and how to authentically localise storytelling for Gen Z and Gen Alpha in Asia.

King is a rare hybrid leader—part technologist, part storyteller, part strategist. She successfully guided Aww through a pre-Series A raise, helped the company evolve from a boutique studio into a globally recognised innovation partner for major brands. Internally, she champions mentoring, diverse leadership, hybrid team models, flexible working, and creative autonomy.

She brings a lifelong commitment to female empowerment and global citizenship, shaped by her work with Human Rights Watch and as a mother of two. King believes diversity is not a box to tick, but a wellspring of creative strength. At Aww Inc., she has built one of Japan’s most globally diverse digital creative teams: over 50% of key creative leads identify as women or non-binary, with members from more than ten nationalities. She has supported LGBTQIA+ inclusion and led initiatives aiding domestic violence survivors in Cambodia, work recognised with the Cool Japan Matching Award.