ABOUT SHISO

Hi everyone, 

Welcome to Shiso Consulting! My name is Aerica, and I am the founder of Shiso Consulting. I started this company because I believe we all have the responsibility and capability to solve the most serious, most deeply-rooted problems in our world together.

My mother is Japanese, and my father is Black. My mother, the renegade, left Buddhism for Christianity and then Japan for America when she married my father, the first Black person she ever met. As a child, my father perched on my grandfather’s shoulders to cheer for Robert F. Kennedy as he drove his motorcade through San Francisco in 1968, enthralled by the promise of a leader who would unite people across race, community, and class. Their children, my brother and I, have lived moments that fulfill and betray that promise.

Though it may seem we are farther from that vision today than twenty years ago, surrendering to complacency denies our power and responsibility to shape the world we wish to see. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege to make an impact, bring people together, and create change. As an environmental justice advocate, I wrote the first protocol for a regional agency enforcing the Clean Air Act. As a tech policy expert, I highlighted the inequities in intellectual property law and advocated for hundreds of Black small businesses. As a co-founder and angel investor, I've supported thousands of women entrepreneurs. After facing workplace discrimination, I stood up to my multi-billion-dollar employer—and won. I fought because I knew no one should endure such treatment and that work can be different. Then I started Shiso Consulting to prove it. 

In five years, we’ve helped business leaders grow authentically and impactfully, guiding dozens of companies to achieve strategic clarity, strengthen workplace culture, and advance social justice. 

Rather than imposing our beliefs, we collaborate with clients to understand their needs and provide the structure for change. I named my company Shiso in honor of my mother, an incredible gardener and cook who raised me with the Japanese values of 勿体無い (“mottainai,” waste not want not) and a deep respect for nature. Often overlooked as a weed at worst and garnish at best, the shiso leaf enhances flavor and elevates the dining experience when fully embraced.

Similarly, we work behind the scenes to empower organizations with tailored, holistic strategies that drive meaningful change. Like the shiso leaf, we’re here to bring out the best in you and your organization.

We believe—and have seen—that a better world is possible. Let’s build it together.

With love,

Aerica