Sam Ushio is Founder of Ikigai Lab, a purpose incubator that delivers experiences rooted in ikigai, a 1,000-year-old Japanese concept that has been scientifically linked to longevity, productivity, creativity, and joy. Ikigai Lab leverages leading academic research in the areas of positive psychology, cross-cultural well-being, and emotional intelligence to support the design and implementation of an ikigai roadmap for individuals, teams, and organizations. Inspired by his  Great-Grandmother’s journey of sacrifice, legacy, and triumph, Sam launched Ikigai Lab to empower and inspire the power of purpose.  

Prior to founding Ikigai Lab, Sam was Director, Practice Management at Russell Investments where he led the award-winning, global team that coached approximately 1,000 financial advisors annually, yielding $600 million in incremental revenue growth and tens of thousands of direct hours saved. He has an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, holds a Bachelor of Science from University of Nebraska in marketing and finance with an emphasis in psychology.  Sam is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and serves on the advisory board of the Clifton Strengths Institute at the University of Nebraska. 

Sam is also the Chief Ikigai Officer at Connect3x, a people platform that embeds well-being into the rhythm of business. Sam fuses a powerful combination of 10,000 hours of Ikigai experience, 20 years of corporate experience, strengths-based psychology, and purpose-driven change management to lead Connect3x’s team of coaches, experts, thought leaders, and practitioners dedicated to “capitalize the Human experience.” 

An energetic, compassionate leader, Sam is committed to understanding an individual’s journey and finding a bridge to relate. A popular speaker on the concept of ikigai, Sam also develops ikigai curriculum, hosts the Ikigai Stories Podcast, and authors the Ikigai Intelligence Newsletter. Sam enjoys an active lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and three children.