Travel | Technology | Transformation
At Ascent Partners, we do high-intensity transformation projects that require cultural skill and a creative technology application. We work with decision-makers in both the public and private sector to navigate the complex reality of transformation in an uncertain and fast-moving world.
For example, we worked with Hawaii’s state leadership to develop and implement the destination management system and tools for Hawaii’s state park system, an effort recognized by media outlets like The New York Times for its role in reimagining sustainable tourism.
We also work with the private sector to help CEO’s embrace and employ emerging AI technologies and applications to respond to a changing global economy.
We are active members of the Tourism and Hospitality Committee (TAHC) for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), where Mayumi serves as Vice Chair.
Let us know how we can help.
Wayfinding in a Challenging World
Long before the compass, Polynesian navigators crossed the vast Pacific in double-hulled canoes, reading stars, swells, and wind to find distant islands.
Inspired by this tradition, we help leaders and organizations wayfind transformative solutions amid the shifting currents of travel, hospitality, and technology. Our work focuses on the dynamic interplay between emerging digital tools and the human edge of creative change—navigating uncertainty with clarity, agility, and intent.
Diamond Head State Monument
Leading media outlets such as Bloomberg News and The New York Times have covered these efforts, noting how they have played a key role in the reimagination of tourism in the State of Hawaii.
Meet Mayumi and Mike
We’re Sushi Birds—migrating between Tokyo and Seattle to live and work with curiosity and freedom. Our cross-cultural perspective lets us see patterns others miss, helping us design meaningful, high-impact transformations in travel, hospitality, and beyond.
Mayumi has a long and distinguished career in the software and Internet fields that included a 10-year stint as CEO of a major software company in the Seattle area.
Mayumi Nakamura Birt, MBA 
Mike has flown millions of miles around the globe for his work as a professor, entrepreneur, director, and advisor in the health and technology fields.
Mike Birt, PhD