Joichi “Joi” Ito (伊藤 穰一 Itō Jōichi, born June 19, 1966) is a Japanese activist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and director of the MIT Media Lab. Ito is a professor of the practice of media arts and sciences at MIT and a visiting professor of law from practice at the Harvard Law School.
Ito has received recognition for his role as an entrepreneur focused on Internet and technology companies and has founded, among other companies, PSINet Japan, Digital Garage and Infoseek Japan. Ito is the chairman of the board of PureTech Health. Ito is a strategic advisor to Sony Corporation,and a board member of The New York Times Company,the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation,the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,and General Partner of Neoteny Labs. Ito writes a monthly column in the Ideas section of Wired.
