Patrice Tanaka

Founder and Chief Joy Officer

Joyful Planet

Patrice Tanaka is a best-selling author, public speaker on business and life purpose, serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of 3 award-winning public relations and marketing agencies. She is also the co-founder of Joyful Planet, a consultancy focused on helping individuals and organizations discover and actively live their purpose to unleash greater success, fulfilment, and joy in their personal lives, workplaces, and communities.

Tanaka is the co-author of Beat the Curve and Performance360, in which she writes about life and organizational purpose. She is also the author of Becoming Ginger Rogers: How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner, and Smarter CEO, a book about her late-life passion for ballroom dancing and the lessons she learned. She has been honored by many organizations, including PRWeek (Hall of Fame inductee), Public Relations Society of America (Paul M. Lund Award for Public Service), New York Women in Communications (Matrix Award), Asian Women in Business, Working Mother magazine (Mothering That Works Award), Girl Scouts of Greater New York (Women of Distinction Award), among others.

Tanaka is based in New York City, but calls Hawaii home, as that is where she was born and raised. Wherever she is, Tanaka always lives her life with the aloha spirit.