Bagels with Baro: A Conversation with Baro Hyun
Join us for a casual morning conversation with Rackham alumnus Baro Hyun, Founder and CEO of LunaTone Inc., a Tokyo-based playable studio exploring how gaming and interactive digital environments can help prepare the next-generation workforce for the AI era.
Over bagels and coffee, Baro will share insights from his career journey, from earning his PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan, to working on advanced vehicle technologies at Hyundai Motor Company, to consulting on innovation and esports strategy at KPMG, and ultimately founding LunaTone.
This informal Q&A is a chance to hear about Baro’s work at the intersection of technology, gaming, and workforce development, ask questions, and connect with a fellow alum and students.
Baro HyunFounder & CEO, LunaTone Inc.Baro Hyun is the Founder and CEO of LunaTone Inc., a Tokyo-based Playable Studio focused on developing learning and workforce infrastructure for the AI era. Through gaming, esports, and interactive digital environments, LunaTone designs programs that help organizations and institutions cultivate transferable skills, leadership, and collaboration required in rapidly evolving industries.Baro earned his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, where his research focused on human-in-the-loop autonomous systems for military applications. His earlier work included research on satellite attitude determination and control.Following academia, he worked as an engineer at Hyundai Motor Company, contributing to next-generation vehicle technologies including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles. He later transitioned into management consulting at KPMG Japan, where he helped establish the firm’s gaming and esports advisory practice and led innovation initiatives including holographic manufacturing solutions recognized globally by Microsoft.Drawing on this multidisciplinary background, Baro founded LunaTone to explore how gaming and interactive environments can function as platforms for education, workforce development, and organizational transformation. Today, LunaTone collaborates with universities, public institutions, and industry partners across Asia, the Middle East, and North America to design applied learning programs and capability-building initiatives for the next-generation workforce.Baro is also the author of the book Demystifying Esports and frequently speaks on the intersection of technology, gaming, and future workforce development.