The 2021 TOMODACHI RISE Leadership Program Kicked off with a Three-day Virtual Orientation

On March 20, 21, and 28, 2021, the TOMODACHI Alumni Regional Impact for Social Empowerment (RISE) Leadership Program kicked off with a three-day online orientation.

Regional Leaders and Regional Mentors, selected from the TOMODACHI Alumni community from seven regions across Japan, attended the virtual workshop to gain valuable skills needed to identify and tackle social issues, create events, and bolster their regional alumni communities. This program is a year-long multipart leadership development program that focuses on social innovation at the local level.

One of the highlights of this orientation was a keynote speech by Mr. Kenji Hayashi, Chief Community Officer of Founding Base, a social enterprise that focuses on the revitalization of local communities throughout Japan. Mr. Hayashi talked about a variety of activities and businesses that Founding Base has co-created with local residents from designing unique local products to creating a local school to nurture children’s curiosity. He spoke about his passion for solving social issues and explained what it means to have well-functioning local governments and civic communities that are able to collaborate effectively to create opportunities in rural areas of Japan.

Through group discussions, guest speakers, and insight from previous leaders and mentors, the Regional Leaders and the Regional Mentors were able to start building trusted relationships both within and across regions. They learned how to address local community issues while engaging TOMODACHI Alumni, gained insight into event planning, and worked together to develop a vision and content for the Welcome Event.

Reo Shimabuku, the Regional Leader of the Okinawa region commented, “Though I was nervous and concerned at the beginning of the Orientation, I felt that this community is very welcoming and inclusive and a great opportunity for the TOMODACHI Alumni to work together.”

The TOMODACHI RISE Leadership Program is made possible with generous support from Prudential.