TOMODACHI Tohoku Challenge Featured During Annual Entrepreneurship Celebration in Tokyo
November 15, 2012 — The U.S. Embassy, Tokyo hosted its annual celebration of entrepreneurship in Japan on Nov. 14, 2012, announcing the recipients of this year’s Entrepreneur Awards Japan and Entrepreneur Mentoring Initiative. The event also recognized the winners of several other entrepreneurship programs, including the TOMODACHI Tohoku Challenge business plan competition which sought to promote reconstruction, innovation, and employment in the Tohoku region of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.
The winners of the TOMODACHI Tohoku Challenge were announced at the 2012 U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington on Oct. 18. NanoMist Technologies was awarded the top prize for their plan to commercialize a new desalination technology. YOAKE Rice Burger was awarded second prize for their plan to build awareness about Tohoku in the United States through rice burger restaurants. Finalists in the TOMODACHI Tohoku Challenge flew from Japan to Seattle for the event with the support of Delta Airlines.
The Embassy worked closely with the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), IMPACT Japan, the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ), the British Council, the MIT-Enterprise Forum Japan, Japan Market Expansion Competition, Venture Generation, and the U.S.-Japan Council to organize the entrepreneurship celebration, which was held at the residence of U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos.
The Entrepreneur Awards Japan is composed of four prizes: the U.S. Ambassador’s Award which is open to Japanese nationals; the Groundbreakers Award which focuses on women entrepreneurs and is sponsored by Dell; and the ACCJ Director’s Award and Venture Generation Award, both of which are open to candidates of any gender and nationality. The winners of these four awards will be matched with a mentor under the Entrepreneur Mentoring Initiative.
