TOMODACHI Boeing Entrepreneurship Seminar Final Presentation Held

The 14th TOMODACHI Boeing Entrepreneurship Seminar, which began in September 2024, was a five-month program that provided high school and university students selected from across Japan the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship, primarily through online seminars. Once again, this year, participants from diverse backgrounds and perspectives formed teams and created projects aimed at solving social challenges. As they prepared for the final presentations, they took their first steps toward the future by demonstrating the TOMODACHI Generation’s unique creativity and ability to take initiative.

 

At the Final Presentation, which was held online on Sunday, February 16, five teams presented their action plans in Japanese and English to representatives from Boeing Japan and the U.S.-Japan Council (Japan). Each team shared their passion and unique perspectives, receiving thoughtful feedback during the Q&A session. Mr. Eric John, President of Boeing Japan, KK, commented on their ability “to be agile” and “to pivot and regenerate ideas.” He also offered each team a guiding keyword for further development of their projects: “Differentiate,” “Incentives,” “Retain,” “Scale” and “Privacy.” These words served as valuable insights for future growth.
Following the presentation, five participants were selected based on a comprehensive evaluation of their teamwork, commitment, and overall performance to take part in a U.S. training portion of the program.

 

In March 2025, the selected students traveled to Portland, Oregon, where they spent a week engaging in a hands-on learning experience. Embracing the city’s spirit of “Keep Portland Weird,” they explored sustainable urban development initiatives, interacted with social entrepreneurs and local students, experienced an eco-village, and visited DIY communities and local businesses. Through these immersive experiences, participants were inspired to reflect on their personal values, reexamine their roles within their teams, and discover new possibilities for themselves and their projects.
The strong bonds formed among the participants who shared both successes and challenges, and their newfound mindset to view the world from multiple perspectives, will serve as a solid foundation to overcome the challenges they may encounter in the future.