Q&A with TOMODACHI Program Participants and TOMODACHI Alumni: Liz Kernan
Liz is an Associate Data Scientist at Harvard Business School, where she has worked for the past nine years. She is passionate about using data to improve social policy issues and support evidence-based decision-making.
In addition to her work at HBS, Liz serves as an elected official in Brookline, Massachusetts, representing one of the largest Japanese communities in the state. She was recently appointed Secretary of the Brookline Commission for Women, where she advocates for gender equity at the local level. Liz had been selected in this year’s cohort for the 2025 U.S.-Japan Council’s Emerging Leaders Program and attended the annual conference in Hawaii in October.
Liz is a 2014 graduate of the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program and an alumni of the 2015–2016 JET Program in Gunma Prefecture, where her mother is from.
Has your experience on the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program influenced your personal development?
It set the trajectory for my career. My parents took me to Japan when my grandparents were still alive. After they passed away, I hadn’t gone in maybe 20 years until TOMODACHI. Afterwards, my heritage and culture inspired me to do the JET Program and to be involved with the U.S.-Japan Council — more recently through the Emerging Leaders Program.
Do you have any special memories from the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program that you look back on?
The most profound thing we did was go to Hiroshima, which I think should be a huge part of any TOMODACHI Program. Visiting the Peace Museum and the Peace Park, everyone in the world should go there and learn about what happened. To not repeat the same mistakes in the future. It was such a moving experience. I’m half Japanese, so it was especially meaningful for me to imagine what my ancestors would have felt at that time.
What are some challenges that you face in your work as an elected official?
We meet twice a year over a series of nights to work through everything we need to vote on. Occasionally, there’s something that can be controversial. At our last meeting, we talked for an hour and a half on light pollution. This was discussed at length, ultimately we voted just to table it because there weren’t enough details. Generally, one of the hardest things is that you can’t make everyone happy. You have to be okay with that. And sometimes, you yourself can be really torn. It’s about going with your gut, and trying to listen to your constituents as much as possible.
You both participated in the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program and the JET Program. I know you said you have Japanese heritage, but what made you interested in Japan?
Initially, I wanted to learn more about myself, my family, and the sense of pride I have in being Japanese. Just wanting to learn more about what makes Japan cool to the world. In recent years, Japan is very upfront in culture, music, and art. It’s very well regarded from the rest of the world, in terms of how clean it is, how nice people are. So, I think those are some of the things I wanted to tune into.
Can you tell us more about your work as a data scientist at HBS? What do you find interesting about your career there?
My first master’s is in Sociology. I am very interested in race, class, and gender studies issues, and how they relate to business. There’s such a rush you get from proving trends in policy issues with numbers. It allows you to improve society. Our team supports faculty members who are some of the brightest people in the world. My team helps crunch those numbers, make visualizations, and support their arguments. Some of our studies have been published in the past, so it’s very exciting to be involved in a part of this work.
What are your dreams for the more immediate future for yourself, but also for your community as a leader?
I’m always looking to do things that scare me, such as saying yes to this interview. This recent Emerging Leaders Program experience and at the USJC Annual Conference, we learned a lot about what it means to be authentic as a leader, being vulnerable. How soft skills as a leader can carry you far. I’m looking for opportunities to strengthen myself in that way. I would love to be a mentor, and I would love to be mentored by and for other Japanese American leaders.
I think in 2025, we’ve just lost a sense of community. I always try to incorporate that more. In my own apartment building, I’m trying to create a block party to foster communication. I would like to put myself out there and try to create a stronger community.
What does TOMODACHI mean to you?
At surface level, of course it means friend. But thinking deeper into it, probably more of a partnership. I remember meeting other university students in Hiroshima through the TOMODACHI KAKEHASHI Inouye Scholars Program. Even in Boston, we have Showa University and can meet students there. Through my time on the JET program I was able to create powerful bonds too. These connections are so special. We may struggle to communicate with each other at times, but everyone is earnest and tries their hardest. Some beautiful relationships come out of these interactions, and I think the world could use a little more of that. So partnership and community.
Your experiences throughout your life have led you both to study and work abroad. What advice can you give to aspiring young adults or professionals who hope to work, study and live abroad?
Do it. You learn so much about the world. You learn to be more empathetic and understanding. You learn more about yourself as well. You carry these lessons into the rest of your life, and these lessons are carried into your community by sharing what you’ve experienced with others. There are so many opportunities to experience the world, it’s important to do research and get creative. Through this you learn more about the world and about yourself.
This interview was conducted by Michael Kleinlercher on November 19th, 2025. Michael is currently an alumni intern with the TOMODACHI Alumni Leadership Program.
