World in You hosts interviews and conducts research to accumulate and disseminate case studies and insights on boards and governance. Through these efforts, we aim to facilitate the practice and exploration of Governance for Impact within organizations with social missions.

Jointly organized by Tokyo Zebras Unite/Zebras and Company and World in You, this event aims to delve into the concept of steward-ownership, offering profound insights into the governance of purpose-oriented organizations.

Steward-ownership, a governance model embraced by trailblazing companies like Patagonia, places emphasis on individuals directly involved with the company owning shares, rather than solely prioritizing shareholder profits. It fosters governance and management practices geared towards advancing the company's purpose over the long term.

During this event, we will have the privilege of hearing from PURPOSE, a leading advocate for steward-ownership in Europe and the United States, along with the founder of Stapelstein®, a German toy manufacturer that successfully transitioned to steward-ownership from a traditional corporate structure.

We warmly extend our invitation to join us for this enlightening discussion!

◆Date : March 19th at 10:30 AM - 12 PM (GMT) / March 19th at 7:30-9:00 PM (Japan time)

◆Purpose : Exploring Governance for Impact within organizations with social missions through the mechanism of steward-ownership and examples of its implementation.

◆Language : English

◆Admission :
・Free : Free: his event is free to attend. If you would like to support us, please register using the gift ticket.

・Gift ticket: 2,000 Japanese yen. This is a gift ticket to support the speakers and operation of this event. Additionally, those who purchase this ticket will be able to participate in a study session including explanations in Japanese at a later date. (The session date to be arranged. If the date doesn't suit you, we will share a recording.)

◆RSVP : Please sign up at Peatix

◆How to join：Zoom (Link will be sent after sign-up)

◆Speaker：

Annika Schneider
Lead International Partnerships, PURPOSE

As a business graduate, Annika has repeatedly encountered an economic system that prioritizes profits above all else, where employees are viewed as interchangeable resources, and founders are deemed successful only if they achieve astronomical wealth through an exit. Tired of this one-dimensional narrative and committed to fostering an economy that benefits people and the planet, Annika joined PURPOSE in 2019. She spearheads Purpose’s international partnerships, collaborating with entrepreneurs worldwide. Annika is profoundly passionate about the transformative potential of steward-ownership to tackle systemic issues and infuse workplaces globally with renewed vigor and proactivity.

Stephan Schenk
Founder, Stapelstein®

Stephan Schenk is the inventor, founder and steward-owner of Stapelstein®. Stapelstein® creates moving living environments and thus shapes the lives of children and those around them. In 2022, Stapelstein® became steward-owned with the help of the Purpose Stiftung (Purpose Foundation).

Yoshitaka Tabuchi　
Co-Founder / President, Zebras and Company　
Co-Founder / President, Tokyo Zebras Unite

Passionate about empowering and working with young leaders who are building the future. With the entrepreneurial spirit, he works with a foundation, entrepreneurs of both for-profit and non-profit and artists. He is also a judge/jury of Cartier Women’s Initiative Award and MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge. Former Accelerator Manager for LGT Venture Philanthropy, a global impact investor improving the quality of life of less advantaged people. He sourced, evaluated and prepared investments for early stage social enterprises, and conducted acceleration work for those organizations. Prior to LGT VP, Yoshi was in the aviation industry, before moving on to renewable energy, where he was responsible for origination and M&A deals for large-scale solar power projects in Japan and in North and South America. Yoshi holds a Master’s in Business Administration from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Originally from Japan, Yoshi has worked and studied in various regions including the United States, Europe, Africa and South East.

Mio Yamamoto
Co-Founder and Executive Director, World In You

Mio’s lifelong vision is change-making communities where everyone takes a step forward across boundaries to better society. She became interested in bridging the social and business sectors in college. After working for Sumitomo Chemical and McKinsey & Co. and supporting social entrepreneurs at Social Venture Partners Tokyo, Mio co-founded WIA (then WIT and now World in You) in the wake of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. She has been the Executive Director since 2013.
She completed ORSC® (Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching) courses. Mio received an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management and a BA with a major in International Relations from the University of Tokyo. World Summit Award Japan Country Expert. Mio and World in You published a Japanese translation of Governance as Leadership into Japanese.

◆Co-hosts：Tokyo Zebras Unite/Zebras and Company, World in You

◆From World in You

While many people may associate governance with oversight and management, we believe that governance mechanisms such as boards serve not only to prevent fraud and manage risks, but also as important platforms and mechanisms for people to come together and contribute to building a better society.

We aim for diverse individuals to leverage their perspectives and resources to explore and practice Governance for Impact, contributing to organizational decision-making and mission achievement.

◆From Zebras Unite/Z&C

Governance is a key concept for Zebra companies, particularly concerning the distribution of rights among stakeholders when shareholders have become overly dominant, and in leveraging collective intelligence. In Zebras Unite in the United States, this is achieved through cooperative structures, creating mechanisms that grant Non-Profit Organizations veto power over mission changes by holding golden shares in the organization, and promoting the concept of "Exit to Community," where company stakeholders hold shares.

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