Diverse people from different countries and regions bring a variety of experiences and passions and work flexibly to embody and realize your World in You.
Co-Founder and Executive DirectorMio YamamotoMy “World in You”
I hope that the “power of people coming together” can transform to make the world a little better each time. You being in the world, and the world passing through you, makes something a little different and a little better.Profile
Board MemberErika OgawaMy “World in You”
Newborn babies become self-aware and gradually learn about the world from there by looking at their hands and feet. I believe adults, too, can open up to infinite possibilities by observing themselves and seeing the world from a new angle. I want to see diverse worlds in you.Profile
Board MemberYukinori SakuraiMy “World in You”
Let your imagination expand over time and space beyond your intention. Let your senses open to someone you haven’t met but exists somewhere in the world. I want to share such kind-hearted designs with you.Profile
Board MemberSamjhana KhanalMy “World in You”
I want to spend time supporting women-led sustainable enterprises to reach their potential in creating maximum impact.Profile
Board MemberToru TakiguchiMy “World in You”
Supporting people who aim to improve society with “specialty and empathy.” I want to maximize the impact of such people by utilizing my expertise in business law and accompanying entrepreneurs who are working to make the world a better place.Profile
AuditorTakuji HiroishiMy “World in You”
“Local leads to global.” A problem-solving model created from local people-to-people relationships can contribute to solving global issues.Profile
Voting MemberSumiko ItoMy “World in You”
Fascinated by opera and art, I spend my year moving between the United States, Japan, and Europe. If you strip the surface of culture, customs, or language, you can reveal your true self.Profile
Voting MemberKaeko LiffMy “World in You”
The power of words. A single word choice can save or hurt a person, accelerate a movement, or cause misunderstanding, from personal dialogue to campaign taglines. So I want to keep improving my ability to choose words.Profile
Escort Runner for Leaders and OrganizationsYuko MishiroMy “World in You”
Carefully listening into one’s true wishes and accompanying and supporting them. I love to encounter the passion and sources of those who fully put their soul into life. Their stories captivate me and make me want to work toward their wish together.Profile
Community Supporter/ FacilitatorSaki KazamaMy “World in You”
I feel joy in facilitating a process where everyone’s gift is blessed as they are, their emotions and true wishes are expressed, and their relations create the world.Profile
Pro bonoKenta KasaiKenta KasaiMy “World in You”
I want to support leaders in all sectors to maximize their abilities and potentials and change the world while enriching their lives.Profile
Pro bonoYu IshidaMy “World in You”
Contributing to a happy world by constructing perspectives that help everyone think about “interesting!” and developing educational programs that promote action based on these perspectives. Practice supported by theory.Profile
Pro bonoAya OkadaMy “World in You”
Promoting the excitement of seeing the world from different perspectives with the help of academic work. I want to teach about the inspiring moments of discovering new aspects in daily lives and social phenomenon by using theories and concepts as lenses.Profile
InternAyaka KonishiMy “World in You"
A society where everyone can feel safe and unleash their potential. I want to create communities with a sense of safety like World in You in other places as well.Profile
InternTakumi SampeiMy “World in You”
A community where humanity can explore the best future possibilities as a communityProfile
InternKento TanakaIn order to achieve a more equal society, I want to promote education and create spaces for people to share their perspectives across cultural and national boundaries.Profile
Co-Founder and
Executive Director
Executive Director
Mio Yamamoto
Profile
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. She lives in Japan.
Board Member
Erika Ogawa
Profile
Erika was born in Yamanashi, Japan, and raised in Germany, France, the US, and Japan. She led the launching of the Japan office of Guinness World Records, and became the CEO in 2014. She devoted herself to starting an initiative to revitalize the local regions of Japan and showcase their culture and technology overseas.
Currently, Erika is involved in international businesses and provides management support to people seeking innovation and social change. In addition, she is launching an Edutainment startup with a cross-border team from Japan, the US, and Europe to inspire intellectual curiosity.
“The ocean doesn’t separate Japan from the rest of the world – we are all connected.” She wants to promote a society where people worldwide can respect each other regardless of nationalities, religions, gender, culture, and generational bias. She has a daughter.
Currently, Erika is involved in international businesses and provides management support to people seeking innovation and social change. In addition, she is launching an Edutainment startup with a cross-border team from Japan, the US, and Europe to inspire intellectual curiosity.
“The ocean doesn’t separate Japan from the rest of the world – we are all connected.” She wants to promote a society where people worldwide can respect each other regardless of nationalities, religions, gender, culture, and generational bias. She has a daughter.
Board Member
Yukinori Sakurai
Profile
Yukinori has run a design consulting company since 2000, planning and supervising design projects in various fields. In 2012, he started RELEASE; to design "businesses welcomed by the future" that balances sustainability and the economy. As a concept maker who produces economic activities between art and social change, he applies a humanistic approach of reweaving societal narrative and co-creative business development process to work cross-disciplinary with large corporations, local governments, startups, and nonprofits. Yukinori believes in the "imagination as the mother of kindness" and "design as a technology to realize hopes." He wants to promote a world where as many people as possible live with hope in their hearts.
Board Member
Samjhana Khanal
Profile
Samjhana oversees Deerhold Japan’s operation, a global software development service company. She brings in over 20 years of diverse experience working in both public and private sectors globally in social entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable impact investing, global partnership, and business development. Previously, Samjhana worked at the World Bank, where she was part of the sustainable investment program for innovative ventures; and at Ashoka, where she led the Global Fellowship Program, ensuring the sustainability of social entrepreneur ventures. In addition, Samjhana has independently advised technology startups for overseas expansion and business development; and international foundations and women-led social ventures on gender lens investing.
She serves on several nonprofit boards in the US and Japan. She holds a BA from the University of Vermont and Kansai Gaidai University and Masters in International Public policy from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University.
She serves on several nonprofit boards in the US and Japan. She holds a BA from the University of Vermont and Kansai Gaidai University and Masters in International Public policy from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University.
Board Member
Toru Takiguchi
Profile
Toru was involved in launching a nonprofit Florence when he was studying at Keio University. He became an attorney in 2009 after graduating from law school. He worked for a law firm specializing in international corporate laws, and founded Ushigomebashi Law Office in 2018. He provides legal advice to ventures while supporting many nonprofits and social enterprises. He also serves as the Vice President of BLP-Network, and auditor of Accountability for Change, the Hatachi Foundation, and other nonprofits.
Auditor
Takuji Hiroishi
Profile
CEO, Empublic Ltd., and Social Project Producer
Takuji holds a master’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Tokyo. After working for a think tank and ETIC, he founded Empublic Ltd. in 2008. He has planned, launched, trained, and supported the execution of social businesses through the collaboration of various actors such as regions, companies, and governments. He recently published a book,"From SDGs Human Resources to Leaders of Social Projects – How to be, learn, and work to create a virtuous cycle toward a sustainable world." He is also a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Lifelong Learning Council, a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Policy Management of Keio University and Rikkyo University Graduate School.
Voting Member
Sumiko Ito
Profile
Sumiko majored in economics at university in search of rational explanations of the mechanisms that move the world. She then worked for the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Japanese government, and had a shocking experience representing the nation herself. Studying in the UK awakened her desire to live across borders. She then moved to the United States and worked on Wall Street and then at her own company, starting new projects for large companies and working on startups. While she has been an active supporter of the arts, she was inspired to actively volunteer after the Great East Japan Earthquake, creating a summer camp from scratch for children in Fukushima.
Sumiko has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Tokyo and a master's degree in economics from Oxford University. Sumiko lives in New York.
Voting Member
Kaeko Liff
Profile
Creative Editor. After graduating from college, Kaeko worked as a staff writer for Nikkei Business. She then started her own business, and currently works as a creative and content editor.
Kaeko has long had a keen interest in international affairs and social justice issues, and tries to create opportunities for people to gather to discuss related issues. While in college, she established OVAL, a business contest for Japan-based, China-based and Korea-based students, and JING Forum, which brings together students from the University of Tokyo and Peking University. More recently, she volunteers as the principal of a Japanese language school in Bloomington, Indiana. Kaeko graduated from the University of Tokyo with a BA in Education.
Kaeko has long had a keen interest in international affairs and social justice issues, and tries to create opportunities for people to gather to discuss related issues. While in college, she established OVAL, a business contest for Japan-based, China-based and Korea-based students, and JING Forum, which brings together students from the University of Tokyo and Peking University. More recently, she volunteers as the principal of a Japanese language school in Bloomington, Indiana. Kaeko graduated from the University of Tokyo with a BA in Education.
Escort Runner for Leaders
and Organizations
and Organizations
Yuko Mishiro
Profile
Yuko grew up in New York. Her volunteering experience at children’s homes while studying law at Keio University made her want to contribute to a society where everyone feels welcomed to be born. She joined McKinsey & Co. to understand how organizations and money play roles in society. She then worked for an international institution to develop the constitution of East Timor after the independence of the country. Yuko also participated in the Ship for World Youth Program initiated by the Japanese Cabinet Office. After receiving a master’s degree in Social Policy and Planning from LSE in London, focusing on child rights and social policy, Yuko worked for Benesse corporation, a Japanese education company, and developed programs to nurture skills and independent mindset for the 21st century. Yuko currently works as a freelancer to support mission-driven organizations’ leadership and organizational development. She has lived in five countries, traveled over 40 countries, and has three children.
Community Supporter/
Facilitator
Facilitator
Saki Kazama
Profile
Saki is involved with human resources and organization development of education companies, nonprofits, and schools to empower children and adults around them. She also teaches children, parents, and teachers about the worldview that everything is connected, using systems thinking approach. Previously she worked on a school education project at a human resource company while in college. She also launched an after-school program and led for six years, through which she became interested in how the adults around children affect them. After leaving the company, she has learned about the personal and organizational transformation processes and explored the wisdom and worldviews we want to pass on to children. She received a bachelor's degree in economics from Keio University in 2005. She is a mother of two sons and a daughter.
Pro bono
Kenta Kasai
Profile
After studying law at Keio University, Kenta worked for Mitsui & Co., Ltd. in the international trading of petrochemical products. After receiving an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, he joined McKinsey Tokyo to engage in strategic planning and organizational transformation. Kenta currently works for Egon Zehnder on management evaluation, leadership development, corporate reform, and leadership succession in various industries from manufacturing, retail to startups.
He is also involved in the public and social sectors with a vision to increase the productivity of society by mobilizing leaders across different sectors.
Pro bono
Yu Ishida
Profile
Yu’s research focuses on how players’ behaviors are motivated regarding nonprofits, donation, volunteering, entrepreneurship, policies, and the public. What you can discover through data analysis and in-depth interviews is fascinating. Yu wants to apply these findings in the real world and conduct research with practitioners of nonprofits. Yu was born in Osaka City, studied public policy at Kwansei Gakuin University and Osaka University, worked at the Hyogo Earthquake Memorial 21st Century Research Organization and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Akashi College. He teaches at the School of Project Design of Miyagi University and leads an intermediary nonprofit in Miyagi to engage in education, research, and contribution to society.
Pro bono
Aya Okada
Profile
Why do people take actions that contribute to others and society even though these actions are not necessary to for our survival? Aya’s research approaches this mystery from sociology and policy science. After receiving a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, she taught at Doshisha University and Kanazawa University. Aya has been an associate professor at the Graduate School of Information Sciences of Tohoku University since 2019. She is also involved in the nonprofit sector and serves on the board of an intermediary nonprofit in Miyagi.
Intern
Ayaka Konishi
Profile
Ayaka is a senior in college majoring in sociology (especially gender and ethnicity) and leadership theory. She strongly resonated with the vision for change-making communities of World in You and started as an intern in 2020. At World in You, Ayaka assists the management of cross-boundary and youth leadership programs and case interviews on the nonprofit board and governance. She studied abroad in Canada and Taiwan. In 2022, she plans to study abroad in Denmark about Denish democracy to promote gender equality.
Intern
Takumi Sampei
Profile
Takumi studies leadership along with politics, culture, and management at an international liberal art university in Tokyo. He studied abroad in Canada and the United States to learn about public relations and leadership. He presented his research results at the 6th Asian Undergraduate Research Symposium. He also belongs to the United Nations Study Group, where he deepened his interest in international and social issues through visits to the UN Headquarters.
Takumi started as an intern with World in You in 2019, and has assisted cross-boundary leadership programs for youth and business persons, case interviews of the nonprofit board and governance, and marketing.
Intern
Kento Tanaka
Profile
Kento is a Japanese American from Honolulu, Hawai‘i. He studied Linguistics and East Asian Studies at Yale University, through which he became interested in social issues in Japan and China. He started as an intern with World in You in January 2021 in order to learn how social entrepreneurs in Japan are tackling various issues. He studied Chinese Studies at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and currently teaches English at the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a Yale-China Fellow.
