The 13th TOMODACHI – Boeing Entrepreneurship Seminar kicked off on August 13, 2023, and concluded its Step 2 on October 15, 2023.
During the seminar, which included Step 1 through Step 6, students learn together how to think and perceive things in order to take new steps as many times as they like in order to realize their project, through team activities and mentoring.
Participants, who had previously introduced themselves in emails, met online to share the purpose of this program, and strengthen their feelings about the activities. Rinka Murakami, one of the participants, said, “The people I get along with in my daily life and at school are people who are similar to me, but there are many different types of people in this seminar, so I thought it was a valuable encounter. I hope we can work hard together and spend the next eight months.”
In Step 1, the participants dug deeper into their own lives and values, and thought about the “Own Project” theme that made them want to work on for life, from the perspective of Golden Triangle of “Why’s” “Solutions,” and “Values for our Customers.”
There were five teams consisting of 4-5 members randomly created by the facilitator. The teams worked together to pick one project to become the team project. Then they discussed re-defining the Golden Triangle as a team, and gave a 3-minute presentation.
After that, the teams worked on a three-minute presentation in a “skit” format, incorporating a perspective of humor. Attendees experienced the impact of humor, and a new dimension of themselves and their team members.
Participant Yuna Hattori said, “Doing what you are given to do rather than imitating someone who fakes to look that she is doing well made sense after doing a skit, and I know now that I don’t have to make me look good. I would like to dig deeper into my Own Project.”
In Step 2, participants with ideas and desires to solve social issues, called “founders,” presented projects, and the teams were formed by assigning themselves on a project or projects that they want to develop.
The eight-month program is about to enter the second trimester.