Beyond Tomorrow

Three days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in 2011, a Japanese YGL called three others to say “we have to do something”. We held a three-hour virtual meeting that went on until midnight, during the course of which we decided to launch an initiative to help the younger victims of the disaster reclaim their lives and improve their future prospects. The very next week, after discussing this with 20 other Japanese YGLs, we decided to launch Beyond Tomorrow, an initiative to help high-school and university students who had suffered great personal losses due to the tragedy. By sponsoring their college tuition and holding leadership development workshops for them, we would help them become leaders in their respective fields. Having learnt from previous initiatives that you need at least one person committed full time to the project, each of us gave $10,000 as initial funding to hire someone. We persuaded an ex-World Economic Forum employee to take up the position. Over the following three months, we tossed ideas about, brainstormed on the nitty-gritty of execution, and gathered enough money to sponsor many of these ideas.

So far, we have sponsored 50 students and 200 have attended our leadership workshops. All Japanese YGLs are directly involved with the project – we attend workshops, mentor students and meet at least once a month to share ideas on how to take this initiative further. Our workshops have produced many proposals on how to revitalize the region and its workforce, which have been welcomed by the government and politicians of all hues. 

All of this was possible due to the spirit of collaboration, dialogue and initiative of the YGL community. Saying and doing what you believe is right is always welcome in the community, which gives you the courage to take on new challenges. It is much easier to get things done because we’re all on the same wavelength and there is an amazing team spirit. 

Beyond Tomorrow made me realize I wanted to embark on my next challenge, to solve deeper social problems. I recently sold my company, Will Seed Co. Ltd., and have begun working on the first ever public-private partnership in the field of education in Japan. I am now working with the ministry of education to double the number of Japanese students studying abroad and to create a community – somewhat like the World Economic Forum – among the education and human resource development ministries of Japan.