UNM Anderson School Hosts Japanese Business Students for Entrepreneurial Workshop Week
October 21, 2024 - Megan Borders
Business students from two Japanese universities visited the UNM Anderson School of Management Sept. 9-13 as a part of their 2024 Entrepreneurship Workshop Week, organized in partnership with Anderson’s Innovation Academy. Throughout the week, students learned U.S. entrepreneurship and business pitch strategies, which culminated in a business pitch competition.
The trip originated with the Kono Seminar, taught by Yamanashi Gakuin University professor Kunio Kono. In this international seminar third-year YGU business students learn about entrepreneurship principles.
Through the Kono Seminar, students explore social areas in their community they want to impact and change through a creative entrepreneurial solution. Kono has worked to expand his program's outreach to include Osaka Metropolitan University business students.
Twelve students visited: eight from YGU and four from OMU, accompanied by four professors and advisers Eri Hoshi, Kunio Kono, Toshi Matsui and Yukiko Tamura. YGU President Takako Aoyama also joined the group at UNM this year.
The week was filled with instruction from faculty, alumni and Anderson student entrepreneurs, who helped the visiting students learn to create new business ventures and pitch their ideas to investors.
“There is so much for Japanese students to learn through this workshop, from new skill sets with how to build a business to pitching it to potential investors, growing their confidence and creating new personal connections,” said Kono. “All of this, coupled with the great support and hospitality from UNM, motivates the Japanese students to continue working on their projects.”
Tiffini Porter and Rebecca Rodriguez, Anderson program directors, coordinate the student experience, including the classes taught by the faculty, alumni and Anderson student entrepreneurs.
Classes covered U.S. entrepreneurial principles, financial components needed for a good pitch, pitch preparation and several practice sessions. Porter and Rodriguez are integral to cultivating and maintaining Anderson’s Japanese partnerships.
“This program is so much more than learning,” said Rodriguez. “Watching the students learn and grow speaks to our mission at the Innovation Academy, where our goal is to enrich students' time at UNM with experiential learning opportunities. In this case that means giving these students the chance to get out of their comfort zone and believe in themselves.”
Porter added, “We watch them see something in themselves during their week at Anderson and UNM that they cannot or have not yet seen before in Japan. We look forward to this workshop each year and are excited to continue this friendship with YGU and OMU for years to come.”
To round out their trip, the students also enjoyed many local cultural experiences, including a day at Acoma Pueblo, lunch at La Posada dining hall on campus, and several dining experiences sampling Albuquerque’s food scene. They ended the week with a celebration of their hard work and new friendships.
"I had an incredible experience in this workshop, and it gave me the confidence to pursue my dream of starting a company overseas,” said Kosuke Tezuka, a Japanese student. “Learning how to pitch was key, and I'm grateful to the professors at YGU and UNM for such a valuable opportunity."
Learn more about Anderson and the Innovation Academy.