Blog
Showcasing Student Talent: Elevator Pitches at Our Sponsor Briefing
2025-08-04
Introduction
On 7/7, we hosted a briefing event for companies and academic partners. Elliot, our general manager, opened with a presentation on our recent and ongoing programs. He also highlighted the challenges facing Japan today and how our organization is preparing students to become the leaders of tomorrow.
Student Voices Take the Stage
Seven of our student members then stepped up to deliver elevator pitches–60-second presentations to a room of more than 50 working professionals connected to our organization. Each student prepared a single-page slide and took the mic to share their story.
Some spoke about personal passions and how they hope to pursue them in the future, while others introduced businesses they’ve already started and plan to grow.
Food Truck Ventures with a Sustainable Vision
Two participants highlighted their involvement in our year-long food truck program, the “Sustainable Startup: Food Truck Business Venture”. In this program, participants from different universities work together to develop a concept for a food truck-based venture and raise funds for running it as a sustainable business. Tomoya Homma (founder and CEO of ABC Sustainatable) is one of the advisors of the program. They shared their progress so far and their upcoming plans for crowdfunding. Their stories displayed not just creativity, strong initiative, and entrepreneurial spirit.
[Details here]
[Details here]
And then came a moment that captured the entire room. One student pitched her dream of hosting a business contest at Global Village Yurakucho House before graduation. She had participants ready, but, as she put it, “There’s only one issue—we don’t have a sponsor.” Almost instantly, a hand went up in the audience. The CEO of Oakhouse declared on the spot: “I’ll invest in your project.”
The energy was electric—students felt the rush of seeing a dream move one step closer to reality. Since that night, student interns have been working closely with Oakhouse, and we are proud to announce that the Beyond Borders: Global Business Contest will be held on December 6. With the theme, “Propose an innovative strategy that will help Japanese companies succeed in the global market in the long term by enabling them to attract, assess, and retain global talent,” We aim to raise interest in entrepreneurship as a career path for university students and provide a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to grow and develop their ideas.
Networking with Working Professionals
After the pitches, everyone joined together for a networking session with delicious food and drinks. Students had the chance to connect directly with professionals from diverse industries and career stages, gaining fresh insights, inspiration, and valuable connections.
Later in the evening, our Special Adviser, Dr. Hirotaka Takeuchi—the Chair of the ICU Board of Trustees—gave a powerful speech on how working professionals can use their influence to empower ambitious students and support their first steps toward their dreams. He also encouraged students to be courageous, ask questions, and learn from the experiences of those further along in their careers.
Later in the evening, our Special Adviser, Dr. Hirotaka Takeuchi—the Chair of the ICU Board of Trustees—gave a powerful speech on how working professionals can use their influence to empower ambitious students and support their first steps toward their dreams. He also encouraged students to be courageous, ask questions, and learn from the experiences of those further along in their careers.
The evening was filled with stories of ambition, mentorship, and new opportunities—and it left everyone in the room feeling just how close we can be to turning bold dreams into reality.
