On September 4, the 34th Business Advisory Board (BAB) Meeting was held at the Tokyo American Club. Under the leadership of Vice Chair of the Board of Councilors Masaaki Tanaka, the U.S.-Japan Council welcomed Investment Committee Chair Mark Okada (Sycamore Tree Capital Partners L.P., JALD ’23) as the featured speaker. His presentation, “Understanding U.S. Markets in Light of the Presidential Election,” attracted more than 50 business leaders and six Next Generation leaders, including TOMODACHI Initiative alumni and interns. Masaaki Tanaka and USJC co-chair Kathy Matsui delivered greetings to the participants, which encouraged networking among the participants.
During the keynote speech, Mr. Okada highlighted the policies of the Democratic and Republican candidates in this November’s upcoming U.S. presidential election, and their economic impact in the United States. He stated that their respective policies on immigration and tariffs represent key differences between the two candidates, and discussed the relationship between political policies and economic outcomes. In conclusion, Mr. Okada stressed the need for a fiscally responsible president to address various economic issues at present in the United States, such as deficit and inflation.
“As someone working for a non-profit organization, Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI-Japan), which is focused on policy advocacy, connecting with the corporate sector is a significant challenge,” said TOMODACHI Initiative alumnus Daisuke Kasayanagi (TOMODACHI Story Jam for Youth with Disabilities ’22), who attended the BAB Meeting. “This event provided a fantastic opportunity to bridge that gap. I hope to leverage these connections to develop a sponsorship program.”
To see more photos from the event, click here.