The week of the U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference kicked off with the Next Generation Launchpad on Tuesday afternoon, October 14. This is a program that is designed as a precursor to the Conference, to prepare TOMODACHI alumni and Next Gen USJC “U40” (under 40yrs of age) members for leadership and connection throughout the week.
Grateful to Janrose Samson and Shiori Sata for leading this Launchpad and to Arianna Santiago for helping to curate it even if she couldn’t be here with us in person. They created an open and empowering space for dialogue and connection, and many participants were able to “launch” into the Annual Conference and put their best foot forward thanks to their hard work and excellent leadership.
One of the highlights was the Reverse Mentorship session. This was an idea inspired by Austi Kaji who led one of our TOMO-KIN Career Talks back in Tokyo. The concept flips the traditional mentorship model: younger professionals serve as the mentors, while more experienced leaders become the “mentees,” embracing curiosity and humility in learning from new perspectives.
We learned a new Hawaiian word from Shawn Yacavone at Kapiʻolani Community College: the word Aʻo means both “to teach” and “to learn.” It describes a continuous cycle where both teacher and learner exchange wisdom. That idea resonated deeply throughout our reverse mentorship session, capturing how mentorship, in its truest form, is reciprocal and grounded in mutual respect.
We are grateful to the six incredible professionals who joined as our “mentees” for this experience: Brandon Marc Higa, Jenny Nikaido, Stephen Dyer, Nancy Okubo, Dave Stone, and Ginger Vaughn.
Special thanks to Curtiss Takada Rooks and Wendy Abe for helping me reach out to these wonderful members!
Aʻo reminded us that in every exchange, we are both teachers and learners. That spirit of shared growth set the tone for a powerful start to the week in Honolulu for the U.S.-Japan Council Annual Conference.