Please see Notice of Postponement of “Youth Co:Lab Japan 2019” for more information

日本語

About Youth Co:Lab

Co-created in 2017 by UNDP and the Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab aims to empower and invest in youth so that they can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation and entrepreneurship in the Asia-Pacific region. Held in 25 countries and territories in the region, Youth Co: Lab strives to deepen and expand the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem, and provides incubation and acceleration support to young social entrepreneurs.

About Youth Co:Lab Japan 2019

A one-day event, “Youth Co:Lab Japan 2019”, will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2019, at the United Nations University Headquarters Building in Shibuya, Tokyo.

• Dialogue

A symposium “Youth Co:Lab Japan Dialogue” to be held in the morning will serve as a platform for young people to directly engage with policymakers and private sector partners, including incubators, youth-led organizations, NGOs and academia, on how to develop entrepreneurial solutions to social and environmental problems.

• Social Innovation Challenge

“Social Innovation Challenge Japan 2019” is a business idea contest where selected teams will pitch and showcase their SDG-focused business models and ideas to a panel of esteemed judges. The individuals and teams who passed the paper screening will pitch their solutions. Award-winners from the Japan contest will have the opportunity to join the accelerator programme and the top teams will be invited to attend the Youth Co:Lab Regional Summit which will take place in April 2020 in Malaysia. You may witness the birth of next social entrepreneurs in Japan.

• Date | 12th October 2019 (Sat) 10:00-17:00
• Place | United Nations University, UN House, 3F, UThant International Conference Hall
• Co-leads | United Nations Development Programme, Citi Foundation
• Supported by NPO ETIC.
• Language | Japanese/English　(Simultaneous interpretation available)
• Maximum Capacity | 300 people
• Registration | Advance registration required. Register here
• Participation Fee | Free

Morning Session：Youth Co:Lab Japan Dialogue

10:00 | Opening remarks | Mr. Lee R. Waite, Citi Country Officer & Japan CEO

10:10 | Keynote Speech “Creating Social Innovation" | Mr. Toshihiro Nakamura, Co-founder and CEO, Kopernik 

10:30 | Panel No.1： Creating an Ecosystem to Promote Social Innovation and Youth Entrepreneurship

• How do we create an ecosystem to promote social innovation and youth entrepreneurship?
• Roles played by start-ups for the achievement of the SDGs.

• Dr. Shigeo Kagami, Professor, General Manager, Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Division of University Corporate Relations (DUCR), The University of Tokyo
• Mr. Shohei Sakota, Deputy Director, Industry Creation Policy Division, Economic and Industrial Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
• Ms. Eriko Suzuki, General Partner, Fresco Capital
• Mr. Beniam Gebrezghi, Programme Specialist, Civil Society and Youth, Governance and Peace Building Team, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub

11:30 | Panel No.2：Power of Youth～Nurturing Youth Entrepreneurship in Japan

• What are the challenges and opportunities for youth entrepreneurs?
• How do we promote youth entrepreneurship and support social entrepreneurs in Japan?

Moderator: Mr. Masayoshi Suzuki, Vice President, Borderless Japan Corp.

Speakers:

• Mr. Kaito Miwa, CEO, e-Education
• Ms. Rika Yajima, CEO, aeru company
• Dr. Kenryu Nakamura, Director, ROCKET (Room of Children with Kokorozashi and Extraordinary Talents) and Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo  

Afternoon Session：Social Innovation Challenge Japan 2019

14:00 | Social Innovation Challenge Japan 2019

Final Pitch Contest
The individuals and teams who passed the first screening will pitch their solutions in front of a panel of judges and audience. Each presentation is followed by Q&A by the judges.

Finalists’ project titles:

• Monthly subscription meal delivery service “Utilize the leftovers as your daily treat”
• Connecting countries and making Japanese traditional clothing (Kimono) as ordinary clothes
• Japan’s first water refill app MyMizu
• Let’s aim for recycling all coffee grounds!
• Making a future for women farmers in low upland areas in Japan
• Inter-generational house sharing
• Live1st - Community health care workers that you can rely on
• Eco-friendly fishing equipment “Bio Fishing Items”
• Raising awareness for lipid management using calorie cut dish “calorica”

A Panel of Judges：

• Ms. Atsuko Suzuki, Director, Secretary General, NPO ETIC.
• Ms. Kumiko Hidaka, WeWork Japan, Vice President, Public Affairs
• Mr. Daisuke Takatsuki, Representative Director, Social Invest Partners
• Mr. James McCarty, Co-founder and COO, Zehitomo
• Ms. Yumiko Watanabe, Director, Head of Public Sector, Corporate Banking, Citibank, N.A.,Tokyo Branch
• Mr. Beniam Gebrezghi, Programme Specialist, Civil Society and Youth, Governance and Peace Building Team, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub

16:15 | Social Innovation Challenge Japan 2019 Award Ceremony

16:45 | Closing remarks | Mr. Tetsuo Kondo, Director, UNDP Representation Office in Tokyo