Founder Profile

From advising hedge fund clients, designing global fellowship programs, coaching startup founders, to supporting Japanese multinationals on talent strategy—Tomoko’s throughline is consistent:
a commitment to how people learn, grow, and translate insight into meaningful action.

Over the last 15+ years, she has supported individuals, teams, and communities across finance, social innovation, and organizational development—helping them move forward with clarity, purpose, and resilience.

Tomoko’s work spans Japan and global contexts, bringing a unique “cross-sector + cross-scale” lens that strengthens her program design and facilitation.

Corporate / Business

• Goldman Sachs (finance)

• GLOBIS (organizational learning & leadership development)

Social Innovation / International Development

• Acumen (global fellowship program design, leadership development, volunteer networks)

• UNICEF (internal mentoring program)

Startups & Education Ventures

• Quipper (EdTech, global product & learning)

• CoachEd (leadership development; worked with Kamakura City Board of Education)

Community Initiatives

• Acumen Global Volunteer Network (20+ cities)

• JWN — Japanese women professionals’ network in NYC (300+ members, 60+ events)

Her range enables her to move fluidly between institutions and innovation—always grounded in people-centered, culturally-aware growth.

Tomoko’s practice blends academic rigor with lived, cross-cultural experience.
Her work is guided by the belief that real change arises from how people learn, relate, and adapt within systems.

Her approach draws from:

• Social Constructivism — learning through dialogue and shared meaning

• Systems Thinking — understanding behaviors within larger contexts

• Adaptive Leadership — navigating complexity and role-based expectations

• Connectivism — leveraging networks and collective knowledge

• Experiential Learning — designing conditions for reflection and real-world application

These foundations help her create learning environments that balance structure and emergence—and support transformation at both individual and organizational levels.

Read more about her guiding philosophy

Tomoko is a long-time community builder, especially for Japanese women navigating global careers and complex life stages.

She has co-led 60+ workshops and events, shaping an environment where professionals can learn from one another and grow together.

As a content creator, she has been blogging for over a decade and has hosted three Japanese-language podcasts—edamametalk, Manabi no Hanashi, and Moms in Transition.
Her writing and audio work explore identity, cross-cultural life, parenting, and transformative learning.

• Zicklin School of Business (Baruch College)
  Executive M.S., Human Resource Management

• Harvard Graduate School of Education
  M.Ed., Technology, Innovation & Education

• Professional Certifications

  • Certified Professional in Talent Development® (ATD)

  • Certified Upbuild Coach®

  • Co-Active Coach® Training

  • PQ Coaching Grant Program (Positive Intelligence)

  • Mental Health Literacy for Coaches (Institute of Coaching)