Through this experience, I was exposed to a wide range of global issues - from the high level plenary session discussing Sustainable Development Goals, to personal stories on the ground level.
I was inspired by the "AI for Social Good" session and the “The Future of Innovation and Design Thinking,” with John Maeda and Lena Morita. It was great to hear about the incredible global-reaching impact I can potentially have by leveraging technology. As a female software engineer, I specifically appreciated learning about the current situation for women in tech in Japan.
These sessions allowed me to gain a more global perspective on how I can utilize technology to help more women get into STEM.
The U.S.-Japan Council is an organization that offers more than just networking opportunities. I believe these conferences are about the opportunity to leverage personal connections wisely in order to solve meaningful problems and create opportunities for change.
The ELP program not only allowed me to connect to a group of amazing future leaders, but also prominent and distinguished leaders in the community. Being able to comfortably discuss U.S.-Japan relations with business, industry, government, not-for-profit, and social organizations underscores the potential of what’s possible when we all work together.
Through this program, I established an understanding of the links between leadership and cultural intelligence in the context of building the skills, experiences and networks to make an impact.
The program challenged my current perceptions about leadership and the values that shape it, encouraging me to think and lead differently. By identifying barriers that can disrupt the ability to effectively communicate with others, the program presented me with strategies to develop confidence and competence in communicating with others.
1I felt lucky to meet and listen to the stories of a diverse set of strong women in all stages of their careers throughout the program. This reminded me of the importance in identifying current and future high-potential women leaders and coaching them to leverage their strengths and develop new capabilities.
2Through discussions with leaders from various industries, I learned that leadership skills can be used to create greater alignment and empowerment in an organization. An important takeaway was that leaders should not be at the top of the pyramid - they should provide the strong foundational base.
3A few photos of my favorite experiences this year because of the the Emerging Leaders Program.
Some commonly asked questions I've received post-conference
