Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan: Fueling Positive Change Through Empowerment, Purpose, and Connection
The following reflection is a guest post written by Aylie Guyodo Oyama, an alumna and honoree of the Fall 2023 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan Program. Aylie is a disability rights advocate and is currently a student at the British School in Tokyo, Japan.
I am beyond thrilled to pen down my thoughts and gratitude for the incredible learning opportunity Ive had during the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) program. My experience has been nothing short of amazing, from the instructors and my fellow classmates to our guest speakers, the teaching methods, and more. All of these elements made my educational journey such an inspiring and meaningful one.
I first joined the program with the aim of deepening my understanding of the worlds issues that have both global and local significance in our lives through the lens of an entrepreneur. It far exceeded my expectations. I learned that the term social is inextricably linked with the concept of entrepreneurship. Most importantly, I developed a sense of global citizenship and responsibility, which has changed the way I see the world and approach different perspectives and solutions. It helped me appreciate how vital it is to live in alignment with what matters most to us as a person, as a member of our community, and as a responsible global citizen. I learned that entrepreneurship is about what you are passionate about in helping others and bringing about positive change. It means recognizing the interconnectedness of our actions with the well-being of communities, the environment, and society at large. This program has instilled in me the importance of ethical decision-making, sustainability, and the pursuit of ventures that prioritize positive contributions to the world and in others lives.
The course aligned perfectly with my passion for helping others. Being a disability advocate is something Im very passionate about. I chose to share my experience of living with a non-apparent disability in the hope that it will help others. I was an aspiring ballet dancer for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, however, I sustained a severe injury, making me rely on a wheelchair and leaving me with a lasting disability. Accessibility became a significant struggle for me. It really changed me completely as a person. This challenging experience provided me with a glimpse into the reality faced by disabled individuals and broadened my perspectives on attitudes and approaches to issues related to disability.
I am therefore on a mission to make a positive impact, foster understanding, support those facing adversity, and improve the lives of disabled individuals for the better. I hope to raise awareness and help flip the narrative toward viewing disability as ability and seeing people with disabilities as contributors to society.
My individual research paper, which is a major component of the SeEJ program, explored disability inclusion and particularly inclusive entrepreneurship as one possible solution and a key pathway to providing equal opportunities and participation for people with disabilities. I am also a big believer in the power of technology and innovation, especially disability tech, and I believe that social innovation can really transform peoples lives, particularly by improving accessibility and social inclusion. This was the central theme of the final group project that my classmates and I chose to work on. We had a lot of fun working as a team to come up with our vision for a more inclusive future and pitch our cutting-edge assistive technology prototype to investors to empower the community of visually impaired and blind people and provide them with newfound independence, safety, and confidence in navigating the world.
With the deep opportunities that the SeEJ program has given us, I have come to greatly appreciate the individuality and diversity of others. Working with people of different backgrounds helps to foster deeper interpersonal understanding and collaboration and creates conditions that are conducive to creativity.
Moreover, I really enjoyed the different workshops and group projects, as they were highly interactive and engaging. The step-by-step human-centered design thinking process was such an eye-opener for me. I realized how empathy and collaboration are critical in the process of understanding and meeting the needs of others, as well as prototyping, testing, and getting constant feedback to improve your solutions.
Overall, I am leaving the program with so many powerful insights and a determination to apply those valuable takeaways on my ongoing path to achieving my goals and dreams and growing as a person. One of my favorite inspiring quotes was from Sukemasa Kabayama, one of our guest speakers and co-founder and CEO of Uplift, who gave us this advice: Be comfortable with the uncomfortable so that we see life as more interesting and richer! If this resonates with you like it did with me, I enthusiastically recommend the Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan program!
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High school student Aylie Guyodo Oyama reflects on her transformative educational experience in Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan, and on connecting entrepreneurship with her passion for helping others.
91勛圖 Webinar: Baseballs Bridge to the Pacific: Celebrating the Legacy of Japanese American Baseball
Webinar recording:
When the U.S. government incarcerated over 120,000 people of Japanese descent during World War II (most of whom were U.S. citizens), Japanese Americans struggled to find a sense of normalcy behind the barbed wire. For some, this was achieved by playing baseball.
Using baseball as a lens to explore the history of Japanese Americans and the U.S.Japan relationship, this webinar offers K12 educators a virtual tour of Baseballs Bridge to the Pacific, a special exhibit currently on display at Dodger Stadium. The tour will be led by Kerry Yo Nakagawa, the founder and director of the Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP). The exhibit celebrates the 150th anniversary of U.S.Japan diplomacy (18722022) and chronicles the introduction and development of baseball in Japan since the early 1870s. The exhibits photos, memorabilia, and artifacts offer a unique glimpse into key milestones of Japanese and Japanese Americans in baseball over the past 150 years.
Join Nakagawa as he brings the legacy of Japanese Americans and baseball to life, live from Dodger Stadium! Attendees will receive a PDF of free curriculum materials on teaching about baseball and Japanese American incarceration, developed by 91勛圖 and NBRP for high school and community college teachers.
This webinar is sponsored by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (91勛圖), the Nisei Baseball Research Project (NBRP), the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), and the USC U.S.-China Institute.

Online via Zoom.
DEI-related Project Update, Summer and Fall 2021
The update below also appears on 91勛圖s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page, where we post periodic updates about 91勛圖s DEI-focused work.
91勛圖 serves as a bridge between FSI and K12 schools and community colleges. As noted in fall 2020, the 91勛圖 staff has agreed to do more to help move our local community, nation, and the world to achieve racial justice. 91勛圖 works in three areas: (1) curriculum development; (2) teacher professional development; and (3) online course offerings. Below are a few recent efforts that 91勛圖 has made with the goal of achieving racial justice.
Curriculum: 91勛圖 launched an interactive website called What Does It Mean to Be an American? in 2020. It focuses on topics like civil liberties & equity, civic engagement, and justice & reconciliation and includes videos called What Does It Mean to Be a Young Black Man in America? and What It Means to Be Muslim American. Student reflections on the website continued to be featured in articles on March 16, 2021, May 18, 2021, and July 20, 2021. This article series will continue in 2021.
91勛圖 is collaborating with the (CISAC) to introduce underrepresented minority high school students to issues in international security and increase awareness of career opportunities available in international security.
Teacher Professional Development: Given the pandemic, 91勛圖 has transitioned its teacher professional development seminars to online webinars.
91勛圖 worked with community college educators who participated in the Education Partnership for Internationalizing Curriculum (EPIC) program of Stanford Global Studies. On May 22, 2021, SGS hosted the 2021 EPIC Symposium and 91勛圖 staff moderated two panels.
91勛圖 offered a webinar, Indigenous Voices: Educational Perspectives from Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu Scholars in the Diaspora, for teachers on June 18, 2021.
From June 28 to July 1, 2021, 91勛圖 hosted a summer institute for middle school teachers that focused on East Asia and the Asian American experience. From July 26 to July 30, 2021, 91勛圖 hosted a similar summer institute for high school teachers. Teachers from 20 states attended the seminars as well as teachers from China and Canada.
Online Course Offerings: 91勛圖 currently offers three courses (on China, Japan, and Korea) for high school students in the United States and courses for students in Japan and China. 91勛圖 seeks to broaden its offerings in the United States.
91勛圖 pledges to continue to do the following:
- In its recruitment of students for 91勛圖s online classes, we will redouble our efforts to recruit from diverse areas throughout the United States.
- 91勛圖 will seek to increase the diversity of the teachers who attend its teacher professional development seminars.
- 91勛圖 will seek to expand the diversity of the students who enroll in its online course offerings.
- 91勛圖 will continue to host webinars that focus on diversity.
- 91勛圖 will continue to explorewith the FSI REDI Task Forceadditional outreach activities that focus on enhancing diversity at FSI.
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Read about 91勛圖's recent and current DEI-related efforts.
Webinar to Explore Native and Indigenous Studies in the Classroom
The California Department of Education adopted the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum last March. Chapter 3 of the Model Curriculum includes a section on Native American Studies.
On June 18, 2021, 91勛圖 will host a panel of three Native and Indigenous scholars to reflect on Californias new model curriculum and the state of ethnic studies in their respective regions. The panel will include Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu educators who will provide a range of educational perspectives on Native and Indigenous studies in the United States and Japan.
- Dr. Harold Begay, Superintendent of Schools, Navajo Nation
- Dr. Sachi Edwards, Faculty Member at Soka University in Tokyo, Japan
- Dr. Ronda Mpuana Shizuko Hayashi-Simpliciano, Vice Principal, Ke Kula Kaiapuni 妡o nuenue, Honolulu, Hawai妡i
The webinar, titled Indigenous Voices: Educational Perspectives from Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu Scholars in the Diaspora, will address several additional topics, such as the various academic field names of the study of Native and Indigenous people, the complexity and diversity of Native and Indigenous peoples experiences, and recommended resources for K12 educators.
These topics are not only relevant to teachers in California but to educators in other states as well. K12 educators and administrators are encouraged to attend. Register in advance at .
This webinar is a joint collaboration with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and the Center for East Asian Studies at 91勛圖.
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Navajo, Native Hawaiian, and Ainu educators will join together on June 18 to examine the state of Indigenous studies.
91勛圖 Webinar: "Human Rights Day 2020: Teacher Workshop on Global Human Rights and Minority Social Movements in Japan"
Webinar recording:
In recognition of Human Rights Day on December 10, 91勛圖 is honored to feature Dr. Kiyoteru Tsutsui, Professor of Sociology at 91勛圖. Tsutsuis research and scholarship on the globalization of human rights and its impact on local policy and politicsparticularly with regards to minority groups in Japanhas helped to shape student awareness and understanding of the multitude of issues surrounding the protection of human rights.
In this webinar, Tsutsui will address the following:
- How did human rights emerge as a universal norm and become institutionalized into various international treaties, organs, and instruments?
- What impact have all the international institutions had on actual local human rights practices?
- How do the case studies of the three most salient minority groups in Japanthe Ainu, Koreans, and Burakuminhelp us to understand the transformative effect of global human rights ideas and institutions on minority activists?
Tsutsuis in-depth historical comparative analysis in his book, , offers rare windows into local, micro-level impact of global human rights and contributes to our understanding of international norms and institutions, social movements, human rights, ethnoracial politics, and Japanese society.
This webinar is a joint collaboration between the , , and 91勛圖 at 91勛圖.
Featured Speaker:
Kiyoteru Tsutsui, PhD

His research on the globalization of human rights and its impact on local politics has appeared in numerous academic publications and social science journals. His recent book publications include (Oxford University Press 2018), and the co-edited volume (with Alwyn Lim, Cambridge University Press 2015). He has been a recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, National Science Foundation grants, and the SSRC/CGP Abe Fellowship, among numerous other grants and awards. Tsutsui received his bachelors and masters degrees from Kyoto University and earned an additional masters degree and PhD from Stanfords sociology department in 2002.
Via Zoom Webinar. Registration Link: .