The club-style online community "Future Creation Club" won the Grand Prize and U19 Award from among the ideas submitted at the "NOVUS FUTURE DESIGN AWARD" at SIW2022. This time, we interviewed Yoshiura Riko, who founded the Future Creation Club, and founding members Yamakawa Mana and Tomioka Yuzuki, who share a common passion, to talk about the twists and turns they've had so far, the fun they've had, and their thoughts.
Interview and text: Marina Yamaba (Future Design Shibuya)
＜INFO＞
This year's SIW Awards open call for submissions has begun! | Deadline: Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 23:59
“SIW IMPACT｜GOOD IDEA / SHIBUYA GOOD ACTION”
>> Click here for details on the renewed awards
-First, please introduce the Future Creation Club and each of you can introduce yourselves.
My name is Yoshiura Riko, and I am the representative of the Yoshiura Future Creation Club. I am currently 19 years old and have just graduated from high school in Florida, USA. I am planning to go on to Minerva University. I have had an interest in business since I was young, but over the past few years I have also become deeply interested in education. The Future Creation Club and the NPO "Clarico" that I run are both active in the area of international education.
One of the major recent programs of the Future Creation Department is support for business contests. We provide team matching and mentor support for students who want to participate in a business contest but have never done so before or who have no peers. For example, we set what to do by a deadline, provide feedback, and create an environment where even first-timers can take on the challenge.
We are also working on a project to gather student opinions on issues facing companies, encouraging multi-generational collaboration to develop new solutions. We also regularly hold online social events and invite guest speakers to talk about business and entrepreneurship.
My name is Mana Yamakawa. I am 18 years old and currently live in Abu Dhabi. I originally attended the same high school as Yoshiura-san, but transferred to the UAE in my first year of high school. In the Future Creation Club, I am mainly in charge of supporting participation in business competitions and managing social media. I also research Islamic economics and serve as the vice president of DECA Japan.
My name is Yuzuki Tomioka. I am 18 years old and live in Chiba. I am currently a third year high school student and am in charge of technology-related fields while serving as CTO of the Future Creation Club. I am interested in app development, engineering, and cybersecurity, and I am also interning at a company.
- Thank you. Each of you works in a different field, but could you tell us how the three of you met and how the Future Creation Club was formed?
Yoshiura: When I was studying abroad in Florida, I connected with Yamakawa-san on Instagram. We were originally in the same high school, but we didn't know each other at the time, and we started talking when she sent me a DM. At that time, I was thinking about participating in a business competition in the US, and Yamakawa-san was also interested, so we decided to try out for the competition together. From there, we deepened our connection as friends with a common interest, and Tomioka-san joined us and became members of the current Future Creation Club.
Yamakawa: I also first saw Yoshiura-san's activities on YouTube and thought he was amazing because he spoke English fluently. Then we started communicating through DMs on Instagram, and I started thinking about doing something together. Then when I heard he was going to start a company, my interest grew even more and I immediately said I would join.
Tomioka: I had also watched Yoshiura's YouTube videos, but when I actually talked to her, I found her to be more proactive than I had imagined, and a very charming person. I was originally interested in education, and wanted to build a school in the future. I was strongly attracted to the Future Creation Club's concept of doing something from a perspective that only a high school student can have, and I had studied abroad in Canada, so I had seen the differences between the education systems in Japan and Canada, and I immediately answered, "I want to do it!"
Yoshiura: I had few opportunities to meet people with similar interests, both in America and in Japan, so I was really happy to have two talented people with the same interests join my group!
- So you've become a team of people with the same aspirations! From the time you started the Future Creation Club until now, have you found it difficult at all?
Yoshiura: There were a lot of difficult things. The three of us live in different countries, so we had to have meetings late at night and early in the morning because of the time difference (laughs).
Also, until now I have often thought from the students' point of view and thought about what students like me want, but in the Future Creation Club, I also have to think from the perspective of companies and parents, and it was very difficult to think "there might be such needs" from a position I have no experience in. In that regard, I received help from adults, including Mr. Kuwae, who is in charge of consulting at Compass Share.
Yamakawa: I was in charge of the website design, and it took a lot of time to recreate everything from the initial design to the final design. After many revisions, we finally arrived at a satisfactory version, but the process to get there was difficult.
Tomioka: I also felt that there was still a lot I needed to learn in terms of skills while providing support in the technology-related areas. However, this in turn motivated me to study more deeply.
- You have overcome many obstacles through teamwork that transcends time differences and borders. On the other hand, what are the moments during your activities that give you a sense of fulfillment or joy, such as exciting moments or fun moments?
Yoshiura: The most exciting moment for me is when students from the Future Creation Club work together to create something at exchange events. It's really fun to see students form groups and come up with new ideas through the opportunities we've created. When students I've met for the first time present their ideas, I'm impressed and say, "Wow, they came up with such a great idea!" I often think that if we hadn't had the opportunity to exchange and practice, I would never have realized that Japan is filled with so many diverse talents. When I encounter such moments, I realize the value that the Future Creation Club aims for, and I feel a desire to create more opportunities.
Yamakawa: I have been focusing on supporting business contests. Originally, many people around me were interested in business contests, and many of them applied and participated on their own, but many of the students who join the Future Creation Club are trying business contests for the first time. Among them, students who seemed unsure at first became confident in their presentations over a span of three to four months, and I was very happy when they were able to present their ideas brilliantly.
Furthermore, when more than half of the students were selected as finalists in a business competition, I really felt that we had achieved our goal. Seeing the students, who were only two years apart in age, show such incredible growth, I felt that our activities were meaningful. That was the most rewarding moment for me.
Tomioka: Like the two of them, I really enjoy watching students think about business ideas. In particular, I get really excited when I see students who are participating in programs with high hurdles apply with their own enthusiasm. For example, being able to actually think up business ideas and see the process of them growing is one of the reasons I wanted to create this place.
When I looked at the applications, I saw that many students were enthusiastic and said, "I don't know how to go about it, but I want to start a business," and it was really gratifying to see them turn their ideas into reality. I think being involved in that process is a very valuable experience for me.
-I can feel your passion for your activities and for supporting the growth of students. Finally, I would like to ask you about the future goals of the Future Creation Club and your individual goals.
The Yoshiura Future Creation Club currently has about 50 members, but our goal is to provide a platform that will enable even more students to expand their potential.
Personally, I would like to act as a bridge between the strengths, unique values, and cultures of Japanese and American education. I also hope to use what I have learned in the United States and other countries through Minerva University to start an education-related business in the future and have a positive impact on many people.
The Yamakawa Future Creation Club aims to support students' career development through business competitions and problem-solving projects.
Also, I am currently in my third year of high school and my entrance exams are due in a few months, but I want to become a management consultant in the future, so I am concentrating on taking the university entrance exams first in order to make that dream come true. If possible, I would like to go to a university in the United States and learn about entrepreneurship.
When I think about my future and what I need to support education, I think money is the most important thing. I've always been interested in economics, so I want to study economics and business administration at a university in the US and do more research on how to raise the money Japan needs.
Tomioka: I would also like to study the technical aspects of computer science and business management at a university and graduate school in the United States, and start a business that utilizes technology at an early stage. In particular, I am interested in security-related technology, and after learning and strengthening my skills in that field, I would like to be active around the world while also being based in Japan, so that Japan can utilize its potential and become a vibrant country. I would also like to contribute what I have learned to the education sector.
The Yoshiura Future Creation Club has a strong desire to create unprecedented value and bring a breath of fresh air to Japan, and we welcome anyone or any organization that has the excitement and passion to connect students with society and think, "Maybe this potential can be created."
We want to expand our activities without being bound by existing frameworks, so no matter what direction you contact us with, we will do our best to work with you to make it happen!
-Thank you for sharing your valuable experience with us today. I sincerely support the activities of the Future Creation Club in the future.
＜INFO＞
This year's SIW Awards open call for submissions has begun! | Deadline: Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 23:59
“SIW IMPACT｜GOOD IDEA / SHIBUYA GOOD ACTION”
>> Click here for details on the renewed awards
