The following reflection is a guest post written by Minami Ohno, an alum of the Fall 2025 Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan (SeEJ) Program. SeEJ’s next application period will open July 31, 2026.

The Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan program is a powerful platform for the next generation of social entrepreneurs looking to address future social issues.

From the day of our first virtual meeting, the Sunday blues became a happy Friday-equivalent—an electric and thrilling day. Something I looked forward to.

The fall 2025 SeEJ program lasted approximately four months, with virtual meetings on Sunday every two weeks. Each session was very memorable, covering areas from public health to environmental sustainability. While there were only a total of 10 remote classes, each session was truly an educational journey that transformed my views on entrepreneurship. The program attracted students with diverse multicultural backgrounds, and students had a wide range of views and experiences. Our group projects and individual research papers covered topics from advocacy for financial literacy to animal therapy. I was fortunate to learn about these various ideas and proposals alongside students who had direct experience and knowledge in those fields.

Some of the most powerful experiences in the program were our sessions interacting with guest speakers, successful social entrepreneurs. SeEJ has a strong network of successful social entrepreneurs across the globe. These entrepreneurs were truly visionaries with a strong sense of social responsibility, aiming to drive change for a better world. They shared their inspirational stories in building businesses to tackle serious societal problems. I was truly grateful for their advice. At first, I felt a little intimidated engaging with experienced entrepreneurs and scholars, but they were very approachable, and our interactions with them were extremely productive, with time always running short due to active participation from all students. Besides inspiring us with their personal stories, they also provided us with practical suggestions, from business development strategies to presentation techniques when pitching to an investor audience.

One session on sustainability and biodiversity left a particularly strong impression on me. Our guest speaker that day was Mr. Robin Takashi Lewis, the founder of mymizu, an app that aims to reduce the use of plastic water bottles and promote the use of free refill spots. Water supply is scarce in many countries, and water scarcity is becoming a growing problem, but mymizu is working to make water more accessible and sustainable. At the end of the session, Mr. Lewis introduced us to the “3.5% rule”—a research-backed rule that suggests that when at least 3.5% of the population takes action, major social and political change is not only achievable but highly likely. This observation highlights how even seemingly small-scale efforts can lead to major change. As aspiring young entrepreneurs, my classmates and I found this insight incredibly exciting. It made me want to take action for societal change.

My experience in SeEJ was truly invaluable. I was able to be part of a special community of top scholars and entrepreneurs, as well as fantastic peers who shared their innovative ideas and opinions. The instructor, Ms. Irene Bryant, and TA Naho Ohara were very supportive in kindly guiding us throughout the program. They consistently encouraged us to think critically and take full advantage of the program. Thanks to my experience in SeEJ, I not only feel knowledgeable about entrepreneurship—I also feel more confident, inspired, and equipped to put it into practice in my future.

Stanford e-Entrepreneurship Japan will begin accepting applications for the fall 2026 course on July 31, 2026.

SeEJ is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

To stay updated on SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.