Please join the Brown University Club of Japan in welcoming a special guest, Mr. Mickey Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, in addressing the membership of the Ivy League Clubs of Japan, the Cambridge-Oxford Society, as well as the Stanford University, University of Chicago, and MIT alumni associations.

As not only one of Japan's leading businesspeople but also a thought leader, Mr. Mikitani will offer his insights on a range of topics, including workforce and organizational culture, his personal business philosophy, and his vision for the future of Japan’s business sector.

The event will be held at Rakuten Crimson House on the evening of December 4th. Mr. Mikitani's talk, as well as a fireside chat with Keio University Professor of Intercultural Communication Adam Komisarof followed by a short Q&A session, will occur from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. to be immediately followed by a lightly catered time for networking until 8:00 p.m.

Guest speaker profiles:

Mickey Mikitani, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Rakuten Group

Founded in Japan in 1997 with the mission to contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship, the Rakuten Group has grown to become one of the world's leading internet services companies.

Rakuten has a dynamic ecosystem of more than 70 services, spanning e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications, bringing the joy of discovery to 1.8 billion members around the world. Rakuten also became Japan’s newest mobile network operator in 2019.

Born in Kobe, Mikitani was educated at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, began his career in investment banking, and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. In 2012, he was awarded the HBS Alumni Achievement Award, one of the school’s highest honors.

Mikitani is also a recipient of the Legion of Honour, awarded by the French government in recognition of contributions to the economy and culture of France. In 2011, he was appointed Chairman of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, which has the longest history and tradition of any orchestra in Japan, and serves as Representative Director of the Japan Association of New Economy (JANE).

He also serves as Vice Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Medical, Inc., a global biotechnology company developing and commercializing precision, cell-targeting investigational photoimmunotherapy on its Alluminox™ platform.

Adam Komisarof, Professor, Keio University

Adam Komisarof, PhD, is Professor in Keio University's Faculty of Letters in Tokyo. He has spent two sabbaticals at the University of Oxford. Adam has published 3 books, with a fourth forthcoming in January 2025: The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication. A widely sought public lecturer, he has given over 130 invited lectures and paper presentations in 16 different countries. Also, as an intercultural trainer, Adam has performed scores of workshops over the past 27 years for large companies and governmental organizations in the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Adam is Past President and a Fellow of the International Academy for Intercultural Research, an academic organization dedicated to advancing research in intercultural studies and intergroup understanding in the world.

Please reach out to the Brown University Club of Japan (komisarof.adam@gmail.com) for questions about the event.

Thank you again for your interest in this evening’s event. We look forward to welcoming you in person.