a most excellent entrepreneurial week in Fukuoka, Japan!

Wrapping up a most excellent entrepreneurial week in Fukuoka!

My dear hosts from QREC at Kyushu University were splendid, how could we not deliver our best stuff? And Gabi Kaffka always brings out the best in me!

I have missed the joy of setting off lightbulbs over the heads of great students and faculty colleagues.

We had a brilliant day of talking research, sharing high potential projects (yes, we’re still trying to make fetch, er, perceived collective efficacy a thing- ha!) even some neuro-entrepreneurship insights via Noriko Taji , Prof. Chikako Toma, Kosuke Kaneko , Yuka Watanabe , Megumi Takata , and especially Enkhzaya Nergui . Plus great hosts like Shingo Igarashi (#RedShoesRevolution !) Solid, imaginative work in the pipeline and lots of connections we can make for them.

We then had a master class on entrepreneurial “intentions” for grad students which covered far more – entrepreneurial mindset, EntreComp Entrepreneurship Education and Training (shoutouts to Margherita Bacigalupo & more), especially deep dives into cutting-edge assessment of education impact (were your ears burning, Andy Penaluna , Kathryn Penaluna , Colin Jones , et al.??? We made each team design a creativity-building exercise for another team – surpassed our expectations – wow! I also did the “draw me an entrepreneur” exercise – there too the students went above & beyond. (like Kazuya Iwai , Alimzhan Kalbekov & Jose Ricardo (<- Denisse Rodríguez Colón & Carlos Jiménez , you'll want to connect with Jose!)

We also had a blast with lean startup - and how you REALLY do it!

Finally, we had a day of faculty development in entrepreneurship education with some terrific educators like Hiroko Kawamorita , @Toshimitsu Abe & @Rihyei Kang . Inflicted some deep theory for them (e.g. how neuroscience is helping with education) and interwove that with practical issues (e.g., Dr. Catlin Tucker 's cool work). Gabi really rocked the discussion on expertise!

Even got to sneak in some ecosystems stuff ( SourceLink / Dara Macan , were your ears burning?)

Not to mention the city’s beauty, good jazz, and great food! And there’s a reason why StartupBlink (hi Eli David Rokah & Lana Ugrcic ! ) has noted Fukuoka’s ecosystem and its meteoric rise. Fukuoka Startup Network (FSN) is doing quite well. Add that to what Dr. Yoshi Ishii is doing at the national level and it’s not hard to think… How can I stay? :)

Nothing like staggering off the plane after god knows how many hours, get to your room and suddenly hear swinging soul/R&B from Fukuoka’s annual jazz roaring maybe 200 meters from my hotel. OK, I’m tired but, yeah, get a glass of wine and join the joyous throng!

Exhausted yet exhilarated! (And, yes, we did my beloved “I am an entrepreneur!” chant. W00t!)

p.s. those of you in Japan, feel free to tag yourselves, post pictures, etc.