On September 7, 2025, Seibo Japan held a class and workshop on social business creation for students participating in the Tobitate! (Leap for Tomorrow) Study Abroad Initiative and for students interested in entrepreneurship.
In this session, using our school meal support in Malawi and our donation-based coffee business as case studies, the aim was to help the next generation of leaders cultivate the ability to see social issues as their own challenges.
Key Points of the Class
The workshop was structured so that students could experience the actual process of launching a social business, working step by step through:
-Critical thinking and problem setting (questioning one’s own ideas and identifying weaknesses)
-Discovering added value (considering the +α beyond basic functions that benefits society)
-Building partnerships and systems (designing collaborations with companies, schools, and local communities)
-Identifying one’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition) by turning personal stories into strengths
-Seeds × Needs thinking (combining personal strengths with social needs to generate multiple business ideas)
-Tentative legal entity selection and soft launch
(choosing between an NPO, general incorporated association, or company, and preparing to start a business on a trial basis)
The students engaged seriously with the questions presented, exchanged ideas with peers, and worked to shape their own business models. After the session, many immediately asked questions on how to connect the ideas to their own school activities and how to move toward implementation, showing a very positive response.
Future Outlook
Through this workshop, the students experienced the process of linking their interests and strengths to social issues and shaping them into concrete business models.
Seibo Japan will continue to expand initiatives that connect “education” with “social issue resolution,” and together with motivated young people, including students of Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative, we will co-create new forms of social business.