Board Members

Representative Director

Since 2014, while working with farmers in Migori County, Kenya, I have been deeply moved by the way of life that aligns with the natural order. At the same time, I have also confronted the complex issue of poverty. This experience led me to seek ways to improve living standards while maintaining harmony with biodiversity.

To help farmers achieve stable incomes through agriculture and lead dignified lives, I founded Alphajiri. I aimed to prove that initiatives often considered feasible only for nonprofits could, in fact, be financially viable. As a result, hundreds of rural households saw their incomes steadily increase through their involvement with Alphajiri. However, I also faced a harsh reality: prioritizing business growth often meant that excluding the most impoverished farmers was the most efficient approach. This internal conflict made me realize that solving social disparities requires not just individual success but a commitment to co-creation.

With this in mind, I founded Canopyon Initiative to establish a foundation for collaboration in Japan as well. My passion lies in transforming difficult challenges into sustainable solutions within society. My goal is to expand social impact, particularly in Africa, and pass the baton to the next generation of leaders.

Board Members

I studied urban planning and community business utilizing existing social infrastructure and local resources in graduate school. After graduation, I joined a major telecommunications company in Tokyo and achieved the highest national sales performance. However, feeling unfulfilled by a life focused solely on work and making money, I resigned at the age of 30 to travel the world.

During my journey, I discovered social business and developed a strong desire to contribute to society and help others. This led me to establish Pieces, an organization dedicated to promoting social business under the vision of “creating a society where everyone can live authentically and abundantly.”

In 2022, I relocated to Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and launched Pieces’ FARM, a circular avocado cultivation social business aimed at solving local challenges. In 2023, I founded GreenCampus, an organization focused on forest conservation and sustainable forestry, initiating an environmental preservation project through community-based forestry.

During my university studies in international development, I was introduced to social business and completed a two-month internship at Alphajiri Limited. In 2020, I began focusing on avocados as a new asset-building crop for poverty alleviation in developing countries and started researching avocado cultivation in Japan.

After graduation, seeking a greater social impact, I joined Rakuten Group, Inc. However, I began questioning how my work contributed to society and who it truly benefited. This strengthened my desire to engage in social business.

In 2022, I relocated to Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and founded Pieces’ FARM to promote domestic avocado cultivation and address the issue of abandoned farmland. The following year, in response to Japan’s forestry challenges, I established Green Campus to conserve forest ecosystems through Jibatsu-style forestry.

I am committed to developing and promoting sustainable agriculture and forestry as solutions to social issues. My guiding principle is “Jiri Rita”—the idea that personal well-being and societal benefit are interconnected. Through social business, I strive to create a world where both individuals and society can thrive and pass on a prosperous future to the next generation.

[ LOCAL MEMBERS ]