We are thrilled to introduce the four women selected for the JWLI Fellowship 2026! Chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants, these women leaders are making an impact in diverse fields. Their JWLI journey already kicked off last month with orientation and we have pre-program sessions before they travel to Boston in May for an intensive four-week program. Over the next two years, they will implement their action plans to drive social change in Japan.
JWLI Fellowship 2026 — Applications Open Until January 9
Applications for the JWLI Fellowship 2026 are now open. The program will run from May 4, 2026 – May 29, 2026 in Boston MA.JWLI Fellowship is a women’s executive leadership program and invests in women nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs (“Fellows”) to become action-oriented leaders. It includes a four-week program in Boston and a two-year mentorship that transform the Fellows to be women leaders with confidence to lead, skills and knowledge to manage, and an Action Plan to make social change in Japan.
Application Deadline:Friday, January 9, 2026 at 23:59 JST
Info Session: December 2, 2025 at 8pm JST (Recording is available here)
We encourage all interested applicants to start preparing now. To learn more about the Fellowship, please visit the program page from here.
We look forward to receiving your applications for this exciting opportunity!
We are excited to announce that the JWLI Fellowship 2026 is confirmed. The program will run from May 4, 2026 – May 29, 2026 in Boston MA, and we are now preparing to accept applications.
JWLI Fellowship is a women’s executive leadership program and invests in women nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs (“Fellows”) to become action-oriented leaders. It includes a four-week program in Boston and a two-year mentorship that transform the Fellows to be women leaders with confidence to lead, skills and knowledge to manage, and an Action Plan to make social change in Japan.
Application Period: November 24, 2025 – January 9, 2026
Info Session: December 2, 2025 from 8:00pm – 9:00pm (JST)
📢Join Our Online Info Session!
We will host a live information session for prospective applicants on December 2, 2025 (Tuesday) from 8:00pm to 9:00pm JST. We will walk through the program overview, eligibility, application process, and tips for preparing a strong application. There will also be time for Q&A.
We encourage all interested applicants to start preparing now. To learn more about the Fellowship, please visit the program page from here. We look forward to receiving your applications for this exciting opportunity!
JWLI will take the stage for two back-to-back sessions, which will be held in person at Venture Café Tokyo and also available to join online. Through pitches by Bootcamp alumni and a debriefing by Fellowship Fellows, you will hear directly from women leaders tackling some of today’s most pressing social challenges. *This will be held in Japanese.
🕕 18:00–19:00 (JST) – Hybrid
社会課題の解決を目指す女性リーダーピッチ – JWLI Bootcamp 2025 Demo Day
Social Innovation Pitches by Women Leaders – JWLI Bootcamp 2025 Demo Day
井原 美恵（Bellaコンサルティング株式会社 代表取締役／慶應義塾大学 特任助教／中小企業診断士／KEIO LEAP for Nonprofit）
田代 美智華（認定NPO法人日本ファンドレイジング協会 ディレクター）
渡辺 知行（米日財団 ヴァイス・プレジデント兼マネージング・ディレクター）
司会
草野 由貴（フィッシュファミリー財団・ジャパンオフィス 日本プログラムマネージャー）
—————————————————————————————————— In this session, three alumni from the JWLI Bootcamp will pitch their ideas to address pressing social issues. Themes include economic independence for single mothers and creating a society where parents of children with disabilities can imagine and build a brighter future. These pitches reflect the vision of building an open, positive, and inclusive society. *This session will be held in Japanese.
———————————————————————————————————- In this session, four Fellows from the JWLI Fellowship 2025, which took place in Boston this May, will present their two-year action plans. Their initiatives address urgent issues in Japan such as employment support for immigrants and refugees, advancing DEI-focused education, and creating inclusive spaces for seniors. The Fellows will also share early outcomes and changes already taking place, showing how their learnings in Boston are transforming into concrete actions for social change in Japan. *This session will be held in Japanese.
About the session: This is a special opportunity to hear directly from women leaders in Japan who are tackling urgent social challenges. In this event, four Fellows currently participating in the JWLI Fellowship in Boston will take the stage to present their action plans—designed to address key social issues in Japan. Taking place in the second week of their program, this session serves as a mid-point presentation, where each Fellow will deliver a 5-minute pitch followed by live Q&A from the audience. This isn’t just a presentation—it’s an invitation to participate. Attendees will have the opportunity to offer real-time insights and help shape these ventures before the Fellows return to Japan to put their plans into action.
2025 Fellows:
Yuka Fujii – Creating IT job training pathways for refugees
Ayako Hirakata – Building intergenerational community hubs
Naomi Kondo – Bringing DEI education to children and families
Iassue Yamake – Empowering Brazilian immigrant communities through education
Recording of the Info Session on 1/8 １月８日応募説明会の録画公開
8日に行われた応募説明会の録画をこちらからご覧いただけます。 Catch up on the application information session held on the 8th! *This session was held in Japanese.
Entrepreneurship Giants Join as coaches! 2025年度講師紹介
2025 Pre-program & Post-program Coach: Yasuhiro “Yasu” Yamakawa Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Babson College / Co-Founder and Executive Advisor, Venture Café Tokyo / JWLI Executive Coach
2025 Boston Program – Lead Coach: Smaiyra Million Executive Director, Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, Babson College
2025 Boston Program – Social Innovation Specialist: Cheryl Yaffe Kiser Executive Director, The Institute for Social Innovation, Babson College
About JWLI Fellowship 2025 JWLI Fellowship 2025年度プログラム応募概要
JWLI Fellowship is a women’s executive leadership program and invests in women leaders (“Fellows”) to be action-oriented leaders. It includes a four-week program in Boston and a two-year mentorship that transform the Fellows to be women leaders with confidence to lead, skills and knowledge to manage, and an Action Plan to make social change in Japan.
Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 23:59 PM JST Boston Program Dates: May 5, 2025 – May 30, 2025 How to Apply: Apply online through our website (https://jwli.org/fellowship/) Information Session: Recording available here.
The application deadline is just one week away! Don’t miss out – apply now! We look forward to receiving your applications and supporting your work to create a positive impact in Japan. —————————————————————————————————- JWLI Fellowshipは日本各地より選ばれた女性リーダーたちを、さらに行動力のあるリーダーへと育成するプログラムです。米国ボストンでの4週間の研修を通じて、リーダーとしての自信を深め、社会変革を実現するためのプランを立案。その後の2年間のメンターシップでは、社会変革の実行への伴走支援を提供します。
To celebrate the application launch for the JWLI Fellowship 2025, we are excited to collaborate with YOKOHAMA CONNECT by Venture Café Tokyo to host a hybrid session featuring past participants of JWLI. Following the talk session, there will be a 30-minute online Q&A session using the same Zoom link. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to join!
Title: “The Power of Entrepreneurship Learned Through JWLI” Date and Time: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM (JST) Location: TECH HUB YOKOHAMA, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama Format: Hybrid (In-person and online) Language: Japanese Session Duration: 60 minutes (followed by a 30-minute Q&A session online using the same Zoom link) Registration: Register here
Speakers:
Kanako Sakimura (2019 Fellow), Thought Leadership Professional, International Institute for Social and Economic Research (IISE)
Yu Shinagawa (2019 Fellow / Moderator), CEO of An-Nahal Inc.
Yuka Mitsuhata (2022 Fellow), Founder of Mo-House
Yumiko Mori (2022 Fellow), Executive Director of Comachiplus
Tomoe Yamada (2013 Fellow), CEO of Daijobu Inc.
Ayaka Ueike (JWLI Boston Program Manager / Online Participation)
Overview: In this session, alumni (Fellows) of the JWLI Fellowship will gather in Yokohama to share their experiences and how they have applied the leadership and entrepreneurship skills they learned through the program. They will discuss the changes in their perspectives, challenges, and growth stories gained through the program. Additionally, after the talk, there will be a 30-minute Q&A session held online using the same Zoom link.
We are thrilled to announce that the JWLI Fellowship is officially accepting applications for the next program in May 2025! This program will run from May 5, 2025 – May 30, 2025 in Boston, MA,
JWLI Fellowship is a women’s executive leadership program and invests in women leaders (“Fellows”) to be action-oriented leaders. It includes a four-week program in Boston and a two-year mentorship that transforms the Fellows to be women leaders with confidence to lead, skills and knowledge to manage, and an Action Plan to make social change in Japan.
Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 23:59 PM JST Boston Program Dates: May 5, 2025 – May 30, 2025 How to Apply: Apply online through our website (https://jwli.org/fellowship/)
Don’t miss this opportunity to take your leadership journey to the next level! We look forward to receiving your applications and supporting your work to create a positive impact in Japan.
To celebrate the application launch for the JWLI Fellowship 2025, we are excited to collaborate with YOKOHAMA CONNECT by Venture Café Tokyo to host a hybrid session featuring past participants of JWLI. Following the talk session, there will be a 30-minute online Q&A session using the same Zoom link. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to join!
Title: “The Power of Entrepreneurship Learned Through JWLI” Date and Time: Wednesday, January 8, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM (JST) Location: TECH HUB YOKOHAMA, 2-2-1 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama Format: Hybrid (In-person and online) Language: Japanese Session Duration: 60 minutes (followed by a 30-minute Q&A session online using the same Zoom link) Registration: Register here.
Speakers:
Kanako Sakimura (2019 Fellow), Thought Leadership Professional, International Institute for Social and Economic Research (IISE)
Yu Shinagawa (2019 Fellow / Moderator), CEO of An-Nahal Inc.
Yuka Mitsuhata (2022 Fellow), Founder of Mo-House
Yumiko Mori (2022 Fellow), Executive Director of Comachiplus
Tomoe Yamada (2013 Fellow), CEO of Daijobu Inc.
Ayaka Ueike (JWLI Boston Program Manager / Online Participation)
Overview: In this session, alumni (Fellows) of the JWLI Fellowship will gather in Yokohama to share their experiences and how they have applied the leadership and entrepreneurship skills they learned through the program. They will discuss the changes in their perspectives, challenges, and growth stories gained through the program. Additionally, after the talk, there will be a 30-minute Q&A session held online using the same Zoom link.
We are excited to announce that the JWLI Fellowship is returning in May 2025 after a few years’ break! The program will run from May 5, 2025 – May 30, 2025 in Boston MA, and we are now preparing to accept applications.
JWLI Fellowship is a women’s executive leadership program and invests in women nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs (“Fellows”) to be action-oriented leaders. It includes a four-week program in Boston and a two-year mentorship that transform the Fellows to be women leaders with confidence to lead, skills and knowledge to manage, and an Action Plan to make social change in Japan.
Application Period: December 16, 2024 – January 15, 2025 Boston Program Dates: May 5, 2025 – May 30, 2025 How to Apply: Apply online through our website (https://jwli.org/fellowship/)
We encourage all interested applicants to start preparing now, as applications will open soon! Stay tuned for more details on how to apply. More details will be available on our program page.
We look forward to receiving your applications for this exciting opportunity!
