Shoji Akimoto, Executive Director, Oka Biz
In October 2001, while studying at Waseda University, Akimoto started G-net. G-net, which specializes in the regional revitalization of Gifu, a prefecture in central Japan, incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2003 and Akimoto became its Executive Director. In 2013, he became the head of the Oka Biz Center in Aichi Prefecture, which provide consultancy services to small-to-midsize enterprises. In four years, the center handled more than 8,000 cases and helped increase the sales of the local companies. The center is so popular that they have a three-to-four week waiting list. Since 2005, he has served as a member of various committees that promote the regional revitalization of Gifu prefecture. He has also taught courses at many universities on the subject of community revitalization. Akimoto gained national media attention and has been featured on TV, in newspapers, and in nationally recognized magazines as one of Japan’s leading young social entrepreneurs. http://www.oka-biz.net/