On January 23^rd, ten start-up founders and entrepreneurs from Japan visited the New York Institute of Technology’s Manhattan campus for an introduction to the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) and a tour of its facilities.

The US Market Access Center, a San Francisco-based startup accelerator, facilitated the visit from the all-women Japanese CEOs. The trip was organized by APT Women, a program funded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to provide knowledge and skills to business owners who are women. Through the trip, The CEOs aimed to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, gain insights into the American market, and explore international expansion. Their companies spanned various industries, including a relationship app for couples, end-of-life support services, a clothing brand using upcycled kimonos, and AI technology for identifying sexual predators.

Despite their differing areas of expertise, the CEOs were united in their enthusiasm for innovative entrepreneurial technology and their interest in the ETIC program. 

After an introductory presentation by ETIC Director Dr. Michael Nizich, ETIC prototyping customers shared their experiences with the program. Niura co-founder Ryan Ahmed discussed the entrepreneurship experience, Intuitive Nurturing founder Christine Ramos described the ETIC process of going from idea to prototype, and New York Tech researcher and programmer Shwetha Jayaraj shared her work in practical quantum computing. Finally, College of Engineering and Computing Science (CoECS) students Joanna Sroka, Pranaav Venkatasubramanian and Skylynn Greaves presented the work they had accomplished through the ETIC program. Graduate student Guang Too also demonstrated his work in practical AI. The event closed out with networking and the exciting potential for future partnerships.

New York Tech students and faculty were excited to engage with the ten CEOs and showcase ETIC’s unique approach. The Japanese entrepreneurs, in turn, were deeply impressed by the program. They admired how ETIC enables hands-on team-based engineering experience, helping them prepare for their future careers, and the student-to-student mentorship. They were especially inspired by the advanced and socially impactful technology the students had developed for their partner businesses.  

The event was a resounding success, fostering a dynamic exchange of entrepreneurial knowledge and expertise. ETIC students and faculty were honored by USMAC and the Japanese entrepreneurs’ interest in the program and look forward to pursuing these new global connections.

^{This article was contributed by Sophie Yoakum, Programs & Retention Coordinator, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences.}