Teams will develop business plans based on challenges that facilitators encountered in the field in Rwanda, Africa.
Overview
This workshop draws on real contradictions and challenges – or “real-world questions” – that the facilitator encountered in cities, rural communities, and technology hubs in Rwanda. Following a structured process that includes defining an MVV and developing a Lean Canvas, participants work in teams to create a business plan. Participants can apply the perspectives gained to future self-directed activities and career choices. They can also share their ideas with people in Rwanda as workshop feedback.
| 📂 Category | Innovation |
| 📌 Keywords | Entrepreneurship, Lean Canvas, MVV, infrastructure in developing countries |
| 🎯 Objectives | • Develop the logical thinking needed to identify underlying needs in complex primary information • Gain hands-on experience with a rapid business planning process using MVV and the Lean Canvas • Experience co-creation by combining the knowledge of participants with diverse areas of expertise |
| 🌐 Language | Japanese |
| 👥 Target Participants | Undergraduate & Graduate Students |
| 🗓 Format | Single session（3-hours, in-person） |
| ✅ Past & Upcoming Sessions | Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 17:00-20:00 (Scheduled) |
| 📍 Venue | I1-254, Ishikawadai 1 Building, 2nd Floor, Ookayama Campus |
| 🌟 Recommended for | • Those who want to apply their technical skills and logical thinking to real-world social challenges • Those who want an intensive, three-hour experience of the entrepreneurial process • Those interested in everyday life and current conditions in Africa, particularly Rwanda • Those who enjoy discussing ideas openly and treating the group’s ideas as shared resources |
| 📊 Points | 3 points (Points to be awarded to students enrolled in the courses for credits. Please refer to the syllabus for details.) |
| 🎟️ Capacity | 20 participants |
Main Content
- Opening, icebreaker, and workshop overview
- Introduction to Rwanda’s real-world questions from several different settings
- Select a challenge and form teams
- Introduction to the business plan development process
- Business plan development
- Step 1: Define the MVV (Mission, Vision, and Values)
- Step 2: Brainstorm solutions
- Step 3: Develop a Lean Canvas
- Final pitches with presentations and peer feedback
- Closing
Facilitator
Yukino Shimbo
School of Science, First-year undergraduate student
A member of Rwanda Student Conference
Representative, AFRIJWI, Africa’s Problem Solving Project (Operating as a sole proprietor)
Spent one month in Rwanda in Summer 2026
Organizer
Seiya Moro
2nd year doctoral student
Graduate Major in Engineering Sciences and Design, Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo
・First year master’s course student, Department of Technology and Innovation Management (Dual Degree)
・Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Research Topic:
“Developing a self-care independence support system for children with severe intellectual disabilities and their families through co-design.”
Contact Faculty
Yuri Matsuzaki
📩 matsuzaki.y.77a9 [at] m.isct.ac.jp