This 8-night-9-day program is an opportunity to learn and practice entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley, the center of technology and innovation, in a quiet residential neighborhood within 30 minutes from Apple and Google headquarters, and Stanford University, which has produced many entrepreneurs and investors.
Your hosts are Zak (Isao Murase), a seasoned former venture capitalist with 27 years of experience in the U.S. in tech, investing in and supporting startups, and Maki (Makiko Ishiwatari Murase), former Japan Country Manager of a startup, now a leadership and mindfulness coach who has guided many entrepreneurs and executives as well as advises on the board of two Japanese listed companies.
What is most important for children who are going to go on to high school, college, and the workforce? What they need to do is to have a global perspective, and create their own career path and vision of how they will contribute to society and how they will achieve self-fulfillment.
Silicon Valley is a place where talented students, entrepreneurs, investors, and companies gather from all over the world to leverage the rapidly evolving technology to create the seeds of next-generation industries that will have a huge impact on the world.
This camp provides an opportunity to experience firsthand what is happening in Silicon Valley and to pitch your own business ideas to current entrepreneurs and investors through exchanges with current students at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, entrepreneurs, and visits to various companies and facilities that form the ecosystem of Silicon Valley.
Using tools like ChatGPT, students will create a compelling business plan in just 9 days—starting from idea generation and market research to pitch deck creation and English refinement.
Each morning begins with mindfulness and self-reflection. In Silicon Valley, mindfulness is a critical part of leadership development—practiced by companies like Google through their Search Inside Yourself program and championed by Steve Jobs through Zen training.
Daily practice helps participants build resilience, stay centered under pressure, and tap into their true potential. Using coaching techniques and group activities, they’ll develop self-awareness, improve communication, and begin to discover their authentic direction and values.
“I think this camp has completely changed the trajectory of my life. I had the chance to meet incredible people I would never normally meet. Every single person I met had confidence, knew what they were doing, and kept pushing themselves. After 10 days of being around that energy, it was impossible not to feel inspired.”(College Student Program, 18 year old female)
“This program helped me understand myself better. Before this, I would often give up before trying, assuming something was too hard. But hearing from people who pursued their dreams despite setbacks gave me courage.”(18-year-old female, college student program)
“I learned that people who take initiative are the ones who succeed. I want to start taking action myself when I return to Japan. I also improved my communication skills.” (14 year old female)
"I was able to become fluent in English and have courage." (15 year old male)
“I got to interact with people I’d never meet otherwise, and learned to view the world from new perspectives.” (15 year old male)
Entrepreneurial Spirit