Before design, understand the business.

Hiroshi earned a master’s degree in industrial design at Chiba University. After working as an art director at an advertising production company, he joined the Don Quijote Group. Over 17 years with the group, he held roles including executive responsibility for IT systems and president of an IT marketing subsidiary, leading the development of customer-facing apps, e-commerce and core business systems, as well as digital transformation.

At haruniko, he draws on his experience in management, design and technology to support branding, creative work, UX and digital strategy. He connects business challenges with creative expression, developing ways to communicate a brand’s value. He also serves as Vice President of Abe Yoando Pharma Co., Ltd.

Naoko runs eatoco, a family-friendly cafe in Adachi, Tokyo. With the cafe as a welcoming place for parents and children, she creates opportunities for local people to meet and connect. Her activities include supporting small-scale entrepreneurship through the cafe’s rental kitchen and taking part in Nanashino Shotengai, a network of neighborhood shops.

The cafe’s Monokuru item-exchange service gives people a way to keep useful things in circulation and support one another. The initiative has been featured on television programs including TV Asahi’s Super J Channel and Fuji TV’s Mezamashi TV. Through the hands-on experience of running the cafe, she nurtures connections rooted in everyday life and the local community.