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<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_5011_1_d8360298c0.jpg" alt="DSCF5011 1.jpg">On September 3, 2024, the Moon Creative Lab Tokyo Studio in Omotesando buzzed with energy as the 5-day Spark program culminated in the exhilarating “Make-a-thon” event. 46 innovators from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Germany, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Malaysia came together to bring 36 groundbreaking business ideas to life, working both individually and in teams. They captivated visitors as they pitched their ventures, each presentation showcasing a unique innovative vision for a new business idea.  Spark isn't just a program—it's a melting pot of challenges and ideas from all over Japan and the world, consistently producing a rich tapestry of innovative solutions every time it's held. When we asked a representative from a renowned company—who continually encourages their employees to participate—what keeps them coming back, they shared, “Because the ideas here are always beyond the ordinary.”  This is the magic of Spark: it brings together a mosaic of perspectives to push boundaries and reimagine what's possible. Facilitators at each table witnessed participants stepping boldly out of their comfort zones, embracing invaluable feedback from peers, and refining their business models with newfound insight. The diversity here didn't just ignite innovation; it forged meaningful connections and collaborations that promise to extend far beyond the program itself.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2215_cec0819bc6.jpg" alt="Group 2215.jpg">What groundbreaking ideas and startups will emerge next from the up-and-coming entrepreneurs nurtured here? Stay tuned! And of course, we warmly invite you to participate in the program yourself.&nbsp;<h3>Join the Next Spark</h3>Spark is Moon's practical 1-week intensive program for 0 to 1 business creation. Participants from various regions, industries, companies, and departments come together to participate in a dynamic program to develop their business ideas. Participants are divided into several groups to quickly shape their ideas through a mix of self-driven work, lectures, and advice from facilitators. In the end they pitch their ideas using a landing page created with no-code tools. The next Spark will be held May 14-20. Please check the registration page for details.&nbsp;<a href="https://share.hsforms.com/1npsWnu58T1a_EJzXt4AAvQcxaid?utm_source=Intranet_0925&amp;utm_medium=post0925&amp;utm_id=spark_report_0925">&gt;&gt; Apply to Next Spark</a><a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/spark?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post0925en&amp;utm_id=spark_report_0925">&gt;&gt; Visit Spark Page</a><a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/stories/spark-202405?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=post0925en&amp;utm_id=spark_report_0925">&gt;&gt; Report of Spark Spring 2024</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/SPARK_GRAPHICS_GRADIENT_1_03240b9c37.png" alt="SPARK_GRAPHICS_GRADIENT (1).png">

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<figure class="media"><oembed url="https://vimeo.com/959892266?share=copy"></oembed></figure>Moon Creative Lab's Spark Spring 2024 program just wrapped up its third iteration with tremendous success. The event brought together 42 diverse participants from 11 countries and expatriates in Japan from Canada, the US, and the UK. The cohort included entrepreneurs, individuals, and corporate participants from Mazda, Kanazawa University, Modec, Mitsui, and Toyo Engineering.Over five days, participants explored problem spaces and ended by publishing business websites using no-code tools. The innovations ranged from vehicle lifecycle improvements and disruptive donation platforms to rejuvenation practices in agriculture and engaging millennials in farming. The next "Spark Summer 2024" is scheduled to Kick off on Wednesday, August 28. If you are interested in transforming your own business idea and growth, <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/spark?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=CTA&amp;utm_id=sparkLP">please join us!</a><h3>About Spark</h3><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/2_MB_DSCF_7329_1_2351ee2384.jpg" alt="2MB_DSCF7329-1.jpg">Spark is Moon's practical 1-week intensive program for 0 to 1 business creation. Participants from various regions, industries, companies, and departments come together to participate in a dynamic program to develop their business ideas.Participants are divided into several groups to quickly shape their ideas through a mix of self-driven work, lectures, and advice from facilitators. In the end they pitch their ideas using a landing page created with no-code tools.<figure class="image"><img style="aspect-ratio:1115/2780;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/B_Group_2138_7edb04d494.jpg" alt="B_Group-2138.jpg" width="1115" height="2780"></figure><h3>Hear from Participant's</h3><blockquote>“The experience of thinking through a design thinking, human-centered approach alone while getting feedback. Knowing and experiencing were two different things.”</blockquote><blockquote>“I was impressed by the fact that it forced the participants to have the experience of creating and pitching an landing page within a short period of one week.”</blockquote><blockquote>“Participants came from a diverse group of companies and generated a wide variety of ideas. Not only was there diversity, but also candid feedback.”</blockquote>&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2137_18d729792d.jpg" alt="Group 2137.jpg">”Javier, looking back on Spark Spring 2024, what was the highlight for you?”<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:1300/2300;" src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/DSCF_6407_2_0163242854.jpg" alt="DSCF6407 2.jpg" width="1300" height="2300"></figure>“This Spark marked our first fully in-person, five-day intensive program. Transitioning from a hybrid model to all in-person posed new challenges but offered significant benefits. Enhanced networking among participants was a standout feature. Constant interaction through problem-space exploration, design research, solution ideation, business modeling, and final pitching transformed their ability to communicate ideas.This led to some of the best early-stage idea pitching we've seen, reflecting a significant psychological shift. The impressive business ideas wowed visitors from Moon and Mitsui, as well as invited external guests. The passion and energy were palpable, showcasing the transformative power of the Spark experience.”&nbsp;<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2121_34ee4cbddd.jpg" alt="Group 2121.jpg">One idea transformed from a generic travel app to focus on the safety and needs of solo female travelers, driven by real user feedback.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2122_fdf0bc3b6a.jpg" alt="Group 2122.jpg">One team shifted from addressing vehicle recycling costs to exploring three new solutions after AI feedback showed user indifference. This led them to split up and tackle multiple approaches instead of working as a single unit.<img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/Group_2121_1_5f0066a274.jpg" alt="Group 2121 (1).jpg">One person pivoted from developing a Mars rover energy generator to designing a unique GPS collar for dogs, showcasing their innovative spirit.<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>“Passion and persistence promise transformative impact, driving meaningful change in their respective spaces.”</h3>Javier: Spark ignited with a profound problem-exploration phase. Participants arrived with dreams of solving societal issues through business innovation. As they dived deeper, many had to pivot, embracing new directions. They repeatedly asked, "Why?" to uncover root causes, leading to profound insights. Some discovered they hadn't pinpointed the right stakeholders, while others realized their initial problems were just the tip of the iceberg. Their passion and persistence promise transformative impact, driving meaningful change in their respective spaces.<hr>Transform your business idea at "Spark Summer 2024," starting Wednesday, August 28. Spaces are limited, so apply now to secure your spot. Learn more on the <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/spark?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=CTA&amp;utm_id=sparkLP">"Spark"</a> page at Moon Creative Lab.&nbsp;Don’t miss this opportunity to ignite your creativity and growth!

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In a world buzzing with discussions on sustainability, Tommy Sekiguchi stands out with his mission to transform Japan's coffee scene into a beacon of sustainability, challenging consumers to rethink their purchasing habits.Key Learnings:<ul><li>Starting With a Spark</li><li>Diving Deep With Learning Labs</li><li>Innovating Through the Think Coffee Experiment</li></ul><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image4_1d4862472d.jpg" alt="image4.jpg"><figcaption>Picture of Tommy graduating from Spark</figcaption></figure><h3>Starting With a Spark</h3>Leveraging his background of over 20 years in the Food &amp; Beverage industry, Tommy Sekiguchi embarked on his sustainable journey in Fall 2023 during Spark, Moon’s intensive educational program that guides entrepreneurs through the process of human-centered innovative business design. His current research at the Center for Global Commons (CGC) of the University of Tokyo fueled his quest to tackle the problem of Japanese consumers’ lack of motivation to buy sustainable food products. He thoroughly examined this issue and developed various solutions and an accompanying business model to see it through. His efforts culminated in a landing page that vividly presented his innovative approach to enhancing the customer experience and boosting interest in sustainable purchases, using coffee shops as a model case.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image1_dba085542b.jpg" alt="image1.jpg"><figcaption>Picture of Tommy in the Learning Lab</figcaption></figure><h3>Diving Deep With Moon Learning Labs</h3>Post-Spark, Tommy delved into the consumer psyche with Moon’s Learning Labs, hands-on, interactive workshops dedicated to the generation and refinement of business, product, or service concepts. He crafted personas such as Sustainers, who are focused on environmental impact; Tasters, who are in pursuit of quality; Trenders, those that are driven by social trends; and Neighbors, the local community members around coffee shops. Using these personas, Tommy and his team, along with Moon Mates, dissected the current customer journey and brainstormed ways to run experiments with it, hoping to change the journey and highlight pathways for sustainable awareness and purchasing.<figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image2_606f83d552.jpg" alt="image2.jpg"><figcaption>Moon’s People Transformation Team visiting think coffee Japan</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://moon-website-prod-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/image3_1174952f1f.jpg" alt="image3.jpg"><figcaption>Picture of the experiment at think coffee Japan</figcaption></figure><h3>Innovating Through the “Think Coffee” Experiment</h3>Tommy selected "Think Coffee Japan" in Kanda, Tokyo as the initial site for his experiment. This location is a mere 5-minute walk from Mitsui &amp; Co.’s headquarters, his career stomping grounds. Based on his learnings from the Learning Lab, he and his team designed an engaging sustainable journey for customers, who were presented with two choices upon entering: embark on a sustainable path to learn about coffee and its sustainable practices, or proceed directly to the register.&nbsp;The sustainable path that Tommy implemented comprised four distinct steps:&nbsp;1. Feel: Customers were presented with visual stories of the farms on a large display, offering an immersive experience.2. Meet: This step provided a hands-on experience with the coffee beans, alongside digital displays showing detailed information about the farms and images of the farmers.3. Think: During this phase, customers received one of five sustainability-related messages, labeled as “Simple,” “Negative,” “Positive,” “Fun,” and “Quiz.” These messages aimed to engage customers in considering various sustainability challenges.4. Decide: Finally, participants took a survey and decided whether to make a donation or receive 100 yen as a reward for joining the experiment.&nbsp;During the experiment, held from March 8 to 20, Tommy collected 155 responses. Of these, 22 participants chose to receive 100 yen, while 133 opted to donate to farmers in Nicaragua, Colombia, and Ethiopia. He is currently analyzing this data to refine his future experiments and further develop his business model idea. This work is part of his research at the CGC and aims to explore how businesses can encourage more ethical consumption among consumers.Tommy's ongoing journey is more than an experiment; it's a movement towards embedding sustainability in Japanese food culture and beyond. His work underscores the power of thoughtful innovation in transforming everyday habits into impactful, sustainable actions - one sip at a time!<hr>If you’re interested in our educational Spark program or Learning Lab workshops for your or your organization, check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/">website</a> or reach us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hello@mooncreativelab.com">hello@mooncreativelab.com</a>.&nbsp;

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At Moon Creative Lab, we’ve always been focused on unlocking people’s creative potential to create new businesses, and we are always looking for ways to support as many entrepreneurs and startups as we can. And now, with our <a href="https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/501861/moon-creative-lab-expands-venture-programming-to-turn-brilliant-ideas-into-rockstar-businesses">recently announced three new program offerings</a>, we are broadening our reach more than ever!Our new program, <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/boost">Boost</a>, is an incubation program to help startup teams and corporations gain traction for new businesses.&nbsp;Since we were founded in 2018, Moon Creative Lab has been a venture studio for powering the creation of new businesses globally for individuals, teams, and business units within Mitsui &amp; Co. Our new programs will expand our support for Mitsui &amp; Co as well as outside corporations and startup teams that want to incubate their early stage business.&nbsp;&nbsp;Boost Your Early-Stage New Business&nbsp; Our Boost program is an intensive 3-6 month incubation program that will help new businesses build traction and potentially earn $300,000 USD in funding.* Boost focuses on a human-centered approach to new business creation with expertise in user research and testing and prototype creation. By joining our Boost program, participants will receive:<ul><li>Hands-on support and mentorship from our diverse and creative team of global experts in design, engineering, product, marketing, and more.</li><li>Help finding co-founders, team members, or strategic partners.</li><li>Working space at Moon’s Silicon Valley or Tokyo studio.&nbsp;</li><li>Potential collaboration with Mitsui &amp; Co. and its global network.</li><li>Helpful SaaS tools to build your business.&nbsp;</li></ul>&nbsp;Earn Funding After completing the Boost program, participants may compete in Moon’s Demo Day where they can pitch their business to Moon’s Investment Committee to earn $300,000 USD* of seed funding from Moon.&nbsp;The Many Ways We Can Work Together If you, your team, or your company have started working on a new business idea and are looking for additional support in building and testing prototypes with real customers, we’d love to help bring your innovative ideas to life! <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/boost">Head here to learn more and apply for Boost.</a>Haven’t yet started working on that “crazy” idea but want to learn more about new business creation? Check out our hands-on learning program, <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/spark">Spark</a>. And if you’d like to connect with others and become part of our diverse, creative, and fun community, check out <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/orbit">Orbit</a>, our series of in-person events.&nbsp; *Participating startups will be able to pitch for an investment of $300,000 USD on a post-money KISS/J-KISS at a $3M valuation cap – 10% of your company prior to dilution. <a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/boost">Click here for details.</a>

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I’m excited to announce the biggest change we’ve made at Moon Creative Lab. Today, we’re launching three new Moon programs –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/en/spark">Spark</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/en/boost">Boost</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mooncreativelab.com/en/orbit">Orbit</a> – that will help organizations and startup teams unlock their creative potential to start new businesses.&nbsp;Since Moon was founded in 2018, we have been working closely with Mitsui &amp; Co. to transform our people and businesses globally. We hosted eight pitch events (in person and online), supported 150+ idea owners, and launched 10 successful ventures into the market – among many other achievements – and I’m so proud of the work we have accomplished together over the past five years.With today’s announcement, we’re enhancing our support for Mitsui &amp; Co. employees while broadening our reach to individuals, startups, and corporations outside the company, which will expand our community to make an even bigger impact through brilliant ideas and entrepreneurship.<h3>Why now?&nbsp;</h3>I often spend my time thinking about how to make a greater impact at Moon through books, in-depth conversations, and listening to thought leaders’ personal experiences and stories. One quote in particular that has stood out to me through and through comes from the wise Mark Twain, which reads, “Name the greatest of all the inventors. Accident.”&nbsp;Within our two studios, I’ve witnessed accidental connections blossom into meaningful conversations and even deeper collaborations, all of which happens not by design, but by happenstance. The effects we have on our expanded network of entrepreneurs, founders, and creatives have been an outcome of the environment we’ve created and the impact of our activities.Of course, we always start with a general course of action for every individual. But as every entrepreneur knows, the road to success is never straight or narrow, and there will be many detours along the way. These detours just might end up being better than the main thoroughfare. In fact, they might be the best road of all: happy accidents that lead to successful business outcomes.&nbsp;<h3>Nurturing more happy accidents&nbsp;</h3>Our new program offerings invite individuals to work in a unique environment with people from different backgrounds, careers, industries, cultures, and passions to work, learn, and transform – together. Mitsui &amp; Co. employees, anyone curious about entrepreneurship, employees from outside corporations, and first-time founders are invited to leverage Moon’s resources through our new Spark, Boost, and Orbit experiences.&nbsp;Our Moon programs are for anyone who would like to:<ul><li>Learn about human-centered new business creation.</li><li>Build new businesses with a diverse and creative team of global experts in design, engineering, product, marketing, and more.</li><li>Find co-founders and build a team.</li><li>Find potential joint venture partners to accelerate and scale their business.</li><li>Potential collaboration with Mitsui &amp; Co. and its global network.</li><li>Earn $300,000 USD in funding to scale early-stage startups quickly.</li></ul>Beyond expanding our efforts to create an even bigger impact, I am most excited about watching the transformation of people and businesses that will take place at Moon. You never know what happy accident at Moon might lead to the next greatest invention.&nbsp;Kaichi Yokoyama President &amp; CEO of Moon Creative Lab&nbsp;&nbsp;

Spark Summer '24 Exploration Report

Spark Spring '24 Exploration Report

Brewing Sustainability: Tommy Sekiguchi's Quest for Sustainable Coffee Consumption in Japan

Starting a New Business? Moon Can Give You the Boost You Need!

Expanding Our Reach: A Message From Our CEO

Join the Moon Community!

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