Ryusuke Komura

Ryusuke Komura is the Executive Director at Venture Café Tokyo, an organization dedicated to fostering innovation and supporting startups in Japan. He has been instrumental in establishing the Venture Café as a vibrant community for entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators since its inception in 2018. The organization aims to connect diverse individuals through networking events, educational sessions, and mentoring opportunities, with a particular focus on its weekly "Thursday Gathering" event, which attracts around 400 attendees each week.13

Background and Career

Before joining Venture Café Tokyo, Komura had a notable career as an intrapreneur in a major Japanese IT company, where he was involved in launching cloud services. He also has experience as a consultant at GLOBIS, Japan’s largest business school, where he authored various business cases related to entrepreneurship. His academic background includes an MBA from Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, which is renowned for its focus on entrepreneurship.23

Vision and Contributions

Komura emphasizes the importance of human connection in the innovation process, stating that "isolation is the enemy of innovation." Under his leadership, Venture Café Tokyo has positioned itself as a gateway for global startups looking to enter the Japanese market. The organization not only facilitates networking but also provides resources and support for entrepreneurs at various stages of their business development.134

In addition to his role at Venture Café, Komura is involved in education, serving as a faculty member at Hosei University where he teaches entrepreneurship in MBA programs.3

Future Plans

Looking ahead, Komura aims to expand the reach of Venture Café Tokyo by organizing more events across major cities in Japan and introducing new educational programs to further support the startup ecosystem. His vision includes enhancing the role of Venture Café as an open infrastructure for innovation accessible to all.34