We Are Tomodachi Summer 2017

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28There are many “accelerators” that support entrepreneurs, but the one called “Women’s Startup Lab,” managed by Ari Horie in Silicon Valley, is a bit different. As the name suggests, Horie’s company offers live-in immersive training and support programs focused on helping female entrepreneurs flourish. But where did she get the idea to focus on women?According to Horie, the impetus can be traced back to the momentous occasion of becoming a mother. Horie came to the U.S. when she was 18, and after graduating from university, she was hired by IBM U.S.A. where she worked for the global marketing team in Silicon Valley. Next, she worked her way through several Silicon Valley startups, and then in 2003, she went through the experience of giving birth and starting to raise a child. That’s when she learned a startling truth: “Even though I was living in Silicon Valley, the moment I began raising my child, everything became low-tech, from changing diapers to communicating with the school.” Horie says, “I was in a world disconnected from IT. The whole day I was running around with pen, paper, and phone in hand.” It was then that she realized for the first time that in fields like education and caregiving, in which men participate comparatively little, technology is not yet utilized very much.Then in 2011, when Horie had founded an Helping Women Entrepreneurs Thrive, from Silicon Valley to BeyondSelected as one of CNN’s “10 Visionary Women” Ari HorieCEO of Women’s Startup Lab. Graduated from California State University in 1997. Founded Women’s Startup Lab in Silicon Valley in 2013 to conduct intensive live-in training programs for female entrepreneurs. Selected as one of CNN’s “10 Visionary Women” and Marie Claire’s “20 Women Who Are Changing the Ratio.”Series: Japanese Individuals Contributing Worldwide