On December 3 (Wednesday), the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Shizenkan University held “Impact Night,” a semi-closed event exploring the integration of social impact and business.

This session, organized in collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), welcomed social entrepreneurs active across the Asia-Pacific region. Rather than approaching disability within the traditional “support = charity” framework, the speakers emphasized the importance of enabling persons with disabilities to participate fully in economic activity and become agents of social transformation through innovation and technology.

The session was moderated by Yoshitaka Tabuchi, Adjunct Associate Professor at Shizenkan and Co-founder of Zebras and Company.

Inclusive Business Model from Vietnam

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (Founder of Imagtor / Vietnam)

Ms. Van, who has spinal muscular atrophy, runs “Imagtor,” a social venture in Vietnam that provides IT outsourcing services such as image editing. Her mission is to “transform perceptions of persons with disabilities.” She provides fair wages and training opportunities to people with disabilities, aiming not for charity but for self-sustaining business grounded in high-quality services. Her approach—creating economic value through excellence rather than dependence—deeply resonated with the participants.

Sign Language Services Evolving into Social Infrastructure

Mr. Junto Ohki (Founder & CEO, ShuR)

“Talent is universal, but access is not,” says Mr. Ohki, who shared the origin story of VRI (Video Remote Interpretation), a remote sign-language interpretation service developed to remove the information barrier between Deaf and hearing individuals.
Launched in 2008—before smartphones were widely available—the initiative has since evolved into a form of social infrastructure, used by banks, municipalities, and other institutions. Mr. Oki emphasized that technology is merely a tool; what truly matters is the governance and legal frameworks (such as sign language ordinances) necessary to implement solutions in society. He highlighted the importance of a “hybrid model” that integrates business viability with social benefit.

Lead Commentator

Mr. Daisuke Kasayanagi (NPO DPI-Japan / Shizenkan MBA Student)

Mr. Kasayanagi, who has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, works on policy advocacy at DPI-Japan, an organization dedicated to disability rights. He is also a second-year MBA student at Shizenkan.
Serving as Lead Commentator, he reflected on the speakers’ presentations and shared his own lived experiences as a person with a disability. Motivated by the desire to “leverage personal experience to change societal structures rather than simply work in the private sector,” he chose to work in the NPO sector. Drawing from his perspective as a wheelchair user, he actively promotes barrier-free environments in both physical and systemic dimensions.

Panel Discussion: A Dynamic Dialogue that Energized the Entire Venue

In the latter half of the event, panelists and participants engaged in a lively, boundary-crossing discussion on wide-ranging themes such as “AI technology and human roles,” “equitable partnerships with companies,” and “mindset shifts required of leaders.”
The conversation went far beyond a conventional Q&A session. The entire room was filled with a forward-looking energy that reframed disability not as a “problem to overcome” but as a “source of innovation.” It was a spirited and constructive dialogue—characteristic of Shizenkan, where the integration of business and social impact is taken seriously.

The venue brought together Shizenkan students, alumni, and external participants interested in social transformation. Even after the session ended, attendees gathered around the speakers for enthusiastic networking.

Shizenkan will continue to provide platforms for dialogue that connect diverse sectors and generate positive impact for society.