Kaori Ishimaru, Product Manager at Reelu Inc., Selected as Finalist for "WOMAN AI AWARD 2026" and Wins Company Innovator Award

Reelu Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shuyu Konno; hereinafter "Reelu"), which operates the premium spot work service "Reelu" specializing in international-standard hospitality, is pleased to announce that Kaori Ishimaru, Product Manager, was selected as a finalist and received the Company Innovator Award at the "WOMAN AI AWARD 2026" awards ceremony held in Tokyo on July 6, 2026 (Mon).

About WOMAN AI AWARD 2026

The "WOMAN AI AWARD 2026" is organized by the Japan Women AI Initiative and recognizes women who have expanded their options by challenging themselves with AI, serving as "role models." It widely disseminates the stories behind their transformations. The aim is to create opportunities for people to "learn and engage with AI" through the presence of these role models, thereby broadening societal recognition of AI utilization.

This award received 191 applications (including self-nominations and nominations by others) from 23 prefectures nationwide and overseas, with participants ranging in age from the youngest at 15 to the oldest at 69.

Based on the three criteria of "empathy, originality, and transformational impact," finalists were selected through primary and secondary screenings by seven judges. From the 30 finalists, 13 award recipients for each category who passed the final screening, plus one individual who received the most votes in a public poll on the owned media (period: June 22 - July 4), were honored.

<Awards Ceremony Overview>

- Name: WOMAN AI AWARD 2026

- Date & Time: July 6, 2026 (Mon) Doors Open 13:00 / Ceremony Starts 13:30 - Ends 15:35

- Venue: Tokyo

- Content: Opening remarks, introduction of judges and awardees, awards ceremony, panel discussion, photo session, networking

- Organizer: Japan Women AI Initiative

- Sponsor: CORE Inc.

- Supporters: General Incorporated Association for the Promotion of Generative AI Utilization (GUGA), Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA)

Official press release from the Japan Women AI Initiative can be found here:

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000030.000162627.html

Regarding the Company Innovator Award

The "Company Innovator Award" received by Ishimaru at this award is given to individuals who have driven AI transformation from within a company or organization.

Yuriko Asahina, former CIO of Persol Tempstaff Co., Ltd., who served as a judge, provided commentary on the award. Ishimaru's initiatives, such as the redesign of operational workflows utilizing AI within Reelu, have contributed to shortening the period to profitability in the medium-term business plan and are expected to compress personnel costs by approximately 20%, demonstrating steady results and significant contributions to business impact. The award also recognized her success in integrating AI not just for individual use but across the entire organization.

Details of this initiative are featured in the following interview article:

WOMAN AI AWARD 2026 Finalist Interview Article: Kaori Ishimaru | "Turning Constraints into Growth" Building a System for Continuous Challenge with AI After Entrepreneurship, Company Sale, and Breast Cancer https://women-ai-initiative.jp/media/posts/ishimaru_award

From Kaori Ishimaru, Product Manager at Reelu Inc.

Thank you very much for selecting me as a finalist and awarding me the Company Innovator Award at the WOMAN AI AWARD 2026. I am deeply honored to have been chosen from among so many individuals with rich stories and outstanding achievements.

The widespread adoption and advancement of generative AI have significantly updated the traditional business creation process. While appropriately leveraging its power, all our employees will continue to sincerely strive to create services that yield better experiences and results for our registered workers and corporate clients.

From Shuyu Konno, Representative Director and CEO of Reelu Inc.

At Reelu, we operate a premium spot work service specializing in international-standard hospitality. However, with the development of AI, we believe that the value of human communication and hospitality has become even higher than before.

As indicated by the award received by Ms. Ishimaru, we will continue to strive to maximize the power of people in hospitality settings through technology, leading to high-quality matching.

About Reelu Inc.

Reelu Inc. operates "Reelu," a premium spot work service specializing in international-standard hospitality. We match personnel fluent in languages such as English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Japanese with sites in tourism, transportation, hotels, events, commercial facilities, MICE, and medical interpretation, supporting companies in solving labor shortages and visitor service challenges.

Company Name: Reelu Inc.

Representative: Shuyu Konno, Representative Director and CEO

Head Office Location: Aoyama Tower Place 8F, 8-4-14 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Establishment Date: April 2022

Capital: ¥38,497,600 (including capital reserve)

Business Activities: Premium spot work service Reelu, delivering international-standard hospitality

Company Website: https://reelu.jp/

Service Website: https://service.reelu.jp/

▼Inquiries regarding services: https://forms.gle/2ztuxsmBx1sJuryo9 *Please refrain from inquiries for sales purposes.