Executives Roll Up Their Sleeves: Generative AI Workshop in Hiroshima Transforms 'Seems Usable' into 'Actually Using'

Dooox Inc. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative: RyoSuke Kubodera, hereinafter 'the Company'), which operates the 'Tokumei President Room®' to support corporate executives on 'important but not urgent' challenges, co-hosted the 'Generative AI Workshop for Executives' with Osaka Small and Medium Enterprise Investment & Development Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; Representative: Toshinori Kobayashi) on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Yelle Yelle Building A in Hiroshima. Eight executives from portfolio companies participated, operating the latest generative AI tools while working on solving management challenges.

Scene from the Generative AI Workshop

■ Beyond Seminars: A Design Where Executives 'Use Their Own Hands'

Starting with the Osaka event in December 2025, this marks the sixth city—Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kyoto, Yonago, and now Hiroshima—where we have held the 'Generative AI Workshop for Executives' targeting business leaders and management. With each iteration, the feedback from participants has gradually evolved.

Initially, most comments focused on entry-level experiences such as 'My first time touching AI' or 'Now I understand where to start.' However, increasingly, we are hearing more advanced feedback like 'I want to apply this to my company’s operations,' 'I’d like to share this with my team,' and 'Repeated exposure deepens my understanding.'

The approach to AI among executives is progressively shifting—from 'learning by listening' to 'using by touching,' and further to 'deepening through repeated interaction.' This workshop is facilitating a transformative journey in how executives engage with AI.

■ Workshop Overview

Workshop Name

Generative AI Workshop for Executives

Date and Time

July 10, 2026 (Friday) 13:30 – 16:30

Venue

Room 6, 6th Floor, Yelle Yelle Building A

Participants

7 executives from 6 companies

Instructor

Riku Nagase, Dooox Inc.

Riku Nagase served as the instructor

■ Event Highlights

At the beginning, instructor Riku Nagase presented the latest trends in generative AI and demonstrated major tools, allowing participants to directly interact with diverse generative AI applications such as text, image, video, and audio generation.

In the latter half, participants conducted a hands-on workshop to explore their own management challenges using generative AI. By inputting their company’s issues and engaging in iterative dialogues with AI, they completed on-the-spot outputs—structured reports summarizing problem articulation, solutions, and AI utilization plans.

Everyone opened their laptops and operated the tools themselves. This hands-on design, distinct from typical AI seminars, led to feedback not just of 'it was interesting,' but of 'I can actually use this.'

Small groups sharing their outputs and exchanging feedback

■ Participant Feedback

'It was surprising to actually operate image and audio generation tools myself. I didn’t expect them to be this accessible.'

'I was able to organize my company’s management challenges by brainstorming with AI. Something vague in my mind took shape as a concrete report right there.'

'I finally understood how to approach AI. The idea of being the thinking主体, not just delegating everything to AI, really resonated with me.'

'Even without advanced technical knowledge, I felt that executives like myself can start using AI today. I’d like to share this within my company first.'

'Given how fast this field evolves, being able to experience the latest tools all at once was valuable. I now have a clearer image of my next steps.'

'I was amazed at what free tools can achieve. I’d like to start testing them in daily operations and gradually embed them into our workflow.'

※Participant feedback is compiled based on on-site surveys and interviews.

Participants operating generative AI tools firsthand

■ Future Initiatives

Building on our collaboration with Osaka Small and Medium Enterprise Investment & Development Co., Ltd., we will further expand partnerships with investment and development firms, chambers of commerce, local governments, and financial institutions nationwide.

Beyond hosting workshops, we aim to establish a comprehensive support system—from AI adoption to full integration—through our executive support service 'Tokumei President Room®,' enabling regional SMEs to access the same management tools as their urban counterparts.

Explaining the latest AI developments

■ Launching a Two-Day Intensive Program

Executives who experienced the workshop increasingly express desires such as 'I want to implement this in my company’s operations' and 'How should I roll this out internally?' In response, we have launched a short-term intensive program called 'Tokumei AI Dojo.'

Under an ultra-close mentorship model—three support members for two to three participants from one company—we help build a customized AI tool within two days and provide three months of follow-up support to ensure internal adoption.

From 'touching' to 'implementing,' and further to 'integrating into management'—we are building a system to advance the first steps taken in the workshop to the next level.

■ About Osaka Small and Medium Enterprise Investment & Development Co., Ltd.

Representative: President & CEO Toshinori Kobayashi

Headquarters: 3-3-23 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka (28F Nakano-shima Dai Building)

Kyushu Branch: 2-14-13 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka (5F Tenjin Mitsui Building)

Affiliated Companies: Tokyo SME Investment & Development Co., Ltd. / Nagoya SME Investment & Development Co., Ltd.

Founded: November 1963 (Showa 38)

Business: Investment (equity, bonds with subscription rights, etc.) / Growth support (human resource development, business matching, consulting, and other growth initiatives)

Website: https://www.sbic-wj.co.jp/

About Dooox Inc.

Representative: CEO RyoSuke Kubodera

Headquarters: 8-4-13 Nishigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo (2F Gotanda JP Building, co-lab Gotanda with JPRE)

Founded: June 2021

Website: https://dooox.co.jp/

Business: Under the vision of 'making challenges second nature,' we support new ventures from multiple angles. Centered on 'Tokumei President Room®'—which supports companies in 'important but not urgent' areas—we launch multiple services such as 'Tokumei Machi-Mori Room,' 'Tokumei India Room,' 'Tokumei AI Room,' and 'Tokumei AI Dojo' to accelerate new initiatives, empowering local communities across Japan to lead and sustain revitalization projects from the ground up.