Published "SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IMPACT REPORT in TOHOKU 2026" Summarizing the Social Impact of Social Entrepreneurs in Tohoku

ICHI COMMONS Inc. (CEO: Takahiro Fushimi, hereinafter "ICHI COMMONS"), in collaboration with IMPACT Foundation Japan (hereinafter "INTILAQ"), has released the "SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IMPACT REPORT in TOHOKU 2026" (hereinafter "the Report"), which summarizes the social impact created by social entrepreneurs in Tohoku to date.

Since the first edition was published in 2022, this report has been updated as a survey report to visualize the activities and business effects of social entrepreneurs in Tohoku. In this 2026 edition, marking the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the content has been completely revamped with the sponsorship of ORBIS CORPORATION, which has continuously supported this initiative. The report has evolved to systematically depict not only the visualization of individual social entrepreneurs' impact but also the structure and function of the "social entrepreneur ecosystem" in Tohoku, built together by entrepreneurs, supporters, government, universities, and corporations, and its 15-year journey.

To commemorate the release of the report, a release commemorative event will be held on July 21, 2026 (Tue.) at the INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center, featuring the featured social entrepreneurs as guests.

The report can be downloaded in full from the link below.

▼Download Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qllHsuMhyspCYOrbMsBKZNqraXPahKX9/view

▼Online Version (Latest information on featured entrepreneurs updated regularly) https://susnet.jp/reports/intilaq

Key Points of the Report

1. Systematization of the Trajectory of Social Entrepreneurs' Challenges 15 Years After the Earthquake

From their emergence as "drivers of reconstruction" immediately after the earthquake, to the establishment of sustainable business models, and now to becoming "central players driving the ecosystem." The report is structured to provide a chronological overview of the 15 years walked by social entrepreneurs in Tohoku, offering a comprehensive view of their evolution.

2. From "Individual Impact" to Visualization of the "Entire Ecosystem"

This revised edition has been reorganized into the following four parts, visualizing for the first time the overall ecosystem that supports social entrepreneurship in Tohoku:

- PART 1: Building the Social Entrepreneur Ecosystem - Characteristics, Functions, and Business Performance of Tohoku's Ecosystem

- PART 2: The Challenges of Social Entrepreneurs - Six Social Issue Areas They Address

- PART 3: The Impact Created by Social Entrepreneurs - Tohoku's Social Entrepreneurs in Numbers

- PART 4: Investment in the Future Supporting Entrepreneurs - Future Challenges and Messages to Future Partners

3. Significant Update of Quantitative Data (as of the end of May 2026)

To visualize social impact, in addition to organizing and measuring qualitative achievements and performance indicators for each social entrepreneur, we have attempted to quantitatively organize data based on the following common items:

Cumulative Funding Raised: Approximately 9.1 billion yen (9,102,280,000 yen)

*Sum of social entrepreneurs listed in the online version and those who have responded to past surveys.

Total Annual Budget of Featured Social Entrepreneurs: Approximately 730 million yen

Number of Social Entrepreneurs Nurtured: Over 150

Number of Matches with External Support Personnel: Over 1,200

Number of Participants in Events by Students and Working Adults: Over 20,000

4. Detailed Activities of 31 Social Entrepreneurs Featured, Organized by Six Social Issue Areas

The social issues facing Tohoku are organized into six areas: "Industrial Development," "Hope for Youth," "Child-rearing Environment," "Diversity and Work Styles," "Regional Social Capital," and "Enhancement of Social and Disability Welfare." The initiatives of 31 social entrepreneurs challenging in each of these fields are introduced.

5. Linkage with the Online Version

In addition to the printed version (PDF), an online version has been prepared to continuously disseminate the latest information on featured social entrepreneurs.

The Tohoku Ecosystem Depicted in This Report

The characteristics of Tohoku's social entrepreneur ecosystem include a culture of "knowledge inheritance" where senior entrepreneurs mentor those who follow, and a mechanism for "expanding impact" by applying knowledge gained from solving regional issues to domestic and global challenges. Specific mechanisms for the autonomous expansion of the ecosystem, such as the "Seed program for Local Challenger (SLC)" which disseminates know-how cultivated in Sendai to various parts of Tohoku, are also introduced.

Tohoku has been addressing structural challenges facing Japan as a whole, such as population decline and aging demographics, ahead of other regions. We hope that the release of this report will help showcase problem-solving models originating from Tohoku to the rest of Japan and the world.

Regarding the Release Commemorative Event

To commemorate the release of this report, a "Social Impact Created by Tohoku's Social Entrepreneurs (Tohoku Social Impact Report 2026 Release Commemorative Event)" will be held on July 21, 2026 (Tue.) at the INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center.

On the day of the event, in addition to an overview of the report and the key points of the 2026 edition, guests including Mr. Kazuyoshi Takahashi, representative of Banzai Factory Inc., and Ms. Rima Sato, representative director of Kurumu General Incorporated Association, both featured in the report, will discuss the practice of social entrepreneurship emerging in Tohoku and its social impact. Through this event, we aim to raise awareness of the initiatives of Tohoku's social entrepreneurs among a wider audience and create opportunities for new co-creation with diverse stakeholders such as corporations, government, universities, and supporters.

【Event Outline】

Date and Time: July 21, 2026 (Tue.) Doors open 18:30

Venue: INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center

Participation Fee: Free

Details and Registration: https://social-impact-report.peatix.com/view

About IMPACT Foundation Japan (INTILAQ)

IMPACT Foundation Japan is an organization established in 2010 with the aim of fostering next-generation global leaders, and has planned and operated innovative programs such as TEDxTokyo and HLAB.

Supported by the Qatar Friendship Fund for the entrepreneur support project "INTILAQ," the organization aims to create an ecosystem where new businesses and services are born and nurtured in the three coastal disaster-affected prefectures of Tohoku (Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima), referred to as "Catalyze the venture ecosystem." To achieve this, it operates the "INTILAQ Tohoku Innovation Center" as a "place" and plans and provides various events, workshops, and mentoring services as "content."

- INTILAQ URL: https://intilaq.jp/

About ICHI COMMONS Inc.

With the mission to "support mutual aid and co-creation for all people and organizations working to solve social issues," the company provides the mutual aid and co-creation platform "SustenaNet" to corporations, local governments, and non-profit/for-profit organizations tackling social issues. It also develops businesses such as "Sustena Summary" to visualize the sustainability efforts and impact of each company. The company aims to realize a business that serves as infrastructure for solving social issues in Japan by connecting various sectors.

ICHI COMMONS Website: https://ichicommons.com/

Case studies of collaboration between companies and NPOs/social enterprises "SustenaPress": https://press.ichicommons.com/

Sponsorship for the Revision of the Impact Report

ORBIS CORPORATION has consistently supported not only the publication of the impact report but also the formation of the social entrepreneur ecosystem in Tohoku. We have been able to continue this initiative through their ongoing cooperation from the first edition in 2022 to the revision of this 2026 edition. We express our sincere gratitude for their long-term support of the challenges undertaken by social entrepreneurs in Tohoku.

Company Profile

Company Name: ICHI COMMONS Inc.

Head Office: 12F, New Otani Garden Court, 4-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Representative Director: Takahiro Fushimi

Established: January 31, 2020

Capital: Approximately 135 million yen

Business Activities: Operation of the mutual aid and co-creation platform "SustenaNet," etc. https://susnet.jp/