TEDxWasedaU

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Cen Visesvasit

  If your life were a work or art, what would it be made of? Cen Visesvasit, a Thai student at Waseda University, explores this question through the metaphor of a mosaic. Inspired by her multicultural experiences, she reflects on how the people, places, and moments in our lives—both light and dark—come together to form our identity and who we are becoming.

• Christian Dimmer

  What if cities could be redesigned to actively drive socio-ecological transformation? Christian Dimmer is an Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Transition Design at Waseda University's School of International Liberal Studies. Trained as a city planner in Germany and Japan, he explores how urban systems, public space, and human-centred design can unlock more resilient and inclusive futures for all. His work bridges theory and practice—from grassroots urban commons to global policy mobilities—using Tokyo as a living laboratory for social innovation, resilience, and adaptation in an age of accelerating change.

• Harumi Takeuchi

  Born in Tokyo, she moved to Hong Kong at a young age, where navigating different cultural environments shaped her sense of identity. At Hakuhodo, she worked with global brands, translating their core values for Japanese audiences. After gaining experience in international business, she became independent. She now works across branding, education, and global strategy, supporting individuals and organizations in connecting their inner values with outward expression. Her work explores how moments of uncertainty and transition can reveal one’s true essence.

• Kei Tanaka

  Kei Tanaka is an individual who has spent his life exploring a simple question: how can ordinary people keep achieving their dreams? While building his career at Goldman Sachs, one of the world’s leading investment banks, he found himself up against his own limits—and a growing sense that something wasn’t quite right. That turning point led him to focus on routine-building as a skill, using it to redesign his health, his capabilities, and ultimately, his career. Alongside serving as Co-Head of Japan in the same firm, he has gone on to pursue challenges across very different fields: completing a 257 km desert race in Africa, working toward the Ironman World Championship, and fulfilling a long-held dream of becoming a navigator on J-WAVE. At the core of his work is his original “1-in-100 × 1-in-100” approach—a multi-hashtag strategy that combines small, achievable wins into extraordinary results. Through this framework, he shares a practical, repeatable way to build a career, centered on one belief: taking back ownership of your life.

• Makoto Buroku

  Makoto Buroku is a first year student at Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics, majoring in political science. Born in Japan but raised in the United States, Makoto has a deep interest in the politics of both countries. Growing up attending international schools pushed him to take an interest in the diverse experiences of people around the world. Having been raised during the internet age while experiencing recent political polarization and shifts in both the US and Japan, Makoto feels invigorated to reshape the way we engage with politics, encouraging civic responsibility and compassion during an increasingly tense political climate.

• Thatcher Spero

  We’re taught to see education as a necessary step toward a successful life, defined by clear outcomes and measurable achievements. A path already laid out, like a map to follow. But what if learning isn’t about a linear progression of knowledge, skills, and qualifications, or an economic return on investment? What if it’s really about discovering our path and ourselves through the process? Dr. Thatcher A. Spero, a scholar of education and Associate Professor at Musashino University, formerly an Assistant Professor at Waseda University, draws on educational philosophy and personal experience to explore the value of learning as a process. He reflects on moments from everyday life, travel, and his own academic journey to show how our most meaningful learning unfolds through uncertainty, not in spite of it. He invites us to rethink what it means to learn, not asp reparation for life, but as life itself.