Yoshito Hori: The Man Who Built Japan's Largest MBA — and Why He's Betting on Social Entrepreneurs
GLOBIS founder Yoshito Hori has trained 100,000+ business leaders and invested in 150+ ventures. At Tech for Impact Summit 2026, he shares why social entrepreneurship is Japan's next frontier.
In 1992 Yoshito Hori came home from Harvard with an MBA and opened a business school in Tokyo.
GLOBIS University is now Japan’s largest MBA program, with more than 100,000 alumni. GLOBIS Capital Partners, the venture arm, has invested in over 150 companies. Hori writes and speaks on entrepreneurship, leadership and business in society, and a lot of people in Japan listen.
At Tech for Impact Summit 2026 he opens the program with a session titled “Entrepreneur’s Social Contribution.” The material comes from KIBOW, which he started after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
From Tohoku to Impact
After the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, Hori set up KIBOW. It has since made impact investments and run hundreds of events that put entrepreneurs in front of social problems around Japan.
Hori’s view is that business leaders owe more than profit. Some problems will not get solved by a market on its own, and he expects business people to take those on anyway.
GLOBIS teaches strategy and finance like any other business school. Its stated mission, though, is “creating a society where people can find and pursue their life’s purpose,” and the curriculum treats leadership as service.
Why Social Entrepreneurship Matters for Japan
Japan is aging, which means new demand in healthcare, eldercare, mobility and community design. Young people keep moving to Tokyo, and rural towns struggle to keep basic services running. At the same time, trust in institutions is high, so a social enterprise here finds it easier to work with government and large companies than it would in most countries.
Hori has said for years that Japan should not try to copy Silicon Valley. His bet is on founders who treat aging, depopulation and regional inequality as markets.
The GLOBIS Ecosystem
Hori’s reach goes further than the classroom. GLOBIS University trains the managers. GLOBIS Capital Partners funds the companies. G1 Summit, a leadership conference, and KIBOW bring the entrepreneurs together. GLOBIS Unlimited, one of Japan’s largest business education platforms, carries the ideas to millions.
A founder in Japan can take a GLOBIS class, raise from GLOBIS Capital Partners, attend G1 and appear on GLOBIS Unlimited. Hori runs all four.
What to Expect at the Summit
Hori’s session covers where entrepreneurship and social contribution meet, with examples from the KIBOW network. It is the first session of the day.
Tech for Impact Summit 2026 takes place April 26 at Kioi Conference, Tokyo. Join the 2027 waitlist →