REPORTMarch 22 - 24, 2023

IN PARTNERSHIP WITHO R G A N I Z E R S ’
L E T T E R SThis Summit provided wisdom, courage, and hopefor all of us. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,gathering women leaders from around the world for
dialogue, connections, and ultimately solutions. We at
JWLI believe in the power of women’s collaborationthat transforms crisis into opportunity. This is only thebeginning; let us embrace this opportunity and takeaction to create a brighter future for all.

Atsuko Toko FishF OUNDER , J WLI ECOSYS T EM
CO- F OUNDER & T R US T EE,F I S H FAMI LY F OUNDAT I ONJWLI HAWAI‘I SUMMIT 2023
❘2Aloha mai kākou – greetings to us all!
During this important Summit of dynamic womenfocused on turning crisis into opportunity and leading
global social change, I enjoyed hearing your stories
and sharing some of the lessons I’ve gained about
leading in times of crisis and recovery. Using themotto of Hawai‘i’s own Queen Kapi‘olani, I hope
you continue to “Kūlia i ka nu‘u,” or “Strive forthe summit.”

Suzanne Vares-Lum
PRE SIDE N T, EA ST-WEST CE N TER

Summaryu30

37u500+in-person/online
participants from17 countries.

uu30

sessions with20 speakers,and 8 localorganization visits.

H I G H L I G H T S

u500+&u

S U M M A R Y

The JWLI Hawaii Summit was held on March22-24, 2023 in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. On the theme of“Transforming Crisis into Opportunity,” the Summit
offered valuable insights, a dynamic environment forknowledge sharing, and an opportunity to foster aglobal network. With these experiences broadening
their perspectives and networks, these women leaders
will further drive social change in their communities.

37 18

women leaders from Japan withcollaboration ideas.

Highlights

Global Exposure:Transformative experiencesthat expanded theirperspectives.

Power of Collective Voices
and Actions: 500 individuals
gathered from around theworld, uniting in making
their voices heard forcollective action.

Global Network of
Women Leaders:
Like-minded global leadersconnected for support andcollaborations.

W W W. J W L I . O R G ❘3

Global Session

Speakers
T A K E A W A Y SA N D

The Global Session emphasized
the power of women coming together
to amplify their voices and influencechange. 500 individuals from around theworld joined to engage in a meaningful
discussion on the significance ofwomen’s leadership. Participants left
feeling motivated and empowered,acknowledging the importance of
supporting initiatives led by women.
The session highlighted the benefitsof collaboration, promoting genderequality, and valuing diverse perspectives.

I M P A C T S

u“The Summit provided a safe
space to learn from like-minded
individuals about their stories,triumphs, and struggles.”Our distinguished lineup of speakers brought together adiverse range of perspectives, expertise, and stories of success.
Their collective wisdom and shared journeys served as a catalyst
for empowerment and inspiration, reinforcing the importance of
women’s leadership and paving the way for transformative actionsin their respective fields.

u“The Summit united many enterprising womenwith strong ideas, unwavering passion, and deep
determination for social impact. It created bridges,networks, and connections across the globe. Meeting inperson also created a sense of shared experiences andnurtured friendships, inspiring hope and building support
sytems for leading change.” - Patricia Mathias, Head of

Gender Platform, AVPN (Singapore)uu“I made connections withpeople I couldn’t have without
this Summit. The diversity ofperspectives was my takeaway
not only from the speakers but
also from the audience.”
JWLI HAWAI‘I SUMMIT 2023❘

4

“I was impressed by the dedication and passion of
the women leaders from Japan--all raising voices andtaking action to make changes to persistant social
problems in Japan. The JWLI Summit provided an ideal
opportunity to exchange ideas and re-energize withpeers in a supportive environment.” - Susan E. Yamada,

Chair of the Board, Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship,
University of Hawai ‘i

JWLI Alumni

T A K E A W A Y S

Leadership Traits Self-Assessment:
The JWLI Alumni completed the leadership traits
self-assessment before and after the Summit.
This assessment allows them to evaluate theirleadership abilities, identifying strengths and areasfor growth. The outcome indicated an increase inall 14 traits, demonstrating a deeper understandingof leadership. The highest increases were seenin confident, inspirational, decisive, positive,collaborative, and empathetic, essential traits foreffective leadership.

A N D
I M P A C T S

Increased Alumni Engagement:
The Summit has left a lasting impact on the JWLI
Alumni by strengthening connections and fosteringcollaborations through knowledge sharing, peer
mentorship, and shared experiences. JWLI hopes
these collaborations will evolve into partnerships,
joint projects, and ongoing mentorship.

u“Meeting such diverse speakers at the Summit expanded my mind.
Building upon my takeaway from the summit, a few other alumni andI are developing two collaborations: a training program for gender diversity and a project for
women’s financial literacy.” – Mayumi Ando, JWLI 2018 Fellow

uNagata, JWLI 2022 Fellow

W W W. J W L I . O R G ❘“The Summit was a transformative experience for me with global connections and inspirations.
I hosted women’s health workshops in Hawai‘i and am hoping for future events at local schools
and farms. I also recruited our social media manager through a Hawai‘i connection.” - Kyoko

5ScheduleS C H E D U L E

Day 1

A N DuOpening and EWC Campus Touru

Kick-off Session by Noriko Namikiu

M E D I A

Crisis & Entrepreneurship Session by
Yasuhiro Yamakawa

Day 2uC O V E R A G Euu

Women’s Leadership Sessionby Rona Tison
Workshops by Traci Griffith (Women’sRights), Kumi Macdonald (Well-being),
Karen Tan (Fundraising), Susan E.
Yamada (Women Entrepreneurship)
Global Session – open to public and 		global live-streaming• Keynote by Suzanne Vares-Lum• Panel by Cathy Betts, Anisa Kamadoli		 Costa, Megumi Ishimoto, Roz Lee,		Patricia Mathias
Day 3uSite visits: 8 organizationsuGroup Reflection & Alum Presentationu

EWC Remarks & Closing

Media Coverage

JWLI HAWAI‘I SUMMIT 2023
❘6Hawaii Local TV – KHON2 (theleading TV news station with aviewership of 100,000+ households) featured Atsuko TokoFish’s comment.

Hawaii Public Radio (the top radionews format) highlighted Suzanne
Vares-Lum’s interview.

The Japan Times (the largest

English newspaper in Japan with8 million monthly views online)
showcased the Global Session with4 newsletter highlights.

Featured Speakers
Megumi Ishimoto

Shunichi Shibanuma

Former First Lady,
State of Hawai‘i

Executive Director andCo-founder, NPO Women’s Eye(JWLI Alumni)

JWLI Executive Mentor

Cathy Betts

Director, Department of Human
Services, State of Hawai‘i
Anisa Kamadoli Costa

Roz Lee

Former Head of Philanthropy,
Equality FundMark A. Levin

Minako Suematsu

Chairperson & Publisher,
The Japan Times
Karen Tan

President and CEO,Child & Family ServiceKumi Macdonald

Founder, JWLI Ecosystem,Co-founder, Fish Family
Foundation

Executive Director, National
Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaii(NAMI HAWAII)

Larry Fish

Patricia Mathias

Co-founder, Fish Family
Foundation

Head of Gender Platform, AVPN

Associate Professor ofEntrepreneurship, Babson
College, JWLI Executive CoachJosh Green, M.D.

Noriko Namiki

Susan E. Yamada

Chief Executive Officer,
YWCA O‘ahu

Chair Of The Board, Pacific Asian
Center For Entrepreneurship,
University Of Hawai‘i

Governor, State of Hawai‘i
Traci Griffith

Kozue SawameDirector, Racial Justice Program,
American Civil Liberties Unionof Massachusetts

Director of Japan Programs,Fish Family Foundation

Yasuhiro Yamakawa

V I S I T

Site Visit Organizations

Executive Vice President Of
Corporate, Relations, ITO EN(North America) Inc.

S I T E

Atsuko Toko Fish

Rona Tison&Director, University of Hawai‘iCenter for Japanese Studies

S P E A K E R S

Chief Sustainability Officer,
Rivian, Automotive, Inc., Trustee& President, Rivian Foundation

F E A T U R E D

Dawn Amano-Ige

O R G A N I Z A T I O N SW W W. J W L I . O R G ❘7jwliboston jwliecosystem
www.JWLI.org

www.EastWestCenter.org