The Human Signal: Founder-Led Cross-Border Sales
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB)
Doors open at 6:00 PM; program 6:30–9:00 PM (JST)
Language: English
Participation: Free
About the Event
What if great sales isn’t about persuasion, but about making human value unmistakably clear?
The Human Signal brings together founders, entrepreneurs and startup professionals to explore the human side of cross-border sales—from building trust and communicating value to creating meaningful customer relationships across different cultures.
The event begins with an interactive workshop introducing a practical framework for understanding the right audience, moment, message and emotion in sales.
The workshop will be followed by a panel discussion exploring practical approaches to sales, customer relationships and communication across the UK, Japan and international markets.
Following a successful pilot with Venture Café Tokyo, this expanded edition at Tokyo Innovation Base combines practical learning, cross-border insights and meaningful community connections.
Agenda
6:00 PM — Doors Open
6:30–6:40 PM — Introduction
6:40–7:10 PM — Interactive Workshop
7:10–7:40 PM — Panel Discussion
7:40–9:00 PM — Networking
What We’ll Explore
The Four Layers of Human Sales: Right Audience, Right Moment, Right Message and Right Emotion
How products move customers from one emotional state to another
How to build offers and messages around genuine customer value
Human-centred inbound and outbound sales without becoming pushy
How trust and communication differ between Japan and Western markets
How to adapt your signal across cultures without losing authenticity
Practical founder and startup examples
Speakers and Session Roles
Timothy Connor, CEO, Synnovate— Panelist
Anna Leshchuk, Founder, BREAMS— Panelist
Kei Watanabe, Co-Founder, Glasp — Panelist
Erdinç Ekinci, Co-Founder & CEO, Openfor.co — Moderator
Julio Alejandro Calanche, Founder, SABI by Sales Done Right Japan — Workshop Lead
Who Is It For?
Startup founders and entrepreneurs
Sales and business development professionals
Startup ecosystem professionals
Students interested in entrepreneurship and international business
Professionals building customer relationships across cultures
Anyone interested in expanding into Japan, the UK or other international markets
Co-Hosted By
Sales Done Right
Light non-alcoholic refreshments will be available during networking, supported by Yanaka Craft Cola.
This event is educational and community-focused. It is not a commercial sales presentation.