When Nomads Meet Locals
Part of Taiwan Digital Fest (TDF), Taiwan’s largest and most iconic digital nomad festival, bringing together global nomads, creators, entrepreneurs, and local communities across Taiwan. Learn more at fest.dna.org.tw.
When Nomads Meet Locals — Designing a Co-Creative Life in Taitung
Beyond the transient visit: How can digital nomads build lasting roots in local communities?
Hosted at LI.KA CAFE, this seminar explores the evolving relationship between digital nomads, cross-border workers, international creators, and the land of Taitung. We shift the focus from brief tourism to meaningful integration. By examining co-living, co-creation, community building, and local tourism, we discuss how to design a lifestyle that transforms Taitung into a global hub that is "stoppable, collaborative, and co-creatable."
Key Discussion Points:
From Transit to Connection: Strategies for international talents to establish deep-rooted ties with local cultures.
The Synergy of Community: How shared spaces and collaborative environments spark local innovation.
Lifestyle Design: Integrating Taitung’s natural pace into sustainable, modern work-life models.
A Global Node: Positioning Taitung as a premier destination for global creators to collaborate and co-create.
Speaker Introduction
1.From the Margins to the Austronesian Capital
Speaker: 武撒恩
Organization & Title:CEO, Dagedan House Group
Brief Professional Introduction
whose Chinese name is Lin Zhihao, is a promoter of Indigenous culture in Taiwan, with Paiwan and Amis ancestry. He grew up in the city but later returned to his hometown in Jinlun, Taitung, to focus on sustainable tourism and cultural development in his community. The businesses he runs, such as "Hit the dagedanB&B" and "Lika Coffee," have gained recognition from local tribespeople, and he is dedicated to environmental protection and promoting Indigenous culture. Under his leadership, the sustainable tourism industry chain has gradually transformed the ecology and economy of the community.
Topic Description
Because of a traditional festival, he began searching for the roots of his culture and returned to his hometown to run a guesthouse. At that time, the village had no tourism resources, and his family opposed his decision, believing he should continue living in the city. However, through his work experience in the city, he transformed the entire village. His guesthouse was once ranked among the top 25 guesthouses in Taiwan on TripAdvisor. As the tourism industry developed, he accumulated experience and received many invitations to share successful cases of local revitalization. He has traveled to places like the Marshall Islands, Hawaii, San Francisco, Canada, Malaysia, and New Zealand to promote sustainable tourism development, becoming the recipient of both the Taitung Environmental Education Award and the Tourism Gold Award in Taiwan.
2.TADAIMA SHIMODA: Building a Glocal Community
Speaker: Elena Tsukada
Organization & Title:ELENTO LLC — Founder & CEO
Brief Professional Introduction
Elena Tsukada is the founder of ELENTO LLC, TADAIMA SHIMODA, and Nomad Experience — programs in Shimoda, Japan that connect global digital nomads with local life and help people discover new ways of working and living. She designs systems where brief visits become lasting relationships. Board member, Japan Digital Nomad Association (JDNA)
Topic Description
What happens when a digital nomad stops being a guest?
Most nomads move through places. They work, explore, and leave. The local community watches from a distance. Both sides miss something.
TADAIMA SHIMODA is a year-round community program in Shimoda, Japan, designed around a different premise: that the most meaningful experiences happen at the intersection of global perspectives and local roots — and that intersection has to be intentionally built.
Since 2024, participants from over 30 countries and regions have lived, worked, and built real relationships in Shimoda. Not as visitors. As people who belong. The result: 26% came back. 36.2% arrived through referral — someone who'd been there told them to come.
This talk explores how we design that intersection — the moments where a nomad becomes a neighbor, where difference stops being a barrier and starts becoming the point.
For nomads looking for somewhere that actually changes them. For builders wondering what it takes to create a community that the world keeps returning to.
3.Designing Your Own Paradise_Ikigai, En (縁), and the Path of Cause and Effect
Speaker: Tomoya Matsumoto
Organization & Title:NomadResort Inc. / CEO & Paradise Producer
Brief Professional Introduction
Matt is a Paradise Producer and CEO of NomadResort Inc., based in Okinawa. He works on government-backed projects and coliving initiatives, designing experiences that connect people, place, and purpose. Through projects like Synapse Festival, he transforms travel into meaningful connection, co-creation, and belonging.
Topic Description
Have you ever felt, “I want to stay here a bit longer,” or “I want to create something with these people”?
This talk is based on the Buddhist concept of Innen-kahō (因縁果報) — the idea that our way of being, intentions, and actions shape the connections and outcomes in our lives.
Here, “In (因)” represents your vision, Ikigai, and your way of being. When you align with this inner direction, meaningful connections, or “En (縁),” naturally emerge — leading to new opportunities, communities, and paths.
My journey started with simple travel. By following my Ikigai and embracing these connections, it evolved into projects like Nomad Resort Okinawa, Goto Retreat, Synapse Festival, and the “I’m in” community platform.
In this session, I’ll share how digital nomads and local communities can move beyond short-term stays to build deeper, more meaningful relationships.
If you feel a desire to connect more deeply with people and places, and to design your own way of living and working, this talk is for you.
Let’s explore how to create your own paradise through connection, intention, and action.
4.Build Your Local Network in 20 Days: the Art of Linguistic Digital Nomading
Speaker: Terry Chihhsiang Hsieh
Organization & Title:CEO/Founder Polyglot.tw 台灣多語言習得推廣與發展協會
Brief Professional Introduction
100 Countries and 50 Languages
Terry Hsieh is the founder of Polyglot.tw, a language immersion program provider. He also serves as an advisor at Taiwan's Indigenous Language Research and Development Foundation. Terry loves to travel the world(100 countries so far) to study languages and calls himself a “linguistic digital nomad”. He speaks over 50 languages at varying levels of proficiency.
Topic Description
What's your digital nomad story? I decided to become a digital nomad because it's the best way to learn languages through the power of immersion. Immersion means spending significant time with local people—listening to them, empathizing with them, and learning everything about their culture.
After 20 years of "linguistic digital nomading," I’ve learned how to effectively network with locals within a very short period of time. In this talk, I will share secrets and tips for local networking and introduce powerful tools for building both local and international connections.
I will also draw on my recent experiences in Chile and Paraguay to provide concrete examples of how highly effective networking works in practice.
Once you master "the art of linguistic digital nomading," it will take you only 20 days to build a deep local network. By the time you leave your destination, you will have at least 20 friends at your farewell party.
Let's connect!