Changemakers Unplugged Vol. 5 — Deconstructing "Impact" in 2026
Changemakers Unplugged returns for Vol. 5 — and we're excited to host from now on at our home base in Meguro: Impact HUB Tokyo!
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"Impact" has become one of the most overused words of the decade: stamped onto pitch decks, annual reports, and LinkedIn bios until it risks meaning everything and nothing at all. What does it actually take to build the kind of social infrastructure that sustains real change over time?
Join us for an evening of candid conversation with two practitioners who have spent years building & operating within communities of changemakers in Tokyo and beyond.
Some key areas we'll cover
Impact Fatigue: When did "impact" become a branding exercise, and what do we lose when the word loses its weight?
Refusing Easy Globalism: What it means to build with cultural and contextual depth, rather than copy-pasting models across borders.
Anchoring & Scaling: Why some ecosystems need roots before they need reach
Social Infrastructure: The unglamorous, essential work of holding space for communities to grow over years
🎯 Who Should Join
Founders, operators, and community builders working in impact, social innovation, or purpose-driven entrepreneurship
Community managers at corporate innovation labs, NPO leaders, and social enterprise founders looking to deepen their practice
Corporate innovation, sustainability, and CSR leads exploring how to engage with ecosystems beyond transactional partnerships
Anyone curious about how experienced changemakers actually think about their work
Event Details
🗓️ Date & Time: Thursday, June 4th, 7-9pm (doors open 6:30pm)
📍 Venue: Impact HUB Tokyo, Meguro
🗣️ Language: English
👥 Speakers:
Tove Kinooka (Director & Co-founder, Global Perspectives Japan)
Tove is a bicultural (British/Danish) organisational transformation consultant based in Japan. She co-founded Global Perspectives K.K. in 2015 with a mission to change the way leaders & organisations think, work, and impact the world.
Centred around GP’s core pillars of People, Planet and Tech, she works across Asia & Europe with major global corporations, NPOs, Embassies, and social venture organizations to accelerate action for an inclusive and sustainable future.
Tove served 6 years as an Executive Committee member of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ), where she led the Responsible Business Task Force, and is a long-serving member of the Management Committee for NPO Refugee Empowerment International, (REI).
Yuko Mishio (CEO, Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd.)
Yuko moved to Finland for university to pursue a Bachelor's degree in International Business. She also spent extended periods living in Paris and Berlin, gaining hands-on experience across diverse social and cultural environments — from interning at local galleries to working with organizations supporting refugee entrepreneurs. After joining Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd., she focused on supporting entrepreneurs in the sustainability space, leading business prototyping initiatives and managing programs related to the circular economy. She also contributed to launching new ventures and shaping strategy in the food & beverage and art sectors. In July 2024, Yuko became President & CEO of the company. Through the development of three core business areas — a real estate arm offering global workspace solutions, an entrepreneur support business, and an art business that connects creators with the wider business community — she aims to build an ecosystem HUB that extends beyond physical space.
Moderator: Chris Clayton (Community builder & Project Manager, Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd.)
Agenda
18:30: Doors open
19:00: Opening Remarks
19:10: Panel Discussion
20:10: Q&A
20:30: Networking & Light Refreshments
21:00: Event ends
About Hub Tokyo
This event is hosted by Hub Tokyo Co., Ltd. Hub Tokyo designs programs and provides consulting services for organizations seeking to advance social impact, sustainability, and entrepreneurial education. Through facilitation, research, and community co-creation, the company helps businesses and institutions build ecosystems that empower changemakers and accelerate social innovation. Hub Tokyo also operates Impact HUB Tokyo, part of the global Impact HUB network—one of the world’s largest communities for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Since its opening in Meguro in 2013, Impact HUB Tokyo has served as a coworking and incubation space in Meguro, bringing together startups, freelancers, artists, and NPO leaders from Japan and abroad. Accredited as an incubation center by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2022, it continues to provide support for early-stage entrepreneurs through incubation programs and community initiatives. In 2023, they opened Communita Café, a neighborhood café that functions as a gathering place where locals and members can meet, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections.