Wisdom Cafe: Working cross-culture in Asia
In a world where borders matter less and collaboration matters more, what are the unspoken assumptions shaping how we work across cultures in Asia?
Join us for an open, rotating dialogue using World Cafe method, where diverse perspectives meet, challenge and enrich one another.
You will:
surface assumptions and practices that do not travel well across Asian contexts
explore the opportunities and challenges of a rising multi-cultural workforce.
Grow the confidence and global mindset to succeed anywhere in the world!
Date: May 23, 2026 (Sat)
Time: 8am-10am India | 9:30am-11:30am Jakarta | 10:30am-12:30pm Hong Kong | 11:30am-1:30pm Tokyo
Hosts: Tommy Oshima (Japan), Putri Lestari (Indonesia), Shirley Lam (Hong Kong)
Format: Zoom meeting + Miro board (no sign-up is required)
Fee: Free of charge
We are Wiser Together.
Wisdom Café is an online, free-of-charge World Café event with a mission to foster collective wisdom and deep conversation among global participants.
We believe we need better conversations to address complex global issues. The World Café, a time-tested facilitation method with over 30 years of experience, provides a reliable and easy-to-follow structure that transforms diverse perspectives into collective wisdom.
"Attended an online World Café session that was conducted last weekend. It was tremendous. Participants from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences came together and the richness of the discussion was harvested beautifully by Graphic Recorder, Yumino Tanaka - Japan. What truly struck me was how the visual captured the deeper meaning beneath our conversations."
- Christopher Choong, IAF Endorsed Facilitator, Performance and Leadership coach
The graphic recording that captured the collective wisdom after the first Wisdom Café: What can we co-create to work out difficulties in the AI era for our next generation?
👥 Who Should Attend
Professionals working across cultures or regions
Leaders of diverse or global teams
Anyone preparing for an international or multicultural career
Individuals eager to build a stronger global mindset
☕ What is World Café?
World Café is a conversation format driven by intentionally crafted questions, designed for 12 or more people to Think Together.
In the process, participants are divided into small groups to have a conversation around a question, and then join a new group to have a conversation around the next one.
There will be three rounds, each 15 to 20 minutes.
After that, everyone comes together to share what they learned. We'll be able to take home the main ideas, themes, and insights that emerged from the conversations.
🗣️ Who are you hosts?
Tommy Oshima
A corporate trainer, facilitator, and business author. After graduating from Kansai University and working in sales, he became CEO of Speaking-Essay Inc. in 2005. He has delivered facilitation workshops nationwide, presented at international conferences across Asia, and co-authored The World of Visual Facilitation (2019). He serves on the board of the World Café Community Foundation and chairs GCBC (Generative Conversation BA Community).
Putri Lestari
Putri Lestari is a facilitator, coach, and learning designer based in Indonesia, and Chief Learning Officer at Pause and Grow. She designs programs for educators, leaders, and organizations, creating spaces where people reflect, have meaningful conversations, and turn insights into action. Grounded in a Master's in Adult Education for Social Change from the University of Glasgow, her work draws on facilitation, reflective practice, and systems thinking to help people and teams navigate change.
Shirley Lam
Shirley Lam is a facilitation advocate committed to making facilitation more accessible and practical for others to learn and apply. A marketer by profession and a World Café host by passion, she designs meaningful experiences that help individuals and teams navigate complexity and collaborate effectively. She is an INIFAC Certified Virtual Facilitator® (CVF) with extensive experience facilitating meetings across virtual platforms. Shirley is also the author of the LinkedIn newsletter Facilitation Snippet, where she shares insights and practical tips on facilitation.