Program Experience Coordinator, Venture Café Fukuoka - Japan

VENTURE CAFÉ FUKUOKA - PROGRAM EXPERIENCE COORDINATOR

Are you passionate about impactful programs and eager to connect entrepreneurs, students, and investors in the startup ecosystem? Venture Café is where you belong! 

We envision a world where innovation is accessible to all, driving global change by linking diverse forms of capital to address community challenges. Join us in making a significant impact. Ready to be part of the movement?

ABOUT VENTURE CAFÉ GLOBAL INSTITUTE (VCGI) & VENTURE CAFÉ FUKUOKA

Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI) began in 2009 within the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Massachusetts, aiming to connect people, ideas, and resources globally. Today, it has grown into a worldwide movement, facilitating over 660,000 connections among innovators, creatives, and leaders across cities like Boston, St. Louis, Rotterdam, and Tokyo. VCGI's mission is to drive global change by building a community of communities focused on solving humankind’s biggest challenges.

Venture Café Fukuoka, set to launch in Q4 2024 in partnership with CIC, represents the latest expansion of this global network. Following the footsteps of its successful Tokyo counterpart, Venture Café Fukuoka will serve as a hub for fostering innovation in business, education, technology, and more within Fukuoka and beyond. Its flagship Thursday Gathering will bring together creative and resourceful individuals that are connected by the belief that tackling the biggest issues facing humankind requires the collective effort of entrepreneurs and innovators from every corner of the globe.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK

We are looking for a curious doer to join our fun team to coordinate an impactful program of events for a community of innovators at the Venture Café’s flagship weekly event: the Thursday Gathering.

Your role would be to execute weekly Venture Café Thursday Gatherings including the following:

• Coordinating programs and speakers before, during, and after the event.

• Promoting web and social events on Venture Café Fukuoka communication channels.

• Coordinating inventory - managing food & beverage supplies, printing supplies, signage, etc.

• Setting up and breaking down Thursday Gathering events, including managing program partner bump-ins and outs, setting up the Venture Café Kiosk, and placing signage.

• Coordinating local Venture Café Ambassadors to assist at the Thursday Gatherings.

• Connecting with the Venture Café Global Institute to share learnings and support the relationship between Venture Café Fukuoka and its global counterparts.

• Identifying and mitigating risks to the effective operation of the Thursday Gathering.

• Collaborating with the awesome CIC Fukuoka team to ensure a delightful event experience.

ABOUT YOU

With a background in event management, you bring creativity and flexibility to Venture Café Fukuoka, driven by a passion for mission-driven work and a commitment to hosting successful events. Your customer service excellence, problem-solving skills, and openness to learning from failure, paired with meticulous attention to detail, prepare you for success in this role. You excel in executing and innovating event experiences, engaging diverse community members, creatively using spaces, communicating effectively in various settings, and leveraging social media to promote events.

Additionally, you have:

• Ideally at least 1-3 years of professional events experience.

• Fluency in Japanese and strong English proficiency.

• Ability to legally work in Japan. We are unable to sponsor visas for this role at this time.

OUR OFFER

• Competitive salary, commensurate with experience.

• Permanent contract.

• Commuting / Transportation allowance.

• Allocated budget for training (customized to specific requirements of the role and organization's objectives).

• Opportunities for training and development led by VCGI.

• Travel to Venture Café locations across the globe.

Please submit your application in English. Thank you!

Venture Café and CIC welcome all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.