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BBA 2021 Nominees Entrepreneur of the Year

Written by BCCJ
October 29, 2021
British Business Awards

By the conclusion of the British Business Awards 2021 (#BBA2021) nomination period, we had received 38 eligible nominations across 6 categories.

The following 6 companies are now in the running to lift the BBA Entrepreneur of the Year trophy.

“Nominees should be individuals who exemplify entrepreneurialism and have created
commercial success through an entrepreneurial spirit. Nominees will typically be leading non-listed organisations in Japan with 25 employees or fewer.”

BBA 2021 Entrepreneur of the Year Nominees

BLBG Co.,Ltd.

The British Luxury Brands Group (Toshiyasu Takubo) has introduced and launched many British fashion brands in Japan, and has held British cultural events in the center of Aoyama, Tokyo for over 20 years. This past year has seen BLBG’s opening of the Playhouse, Toshiyasu’s most recent concept store and hub for British culture in Japan.

Clarence Education Asia

Fei Fei Hu and Ayahi Suda, husband and wife co-founders of the education management company Clarence Education Asia (CEA), have seen great success in launching a family of new British international schools in Tokyo, including Phoenix House International School in September 2021, significantly increasing the UK’s presence and influence in Japan.

DIAMDEL INC.

Diamdel Inc is a 30-year-old diamond wholesaler and bespoke jeweler that, over the last year diversified into the field of luxury handbags, to cater to the ever-evolving needs of a luxury shopper. Spearheaded by Akhil Naheta, Diamdel Inc, with its innovative approach, is set to be a premier destination for rare pink & blue diamonds and unique jewelry, as well as all things fine.

Dream Drive

This nomination is to recognise the transformation of Dream Drive (Jared Campion), from a rental company to selling customised campervans in Japan, who have seen exemplary development in business status during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sarah Furuya Coaching

Sarah at Sarah Furuya Coaching is recognised for business transformation between 2012 and 2021, from a one-person start-up to a tightly managed multi-collaborator operation that creates opportunities to empower and co-create in a multicultural setting. SFC seeks to push cultural boundaries through coaching, podcasting,clothing exchanges, leadership programmes and community engagement.

Urban Heroes Tokyo

Under Anna’s fearless entrepreneurial style and charismatic leadership, Urban Heroes Tokyo is a rapidly growing community of multi-national members who enjoy challenging outdoor workouts and activities, with the common goals of physical and mental wellbeing, and connecting with like minded people.

Judging

The decision on a winning BBA 2021 entry is the result of the combined score of 6 separate judges, who independently score assigned submissions using the same scoring matrix.

To ensure transparency, each judge independently returns his or her score sheet to the BCCJ office by 3 November 2021 and the results are tabulated confidentially. The scores from each judge are then totalled for each nominee, and the nomination with the highest accumulative score is declared the category winner.

In the event of two nominees receiving the same final score, all judges will be asked to review their scores for these companies/individuals, and the submission with the highest score from this second round of judging will be declared the winner.

The final results remain confidential until the BBA ceremony – held on the evening of November 5, 2021 online. To book your space at the Awards, please register via the bookings page HERE

Judges

We are delighted to reveal the names of our BBA 2021 judges – a truly great lineup of accomplished leaders who are actively engaged in bolstering UK-Japan relations! This esteemed panel of judges will put into practice their expertise and specialist experience to decide which companies and individuals should receive a prestigious BBA trophy.

Noel Thatcher MBE | British Paralympian
Carolyn Davidson | British Consul-General, Osaka
Miwa Seki, Kathy Matsui, Yumiko Murakami | MPower Partners
Hideo Tomita | Managing Director, Refinitiv Japan K.K.
Liza Aono | Presenter, Cool Japan TV
Adrian Gillespie | Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise