It’s time for the 8th School Owners’ Conference! As with previous conferences, this one day conference is dedicated to discussing different aspects of owning and operating a language school in Japan. All current school owners and those hoping to become school owners in the future are welcome!
Basic Information
Date: Sunday, September 13
Time: 10:00-17:00
Location: Meeting Room Forest in Shinjuku (会議室FOREST新宿)
(A very short walk from Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station – 新宿御苑前駅)
Price: ¥4,400 advance purchase – lunch included (¥5,500 day-of purchase)
Presenters and Topics
- Masaki Homma on Turning Change into an Advantage with AI and Google Tools
- Sarah Takizawa on Meta Ads for Eikaiwa
- Joshua Pako on Closing the Gap with AI
- Julian Warden on Managing a $20M School in Thailand
- Jared Maier on Growing from 250 to 450 Students
- Plus small group discussions on AI, and on marketing and growth
Conference Schedule
Presenters and Topics
Masaki Homma
Turning the Speed of Change Into Your Advantage in School Management — New Possibilities for Your School with AI and Google Tools
AI and Google tools keep evolving every few weeks—faster than anyone can settle on a single “right” way to use them. This talk isn’t about which tool to adopt. It’s about a way of thinking that stays useful even as the tools keep changing. Drawing on real examples from schools and education businesses in Japan and abroad, we’ll unpack a simple set of questions you can bring back to your own school—not “should I use this tool,” but “what should I be rethinking at my school right now.”
Biography
Masaki Homma, former executive at GABA and My Gym, is now CEO of a consulting firm supporting education businesses across Japan in strategy, operations, and leadership development.
Sarah Takizawa
Meta Ads for Eikaiwa
In this presentation, “Meta Ads for Eikaiwa,” I will share my journey as a school owner striving to improve and expand my business through social media. I will discuss how I grew my Instagram following from 1k to 5k and transitioned to using Meta Ads to promote my Eikaiwa. Key topics will include conducting market research, exploring various campaign types, and effectively targeting the local Japanese community. I will also share best practices that helped me achieve an impressive 23¥ per click cost, providing actionable insights for fellow educators looking to leverage Meta Ads for growth.
Biography
Sarah Takizawa is an educator by heart, an event planner by passion, and a photographer by nature. Her life as an educator began with teaching underprivileged children on the streets of the Philippines.
Joshua Pako
Closing the Gap with AI: An Australian Teacher in a Japanese Workplace
Working as a full-time homeroom teacher responsible for 30 students who need my stamp to graduate presents unique personal and professional challenges. Drawing on my experiences, this talk explores how AI can bridge these gaps, improve workplace efficiency, create opportunities for human connection, and the limitations of becoming too reliant on it.
Biography
Australian, qualified high school teacher with 10 years’ work experience in Japan. Qualified to teach in Japan since 2022, Joshua now serves as Year 10 Advanced Course Coordinator at Yamagata Johoku High School.
Julian Warden
Managing a 20-Million-Dollar Language School Business in Thailand
2017-19, Julian served as CEO of a group overseeing the management of a large language school business in Thailand. Julian will share practical insights related to student journey and expectations, teaching and learning methodology, business development initiatives, marketing strategies, conversion techniques, sales competence, individual school strategies and scaling through franchising.
Biography
Julian Charles Warden is an education business leader with 30 years’ experience driving EdTech, STEM and ELT product and services growth across Asia, building partnerships, expanding markets and delivering on commercial strategy.
Jared Maier
A Sudden Burst of Growth
This talk draws on Lexis Language Center’s growth from 250 to 450 students. In its first 25 years of business, the school maxed out at 250; over the last four years, growth has been rapid. Jared will share tips for growth, growing pains, promotional ideas and modern organizational advice.
Biography
Jared Maier has 16 years in Japan, including five as CEO of Lexis Language Center in Tokyo, growing the school from 250 to nearly 450 students while teaching full time.