It’s time for the 9th 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 27
Time: 10:00-17:00
Location: Shirobara Kindergarten in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture Map Link
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 Flyer Marketing
- Joshua Pako on Closing the Gap with AI
- Ryan Hagglund on Buying and Selling Language Schools
- 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
Flyer Marketing for Eikaiwa
The Flyer Marketing presentation is designed for school owners and individuals aspiring to establish schools. It will address methods for targeting the local community, effective strategies, core principles, and concepts, as well as reasons why your flyers may not yield successful results.
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.
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.
Ryan Hagglund
Buying and Selling Language Schools
How much is a school worth? What are important considerations when buying and selling? Drawing on his experience purchasing five different language schools, Ryan will share what he learned along the way. Rather than instructions for what to do, it will be an honest look at the lessons—and missteps—that may help others thinking about buying or selling.
Biography
Owner of MY English School in Yamagata since 2008, growing it from 100 to 1,300 students across 11 locations, Ryan holds an MA in TEFL/TESL, MAT, and Oregon state teacher certification.