[AI x Social Problem Solving] NEXVEL and ExaWizards Co-host Collaborative Business Contest for Next-Generation Business Leader Development

NEXVEL, a selective career community operated by Leading Mark Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yuji Iida), co-hosted the "ExaWizards AI x Social Problem Solving Business Contest Powered by NEXVEL" with ExaWizards Inc., which is dedicated to solving social issues using AI.

36 selected NEXVEL members from across Japan participated in this program. Over the course of one day, they engaged in a realistic business development workshop focused on "how to transform industrial structures using AI" within the human resources domain.

Background of the Event ― Resonance in "Not making AI the objective"

NEXVEL has always emphasized providing excellent students with opportunities for authentic challenges connected to real society, and has developed multiple corporate-collaborative training programs.

As a result of discussions with ExaWizards for this event, a common understanding emerged:

"We want to nurture talent who address social issues using AI as a means, not making AI itself the business objective."

In modern times, "AI" is one of the most prominent keywords. However, not many students possess the essential entrepreneurial perspective of "whose problems to solve and how to solve them," rather than merely being able to use or talk about AI.

This program was realized through a deep resonance between NEXVEL's vision of "producing future leaders who fundamentally consider solving social issues" and ExaWizards' philosophy of "solving social issues using AI."

Program Outline

Date and Time: Saturday, April 4, 2025, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Location: ExaWizards Inc. Headquarters (Sumitomo Fudosan Mita First Building 5F, 4-2-8 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo) Participants: 36 NEXVEL members

Flow of the Day

The program was designed as a one-day practical and comprehensive event, starting with acquiring the "perspective to address social issues using AI as a means," followed by group work, multiple feedback sessions, a final presentation, and a networking event.

Participating students were divided into 10 teams and challenged to propose new businesses utilizing AI, taking structural issues in legacy industries such as medical care, nursing care, and logistics as their themes. They were required to deepen their thinking to the level of realism, asking "how would we explain this to a customer tomorrow if we were to make a sales pitch?" and continued discussions until the very end.

ExaWizards employee mentors were assigned to each group, intervening in group work multiple times to provide discussions and feedback. The final presentation and judging were handled by Takuma Oue, Managing Director and COO of ExaWizards Inc. and Representative Director and President of Exa Enterprise AI, who conducted a serious evaluation questioning business viability, feasibility, and leadership.

Judge

Takuma Oue

Managing Director and COO, ExaWizards Inc. / Representative Director and President, Exa Enterprise AI Inc.

Graduated from Kyoto University Faculty of Engineering. Completed graduate studies at Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering (Urban Planning, AI/Data Science). Joined Boston Consulting Group in 2013. After engaging in numerous projects including business growth strategy, business transformation, DX promotion, and new business launch, he joined ExaWizards in 2018. Appointed Director in June 2020, and Managing Director and COO in June 2023. Also serves as Representative Director and President of Exa Enterprise AI since October 2023. Visiting Associate Professor at University of Hyogo. Advisor for Hyogo Prefecture's ChatGPT etc. Generative AI Utilization Project Team. Author of "AI Strategy in the Web3 Era" (Nikkei BP, 2022), "Next-Generation AI Strategy 2025: 128 Transformation Scenarios in 20 Rapidly Changing Fields" (Nikkei BP, 2021), and "AX Strategy to Transform the Energy Industry" (Denki Shoin, 2025).

Day's Events

Group work involved heated discussions throughout. Receiving sharp feedback from ExaWizards mentors, students grappled with "unanswerable questions" until the very end, shaping their team's answers.

In the final presentation, judge Mr. Oue provided serious feedback from the perspective of business viability and feasibility, making it a day of sustained enthusiasm that continued into the networking event.

Through this program, students earnestly confronted the simple yet difficult question of "using AI to improve society" and experienced a practical environment for thinking and action, distinct from typical job-hunting events.

About ExaWizards Inc.

ExaWizards Inc. has a mission to "realize a happy society by solving social issues using AI," aiming to implement advanced AI technology in companies and improve overall societal productivity. "AI Platform"