SHE CEO Office Manager Mari Matsuo Wins Special 'PMI Award' at Publink Summit for JAPAN 2026 SPRING Public-Private Co-creation Award

Mari Matsuo, CEO Office Manager at SHE Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director CEO/CCO: Eri Fukuda, hereinafter referred to as SHE), which operates the career school for women "SHElikes" supporting everything from learning to working, won the special "PMI Award" at the Public-Private Co-creation Award during "Publink Summit for JAPAN 2026 SPRING," one of Japan's largest public-private co-creation conferences, held on Saturday, May 16, 2026.

This award recognizes outstanding initiatives that achieve both business growth and social impact through collaboration transcending public and private boundaries. SHE was highly evaluated for its efforts through the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Career Advancement Support Project through Reskilling," providing end-to-end support from reskilling to job change and career development for women nationwide, including those in regional areas, which led to this award.

■ About the "Publink Summit for JAPAN 2026 SPRING" Public-Private Co-creation Award

One of Japan's largest public-private co-creation conferences, gathering approximately 1,000 participants from the public and private sectors, including bureaucrats, local government executives, and corporate management. With the concept of "with Challenge," it is a place to accelerate the creation of Japan's future through public-private co-creation via sessions, workshops, and co-creation pitches.
The "Public-Private Co-creation Award" held at this conference recognizes initiatives by ministries, local governments, corporations, and joint public-private teams that have achieved both the resolution of social issues and business growth through public-private partnerships.
Seven finalists selected through preliminary screening gave presentations on the day, and one Grand Prix and one Special Award winner were decided.
- Official Website: https://publink.site/publink-summit

■ About SHE's Award-Winning Initiative

[Presentation Title]
A Project for Regional Wage Improvement and Gender Gap Resolution through Japan's Largest Reskilling Support for Women

[Presentation Overview]
Based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Career Advancement Support Project through Reskilling," SHE has provided full online support ranging from the acquisition of skills in over 50 professions, including AI/DX, to career and job change support for women across all 47 prefectures in Japan, utilizing a community base used by over 250,000 people cumulatively.

Particularly for women residing in regional areas, whose access to relearning and career opportunities tends to be more limited compared to urban areas, SHE supports career formation and income improvement unconstrained by location by combining private educational know-how with national support systems. In addition to supporting women's economic independence, the sustainable impact created through public-private co-creation, including contributions to social issues such as regional labor shortages and productivity improvement, was evaluated.

[SHE Presenter]

Mari Matsuo | CEO Office Manager

Joined Recruit Holdings as a new graduate in 2016. In the IT planning department, she engaged in web direction, product planning, and service development, followed by business strategy formulation and business planning promotion. She then joined SHE Inc. in 2020 as a new business manager. After launching the money school for women "SHEmoney," she served as the general manager of the "SHEmoney" and "SHElikes PRO Designer" (which aims for designer job changes in 4 months) businesses in the new business department from 2023, and assumed the position of CEO Office Manager in April 2025.

[Comment from Mari Matsuo]

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this valuable opportunity and wonderful award. I am extremely honored to receive such recognition for the challenge that all our employees have faced with the earnest aim of solving social issues.
This presentation was born from my own wish, held as someone originally from a regional area and as an individual facing the balance between pregnancy, childcare, and career: "To realize a society where women can choose the working styles and lifestyles they desire, without their potential being restricted by where they work or their life stage."
Establishing an environment where women can naturally choose to continue their careers or try again goes beyond personal self-realization. It can also lead to solving structural issues such as the retention of people in regions, the sustainability of industries, and ultimately population decline—I spoke about the possibilities for society brought about by such individual empowerment.
We will continue to take on challenges together with everyone in the public and private sectors, believing that unlocking the potential of each individual will lead to the future of the regions and Japan.

■ Judge's Comment

Tomoka Minami | Representative Director, PublicMeetsInnovation

While SHE's initiative currently has some developing aspects from the perspective of "public-private co-creation" compared to other candidates, I felt it holds immense potential.

Reskilli...