Immigrant Founders Saving Japan’s Economy? Evan Burkosky Part 2

Part 2 of my interview with Kaori Rei at the AI Founder’s Mindset Podcast:

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The 3 key takeaways from the conversation with Evan Part 2

🎯 1. Japan’s Productivity Crisis Needs Innovation, Not Just Preservation

Evan shared that Japan’s economic decline is largely due to a shrinking workforce and stagnant productivity, unlike other developed countries.
While Japan excels at stability and safety, that model is no longer sustainable. Evan believes AI and digital transformation (DX) can leapfrog these issues—but only if adopted with urgency and purpose.

🤖 2. AI Agents Can Bridge Japan’s Digital & Talent Gaps

Kimaru AI is building AI decision-making agents with an intuitive visual UI to support human productivity, especially in sectors like retail and supply chain.
Evan sees Japan’s current limitations—like the language barrier and lack of software engineers—as opportunities.
With the right tools, Japan can gain a “late-mover advantage” and skip the legacy roadblocks that other countries face.

🌍 3. Building a Startup Culture Requires Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Evan emphasized that a healthy startup ecosystem requires more diversity, global collaboration, and open knowledge sharing.
Rather than formal structures, he believes in casual but meaningful mentorship and dialogue—especially between Japanese founders and global talent.

We encourage more Japanese + immigrant co-founder partnerships to drive flexibility, creativity, and long-term impact.