[Online] 3 Cultures, 3 Paths, 1 Question Design Leader — To Be or Not to Be?

Hey, Product Friends! 🌟 Welcome to Tokyo Design Community—Your Supportive Network for Professional Growth in Japan! ✨
Ready to dive into the realities of design leadership? In this upcoming event we will brings together seasoned leaders from different countries to share candid stories and hard-won lessons about leading design teams across cultures and industries.

Are you:
💡 Wondering what it really takes to step into design leadership—beyond titles and org charts?
💡 Curious about the unique challenges of leading in Japan vs. globally?
💡 Interested in how today’s leaders are shaping design culture, growing teams, and influencing strategy?

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You might wonder:

• What makes a great design leader—vision, skills, or mindset?
• Would IC or design manager be suitable for you?
• What pitfalls and breakthroughs do leaders face when building teams from 0 to 1?

Event Highlights:
💡 Crossing Cycles: How design leaders grow across industries, teams, and cultures
💡 Leading in Japan: Real talk about navigating leadership in a unique environment
🎤 Live Discussion + Q&A: Practical insights, mistakes, and advice from leaders you won’t find in books

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## 🎙️ Featured Speakers

Harrison Wheeler – ex-Director of Product Design, LinkedIn
Harrison Wheeler brings 14 years of experience in product design and a decade in leadership roles. Previously, he was Director of Product Design at LinkedIn, where he led the Marketing Solutions team to create experiences that connect businesses with LinkedIn’s 1 billion+ members. He is also the creator of Technically Speaking, where he blends real-world lessons, interviews with industry leaders, and personal experience to equip and inspire the next wave of design leadership through podcasts and articles.

Vivian Ko – UX Manager, AXA Japan
Talk: “Navigating UX Leadership in Japan – My First Year as a UX Manager”
From Taiwan to the US to Tokyo, Vivian has shaped UX across cultures. At AXA Japan, she grew the design team from one to many, driving UX in a non-tech industry. Now, in her first year as UX manager, she’s sharing raw insights about leadership, growth, and building design from the ground up in Japan.

Zhifang Du – Senior UX Leader, Lenovo
Talk: “Crossing Cycles: A Design Leader's Path from 0 to 1”
With 14+ years of experience, Zhifang has led UX at Citibank, ING, ByteDance, and Amazon, and now drives AI innovation at Lenovo. A published author and multilingual designer, she’s passionate about inclusive, scalable systems and building teams from scratch.

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## Our Community: Where Curiosity Meets Opportunity, Theory Meets Practice

We're a diverse, welcoming collective of:
👩‍💻 Product Managers
🎨 Designers
🧑‍💼 Entrepreneurs
🛠️ Developers
📈 Marketers
📚 Students
🟢 A supportive, judgment-free zone to exchange ideas and grow together
🟢 We'll check in with everyone beforehand to ensure a smooth, delightful experience!
Let’s learn and grow together.

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