Bridging Talks: Keisuke Goto on Ramune, Empowering Foreign Founders, and Bridging Japan's Startup Ecosystems

In this episode, we connect with Keisuke Goto, Founder and CEO of Ramune Inc., a platform and community dedicated to empowering foreign entrepreneurs in Japan. Keisuke shares his journey from a Tokyo-based software project manager who moved to California for five years, to starting Ramune remotely to provide vital back-office support and digital insurance to the Japanese market.

• 00:00:00 - Introduction: Keisuke Goto, Founder & CEO of Ramune Inc.
• 00:01:49 - Career Journey: From Tokyo Software Manager to California & Launching Ramune
• 00:05:12 - Early Mistakes: Why Meeting Customers **in Person** is Crucial for an Online Business
• 00:07:31 - Shifting Focus: Building a Global Community for **Foreign Entrepreneurs in Japan**
• 00:10:18 - Startup Vibes: Comparing **Fukuoka, Tokyo, and Kumamoto's Ecosystems**
• 00:12:04 - New Project: Launching a **Digital Nomad Hub in Kumamoto**
• 00:14:28 - The **Ramune Platform**: Back-Office Services, Mentoring, and Co-Building with Experts
• 00:17:48 - International Market Comparison: Why Ramune's Service is Needed in Japan (Not the US)
• 00:21:00** - Hobbies & Personal Growth: From Mountain Climbing to Learning Acting
• • 00:25:00 - Entrepreneur Motivation: The Importance of **Doing What You Love**
  • • 00:28:07 - Advice for New Founders: The Crucial Need for a **Clear Vision**
    • 00:29:41 - The **Ramune Vision**: Broadening Japanese Society Through Global Entrepreneurship
    • 00:33:06 - Final Thoughts & The Meaning Behind the Name "**Ramune**" (Lemonade Stand)
    🌐 Guest Info:
    • 👤 Keisuke Goto – Founder & CEO at Ramune Inc.
    • 🌐 Website → https://ramune.co.jp/
    • 🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/keisuke-goto/
    📌 About Bridging Talks:

    Bridging Talks is hosted by Majid Hashmi, founder of Bridging Connect Ltd, a London-based consultancy and tech company empowering global business through digital strategy, localisation, and cross-cultural insight and upcoming AI platform empowering global business.

    • 🔗 More Episodes: https://bridgingconnect.com/podcast
    • 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105206281
    • 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridging-talks/id1829708367
    • 📦 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/4cb8304d-d5db-44e6-8744-b6633af5290b/bridging-talks
    • 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BridgingTalks
    📩 Contact:

    Want to be a guest or partner with us? → podcast@bridgingconnect.com

    🎵 Music / Audio Disclaimer:

    The music used in this content is by Chill House, Oleksandr Stepanov, and penguinmusic. All rights belong to their respective artists.

Bridging Talks: The Future of HR and Performance Management in Japan with Dan Ring

In this episode of Bridging Talks, host Majid Hashmi speaks with Dan Ring, British HR Consultant, Founder of **Elevate**, and creator of **The People Protocol**, a data-driven performance management system helping companies operate with more clarity, accountability, and transparency.

Dan shares his journey from studying English Literature to becoming a Global HR Business Partner in the UK, Singapore, and Japan, and ultimately launching his own HR consultancy in Tokyo.

• 00:00 – Introduction & welcome
• 00:34 – Who is Dan Ring? From UK HRBP to founder of Elevate
• 01:50 – Technical note (cut/edit section, audio still plays)
• 05:08 – What is **The People Protocol**? Data-driven performance management
• 07:37 – The core problems Elevate solves: data, time, transparency
• 09:12 – Dan’s global HR journey: UK → Singapore → Japan
• 15:01 – The future of work: AI, layoffs & new career paths
• 16:26 – HR careers: Going from specialist roles to consultancy
• 19:05 – Why Japan? Opportunities for foreign entrepreneurs
• 23:46 – Starting Elevate: The leap into HR consulting
• 30:19 – Lessons learned: Networking, collaboration & going solo
• 36:41 – Planning culture in Japan vs firefighting in the West
• 41:27 – How coding & technical literacy help HR consultants
• 43:22 – Final advice: Think like an entrepreneur & take action

• 👤 **Dan Ring**
• 💼 **Role**: HR Consultant, Founder of Elevate, Creator of The People Protocol
• 🌍 **Focus**: Performance management, HR transformation, global leadership, Japan HR ecosystem
• 🔗 **Elevate** → https://www.elevate.help/
• 🔗 **LinkedIn** → https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpring/

Bridging Talks is hosted by Majid Hashmi, founder of Bridging Connect Ltd, a London-based consultancy and tech company empowering global business through digital strategy, localisation, and cross-cultural insight and upcoming AI platform empowering global business.

• 🔗 More Episodes: https://bridgingconnect.com/podcast
• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105206281
• 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridging-talks/id1829708367
• 📦 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/4cb8304d-d5db-44e6-8744-b6633af5290b/bridging-talks
• 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BridgingTalks

Want to be a guest or partner with us? → podcast@bridgingconnect.com

All rights belong to their respective artists.

#BridgingTalks #DanRing #ElevateHR #PeopleProtocol #HRConsultingJapan #HRTechJapan #PerformanceManagement #GlobalHR #HRBusinessPartner

🎤 Introduction

In this episode of Bridging Talks, host Majid Hashmi speaks with Lee Jean, entrepreneur, founder of Omnielt English, and host of The Produck Podcast. Lee shares his journey as a global entrepreneur, diving into the challenges of networking in Japan, navigating cross-cultural communication, and the unique role of hierarchy in Japanese business. Together, we explore how founders and business leaders from the West and Japan can bridge communication gaps to build stronger relationships and successful ventures.

🎯 In This Episode

• 00:00:00 – Introduction & welcome
• 00:02:00 – Lee’s entrepreneurial journey & global background
• 00:07:00 – Networking in Japan: challenges & opportunities
• 00:15:00 – Cross-cultural communication: Japan vs the West
• 00:25:00 – The role of hierarchy in Japanese business culture
• 00:35:00 – Advice for Japanese founders to connect globally
• 00:42:00 – Closing thoughts & how to connect

🌐 Guest Info

👤 Name: Lee Jean

💼 Role: Entrepreneur, Founder of Omnielt English, and Host of The Produck Podcast

🌍 Focus: Global entrepreneurship, cross-cultural business, networking

🔗 Links:

• Stan Store
• The Produck Podcast (YouTube)
• Omnielt Website
• LinkedIn

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📌 About Bridging TalksBridging Talks is hosted by Majid Hashmi, founder of Bridging Connect Ltd, a London-based startup bridging the gap between West to East through digital, strategy, and AI.

🔗 More Episodes: https://bridgingconnect.com/podcast

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105206281

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LRstF8bZfzIPTbhcTlUGe

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridging-talks/id1829708367

📦 Amazon Music – Podcasts: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/4cb8304d-d5db-44e6-8744-b6633af5290b/bridging-talks

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BridgingTalks

📩 Want to be a guest or partner with us? → podcast@bridgingconnect.com

🎵 Music / Audio DisclaimerThe music used in this content is by Chill House, Oleksandr Stepanov, and penguinmusic. All rights belong to the respective artists.

#BridgingTalks #LeeJean #OmnieltEnglish #TheProduckPodcast #Entrepreneurship #CrossCulturalBusiness #Networking #JapanBusiness #HierarchyInJapan #GlobalStartups #Tokyo #BridgingConnect