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LUJ Event to Spotlight Black Entrepreneurs Living in Japan
Lakeland University Japan is proud to be hosting "Success Stories: Building Careers & Businesses in Japan," a panel discussion sponsored by Ogury Japan. This moderated event, at 7pm on the 6th floor of Muskie Hall, brings together seven successful Black professionals who've all built their careers in Japan.
The event is free to the public, so please feel free to bring others. A limited amount of baked goods will be available thanks to Kyle's Good Finds, a bakery in Nakano run by one of our guests, Kyle Sexton. To be guaranteed a free hot chocolate and cookies, register using the QR code below. By registering early, you also have a chance to add a question you might have for the speakers.
There will be time after the event to talk with the panelists.
Below are short bios of each of our panelists. To learn more about the event or for any general questions, please contact the event organizer, Jessica McDonald, LUJ's director of enrollment at mcdonald@japan.lakeland.edu
Find out more about our sponsor: Ogury Japan
Karen Hill Anton
Karen Hill Anton is the award-winning author of the memoir The View From Breast Pocket Mountain, and the novel A Thousand Graces. Formerly, she was a columnist for the Japan Times and Chunichi Shimbun, and currently contributes essays on Medium. She has served as a consultant and executive coach for global corporations. She lectures internationally to academic institutions, business and civic organizations, on her experience of cross-cultural adaptation and raising four bilingual, bicultural children. Ms. Anton has achieved second-degree mastery in Japanese calligraphy. Originally from New York City, she has lived with her husband William Anton in rural Shizuoka prefecture since 1975.
Find out more about Ms. Anton here. Note: Copies of her two books will be available to purchase at the event.
Tyler Crane
Tyler Crane is a Growth Strategy Partner at Ogury Japan, where he leveraged his decade of experience in tech leadership to connect with people and create enriching experiences for clients. Tyler’s career has taken me through some incredible companies, including Apple, systemsGo, and CircleCI, where he honed his skills in building and scaling growth initiatives.
Beyond the tech world, Tyler is also an award-winning filmmaker. His short film, "Kakure Baba," earned him the Best Short Picture award, with wins at both the Paris Film Festival and the Toronto Indie Filmmakers Awards. He also served as Director of Cinematography for the feature film "In Your Blood: Hoki Naiden," which is currently making the rounds at film festivals and has already garnered awards from LAFA (Los Angeles), the New York International Film Festival, the Las Vegas International Film Festival, and more.
Find out more about Mr. Crane here
William Foley
Will Foley is originally from Houston, Texas and has been living in Japan since 1999. He studied International Business at the University of Texas at Austin and studied abroad in both the UK and Thailand. Will has been a recruiter in the Japan tech industry since 2004 and has worked on both the agency side and in-house at Oracle, Microsoft, and currently, with ServiceNow where he is responsible for Executive Recruiting across the APJ region. Outside of work you can find him spending time with his 4 kids or in the boxing gym throwing some deadly combinations.
Joshua Grant
Joshua Grant is a marketing innovator with over a decade of international experience spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.
As the Senior Director of Innovation Strategy for Dentsu’s global brand portfolio, Joshua has held key positions at Dentsu France, 360i Chicago, and CHEQ, working with iconic brands like P&G, BMW, LVMH, MasterCard, and KERING. A seasoned strategist, he specializes in luxury brand innovation, marketing strategy, digital transformation, and ad tech solutions, bringing a broad global perspective to drive success for Tier 1 advertisers across diverse markets.
Tia Haygood
Award-winning Tokyo portrait photographer Tia Haygood connects with each client to learn how best to serve their needs. At her boutique portrait studio, TOPTIA Photography, her mission is to coach her clients of different ages, body types, and ethnicities in posing, expression, and styling to create images of themselves they have never seen before. Currently, she is working on a personal project called, Kintsugi Reclaimation, helping subjects release external or internal past traumas through black, white, and gold portraiture.
Find out more about Ms. Haygood's company here
Darryl Wharton-Rigby
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Darryl Wharton-Rigby has written for two NBC television shows: Homicide: Life On The Street and Just Deal; has two feature films under his belt, Detention and Stay (the second African-American to make feature films in Baltimore and Japan); and two one-man plays, FreeDa Slave: Mask of a Diva and Here Come The Drums. In 2022, he directed four episodes of an educational travel show, Discovering West Africa with Worldwide Nate for Wondrium which was filmed in Ghana and won a 2024 Telly Award. As a film director in Japan, he directed the pilot for the NHK show, JFlicks. Darryl has also produced and directed commercials for brands including XBox, Google, Buzzfeed, Usquaebach, and Airbnb. On top of all this, Darryl is an actor, an international storyteller, and a university professor who explores the human experience and builds cultural bridges. He is passionate about human and equal rights, LGBTQ issues, immigration, and those who are disenfranchised.
Find out more about Mr. Wharton-Rigby here
Kyle Sexton
Kyle Sexton hails from York, Pennsylvania, and has been a cherished member of the Tokyo community since December 26, 1984. A self-taught baker, Kyle taught himself the art of baking from books! In 1992, he transformed his passion into reality by opening Kyle's Good Finds, an American-style bakery nestled in Nakano, Tokyo. Kyle's vision was to introduce authentic American baked goods to Japan, offering locals a genuine taste of American flavors. His bakery has garnered acclaim, featuring in numerous food blogs and magazines across Japan. Customers particularly rave about his carrot cake, brownies, and American-style sweet pies.
Again, thanks to Kyle's Good Finds, attendees will receive a free hot chocolate and cookies if pre-register in advance. See the QR Code below.
Find out more about Mr. Sexton's bakery here
