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Thursday Gathering #381
Tell Me a Story - How Founders Win with Narrative
May 14, 2026, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM GMT+9
at Niji *This is a hybrid session (In-person + Online)

本セッションは、ハイブリッド(現地&オンライン)セッションです。
This session will be held in a hybrid format (onsite and online).

主催 | Organizer:Matt Ainsworth
会場 | Venue:CIC Tokyo( Toranomon Business Tower 15F, 1-chōme-17-1 Toranomon, Minato City, Tokyo 105-6415 )
言語 | Language:English | 英語
*同時翻訳ツールをご利用いただけます(テキストのみ)

概要 | Descriptions:

Every founder communicates constantly. To investors, customers, co-founders, early hires. The ones who win aren't always the smartest or the best funded. They're the ones who can make a room feel something.
Three speakers. Three real stories. No theory, no fluff.

What you'll hear:

  • The pitch moment where narrative made the difference between a yes and a no
  • How story closed a customer that logic and data alone couldn't
  • Why the same story lands completely differently in Tokyo than it does in Sydney or Melbourne

What you'll learn:

  • How to build a narrative arc before you ever open a slide deck
  • The one-liner framework that makes every pitch, intro, and cold message sharper
  • How to adapt your story depending on who's in the room, investors, customers, co-founders, or early hires
  • Why delivery is a skill not a talent and how to build it deliberately
  • What cross-border storytelling actually looks like in practice

Who this is for:

  • Early-stage founders preparing to raise, sell, or hire
  • Operators who need to communicate vision clearly inside their company
  • Anyone who has walked out of a room thinking "I had the right idea but couldn't get it across"
  • Founders building across Japan and Australia who want to connect with others doing the same

Speakers:

  • Matt Ainsworth
    • Cross-border founder and startup advisor working across the AU and JP ecosystems for over 20 years. Currently supporting startup founders and CTOs to build their dev teams, he also helps non-technical founders navigate tech and product decisions.
  • Thom Peace
    • Founder and CEO of Peace Works, building cross-border ecosystems that connect globally minded talent with real business opportunities in Japan. With over 20 years in Tokyo across education, workforce development, and cross-cultural collaboration.
  • David Castillo
    • With over 20 years of business management experience, David now provides customised communication and training solutions for Fortune 500 companies across Japan including financial institutions, consulting firms, startups and entrepreneurs.

Whether you're pitching to investors, selling to customers, or convincing your first hire to take a leap, your story is the skill that ties it all together. Come and learn how to get it right.

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■オンライン参加方法 | How to join the session online

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  • Once Thursday Gathering begins, a “Join Remotely” button will appear on this page. Click the button to join the event online.
    • If the “Join Remotely” button is not visible on the session page, please join by clicking the “Join Remotely” button in the session list on the main page.

Featuring

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Matt Ainsworth
Startup Mentor / Founder

Cross-border founder and startup advisor working across the AU and JP ecosystems for over 20 years. Supports founders and CTOs to help them build their dev teams. He also supports Thom with Innovators Campus, plus helps non-technical founders navigate tech and product.

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Thom Peace
Founder and CEO of Peace Works

Founder and CEO of Peace Works, building cross-border ecosystems that connect globally minded talent with real business opportunities in Japan. With over 20 years in Tokyo across education, workforce development, and cross-cultural collaboration, Thom knows what it takes to make partnerships and people land in a new market.

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David Castillo
Communications Specialist

He has over 20 years of business management experience, and now provides customized training solutions for a number of fortune 500 companies in Japan such as financial institutions, consulting firms, startups and entrepreneurs..In consultation with clients, I deliver a combination of business communication and language skills training.