Mio Yamada is the owner of Kiseki Authentic Japanese Restaurant, the first Japanese restaurant of Rwanda, which became popular for its authentic dishes incorporating seasonings imported from Japan. Her activities and network with local people continue to expand through social initiatives such as flea markets and live music at her restaurant, nursing, and teaching massage techniques to the blind. “I want to create another African miracle through food and services,” she smiles.

Mio graduated from Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Appointed Honorary Tourism Ambassador for Ikeda City and Kochi Prefecture in Japan as well as Eritrea. She founded “Cog-way,” which offers bike tours of Shikoku, one of the four main islands of Japan.

In 2006, she embarked on a life changing adventure across Africa on a bicycle. On her way, she realized it was unsafe for women to travel alone, so she disguised herself to a man - shaving her hair, covering her bust with a cloth, and even wearing a fake moustache. Although she caught malaria during the trip, she completed her 5,000 km bicycle tour across eight countries from Kenya to South Africa over the course of 6 months.

She decided to move to Rwanda in 2016, holding the view that the country has many hard-working people and witnessed remarkable economic growth in recent years. She enjoys cooking and entertaining people, which led her to open Kiseki Authentic Japanese Restaurant in Rwanda in 2017. “KISEKI,” means “miracle” in Japanese.

Why attend?

Get inspired and learn the secret of fighting through challenges to achieving success in life and business.  Most importantly - come connect with the most amazing community of entrepreneurs, investors and founders working hard to make the world a better place.

If you're new to Kigali, this event is a great opportunity to meet in person experts within the local ecosystem.

Join us and make sure you grab your tickets now!

This event is brought to you in partnership with Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali.