From Friday, August 22 to Monday September 1, we welcomed 35 participants to the “Mercari Bold Program for Women: 2025 Global Edition,” better known as the “BOLD Program!” The nine-day event that brought participants together in teams to create business proposals involved three days of prep in Japan, five days of intense work at various locations overseas, and a final day in Japan for presentations.

Program outline

The program is an expansion of the “Bold Program for Women: US Edition,” held last year and aimed to nurture talent with the following traits and an even more comprehensive and global perspective.

• Expansion of program participant locations: Practical training was held in five regions, the US, India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea
• Program held entirely in English: Participants had the experience of working in a real-life global environment
• Teams made up of members from different professional disciplines: Collaboration that leveraged diverse types of expertise
• Product development that leveraged AI: Hands-on development experience that utilizes the latest technologies
• Final presentation to Mercari’s CEO: A chance to exercise strategic thinking and persuasiveness at the executive level

The participants comprised members with a variety of expertise and those selected held the following job titles:

• Software engineers
• Product managers
• Designers
• Marketing specialists
• Data analysts
• Finance professionals

Purpose of this program

Under the theme of creating a “unique Mercari experience” to accelerate global business growth, the goal of Bold Program 2025 is for participants to learn the following skills by taking on actual business challenges.

• Global communication skills: Build collaboration skills in an international environment by implementing the program in English
• Cross-functional collaborative skills: Engage in teamwork with members from different areas of expertise
• Practical application of user-centric design: Issue resolution based on actual user research and data analysis
• Expansion of an international viewpoint: Market surveys and cultural understanding in multiple countries
• Leadership skills: Ability to lead teams and yield results

The Japan leg of the program kicked off! (August 22–26)

Before traveling to each country, the participants gathered at Mercari’s Roppongi office in Tokyo for the Japan leg of the program. Over a three-day period, participants engaged in group work based on input from each of the company’s business leaders and professionals of various job types.

Day one

Ahead of the 10 AM start of orientation on the first day, a stream of participants started to gather at Mercari’s office at Roppongi Hills at around 9:30 AM.

As a way of heightening excitement for the program, organizers prepared original Mercari merch including stickers, decorative masking tape, clear folders, and other novelty items in addition to t-shirts and tote bags produced specifically for the program.

Immediately after the participants came together to meet for the first time, they started to get to know each other and shared their expectations and worries, which mingled with nervous anticipation. After finding their seats at their team’s respective table, people introduced themselves as they waited for the program to start.

At orientation on day one, the members acting as the program directors reiterated the themes.

At the end of orientation of the first day of the program, Mercari Executive Officer, SVP of Corporate, and Chief Financial Office @Sayaka, delivered a welcome speech.

Sayaka touched on her past experiences of being the only woman working in her division, while at the same time delivering an inspiring message to the participants aiming to become women in leadership positions on the global stage in order to create a world where talent from diverse backgrounds can thrive.

After this, business leaders from Mercari’s US, India, and Crossborder operations were allotted time to give their input. (@ume, VP of India Operations, joined online from India)

Participants listened intently as members active in each domain on Mercari’s 1st line shared valuable information.

In the Q&A session, participants deepened their understanding of the business and market even further by assertively asking the speakers questions. The speakers were impressed by the pointed questions of some participants and even praised some of their queries.

Following this, the mentors who would work together with the participants for the next nine days introduced themselves. During the lunch break that followed, people introduced themselves again, this time within their teams. Joined by their mentors, participants enjoyed casual conversations with their team mates and the nervousness seemed to melt away in an instant, softening the mood in the room.

After lunch, the group work finally began!

Referencing the information input from each of Mercari’s business leaders, the teams engaged in research and brainstorming while working with their mentor to answer the topic question, “What will it take to launch Mercari’s business globally?”

For this program, using AI to develop prototypes was mandatory, resulting in the participants using Figma Make, ChatGPT, and Claude to gather information and create output. Seeing them leverage these AI tools so proactively made a big impression.

Late in the afternoon, two of the participants from last year’s Bold Program made an appearance for an alumni talk session.

In a brief one-hour session, the speakers drew on their experience to address some of the questions this year’s participants likely had: “How did you feel at the end of day one of the program?” “What was the foremost thing you were aware of during your group work?”

This year’s participants were also very interested to hear about their predecessors’ experience from last year. There were so many questions to answer that an hour almost seemed too short to cover everything.

Following the program alumni session at the end of day one, Mercari threw a welcome party.
Here the participants chatted excitedly with their comrades in arms about all manner of topics from the schools they attended and their hometowns to their career aspirations, hobbies, and interests.

Day two

On day two, people from each job type and the leaders of each of our businesses came together for a Q&A session.

Although there were people with six different job types available, the number of people per team meant that not all job types were present on each team. This made it necessary for people to step outside of the confines of their job type, while also exercising the expertise of their own job type.

Having access to employees working on the ground as professionals proved very helpful. This allowed participants to ask about things like how they could contribute to their team in their capacity and how they should carry themselves while working to incorporate the ideas that came up during group work into their team’s actual presentation.

In the Q&A session with each business leader, participants gained knowledge and valuable feedback to better visualize the potential for the global expansion of their ideas and alignment with user needs.

Ahead of the interim presentations happening the next day, the atmosphere was tense, with some teams still working to hone their ideas. The organizer of one team heatedly discussing their work was overheard jokingly telling their team members, “Don’t stay too late tonight!”

Day three

At last, day three arrived, and it was time for the interim presentations!

In a short amount of time, each team had managed to incorporate their business ideas into their interim presentation while receiving feedback from mentors, industry specialists, and company leaders.

The program welcomed three judges from each relevant domain to evaluate the interim presentations, which showcased the current stage of the participant’s business ideas as of day three.

Participants received frank feedback from the judges, as some ideas were not fully formed or lacked market insight.

However, this is one of the highlights of the Bold Program! With the feedback they received, the teams set off to their respective destinations with renewed determination to create even stronger business presentations.

Bon voyage! Departing for a five-day field study ✈️

From here, the four teams headed to each destination country to finally begin their field study.
There was enough material to write a feature-length article on each destination country, but for the purpose of this article, we’ve boiled the details down into the following simple summaries.

United States🇺🇸

After a long, 10-hour flight, the US teams finally touched down in San Francisco! Armed with the feedback from their interim presentations, the participants hit the ground running, engaging in user interviews and field research to further refine their business ideas.

On day two, the participants headed for the main event of their State-side trip, a visit to the Mercari US office located in Palo Alto!

Here, they were able to receive a wealth of valuable feedback to strengthen their business ideas through discussions with Mercari US employees, gaining interesting insights about local market conditions and consumer trends. Following that, participants shared a meal with the US members on an open terrace, further deepening their ties and having a very meaningful time.

Even though time was limited, during breaks from their field research, participants were able to deepen interactions not only within their teams but also with mentors and HR members who accompanied them on the trip, such as getting dinner together at a restaurant near the famed tourist spot Fisherman’s Wharf, and engaging in group work while chatting in their hotel lobby.

Compared to other teams, the flight time and time difference between Tokyo and San Francisco were significant, making for a very intense schedule, but the sight of the team members developing new ideas from the US to accelerate Mercari’s global growth looked very promising!

India 🇮🇳

The India team traveled to Bangalore, a center of technology and business where Mercari India is located.

The Mercari India office gave the participants a warm welcome, and both the students and employees seemed relaxed throughout! Even over lunch and dinner, conversations were lively, and everyone had a very enjoyable and fulfilling time.

Starting on day two, the participants hit the streets of India to conduct market research!
When they actually ventured out into the streets of India, they realized that some of the hypotheses they had written before boarding the plane in Japan were far from the truth of the Indian market. In spite of this, the teams were able to make course corrections through persistent research on the ground and dialogue with Mercari India team members.

“Thanks to the specific advice from the members of the India team, we were able to turn our ideas into realistic plans. The fact that we were able to develop our hypotheses further was thanks to everyone’s support,” said one participant. “There were cases where what we researched in Japan did not pan out locally, but we were able to skip any confusion and make improvements to our ideas after our colleagues pointed out where we had gone wrong and told us how we should change our approach,” said another happy participant.

There were still other positive comments as well. “What left an impression with me was being encouraged by those who said that the Indian market is not easy, but that’s precisely why it’s worth the challenge.”

On the final day, the teams gave presentations to Mercari India team members.
They not only received detailed feedback on their ideas, but also had Q&A sessions with each of the professionals attending. Program participants were really grateful for the support they received up until the very end, in spite of having to work on a Saturday.

While their stay in India came with an intense schedule, the time they spent there proved to be very fulfilling thanks to the meticulous support from the members of Mercari India.
Thanks to the careful arrangements for city transportation, meals, and other necessary resources, participants were able to focus on the project without unnecessary worries. It’s fair to say that because the preparations were so thorough, everyone involved, including our employees, were able to give their all.

Hong Kong and Taiwan 🇭🇰 🇹🇼

The Hong Kong and Taiwan teams were the only participants to travel to two international locations.
Their schedule sent them to Hong Kong for two nights and then Taiwan for two nights. Although there is not much time difference with Japan, prior to departure, the program planned the team’s local travel carefully to avoid wasting time while in transit.

On the shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel, the bus guide gave a detailed explanation about the city, which delivered many lessons about the local area even as the teams were still traveling. The participants had a chance to hear from a local source that a character currently exploding in popularity in Japan is also huge in Hong Kong.

On-site, the team split up their interview tasks, with some being delegated to speak with students around the university and others the owners of recycling shops, and in doing so, they engaged in research activities that could only be done locally. Because the participants traveled directly from Hong Kong to Taiwan, they had a chance to see the differences in the market, and the insights gained from being on-site seemed to build their confidence.

On the evening of the participants’ return to Japan, a total of 12 people gathered around a circular dining table to share an enjoyable dinner and good company. The menu recommendations that the Taiwan members selected were exquisite and allowed everyone to enjoy the local cuisine together.

After dinner, they took a stroll through a stylish area while conducting trend research. As a change of pace, they were able to get a feel for the atmosphere of the city and to get a sense of the trends firsthand.

 South Korea 🇰🇷

The Korea team traveled to Seoul, a center of cutting-edge fashion, technology, and business.

Since the participants arrived in Seoul in the evening, the first day started with a welcome dinner. Conversations flowed as participants dined on authentic Korean barbecue pork ribs. Everyone had a great and fulfilling time, allowing both the students and employees to relax and deepen their interactions.

From the second day of the trip, the teams finally hit the streets of Seoul to start market research to test their hypotheses.

Seeking real local information that would be out of reach if their research never left the comfort of an office desk, the students conducted surveys and interviews with people on the street. Even after returning to the hotel, the participants engaged in long discussions in the lobby and in their rooms to refine their ideas.

Walking through the streets of Seoul, they came face to face with the reality that some of the hypotheses they had formed in Japan were significantly off target from the actual Korean market. Regardless, their persistent on-site research and discussions and dialogues with team members allowed them to steadily make course corrections.

The PM brought the team together, the designer visualized their ideas, the marketer expanded their plans, and the analyst reinforced their arguments with data. While each person’s strengths were maximized, there were times when opinions clashed and doubts arose, but with the help of their mentors, they overcame discussions that sometimes lasted until morning, and each of the two teams came together.

The culmination of the program: The final presentations

As the culmination of the program, each team presented a business proposal based on the research they conducted during their overseas trips. The presentations were heard by four judges, including Mercari CEO Shintaro Yamada (@suadd).

Evaluation criteria

1. Global impact (40%): Level of contribution to Mercari’s global growth
2. User insights and market understanding (20%): Understanding of the traits and user needs of the target market
3. Potential for implementation and business value (20%): Realistic implementation plans and return on investment
4. Leveraging of team diversity (20%): Leverage the strengths of members from different areas of expertise

Battling the fatigue of having traveled on the same day, participants were up early in the morning to prepare for the final presentation. The sight of the teams continuing to check prototypes, finalize slides, and practice presentations up until the last minute of the submission deadline conveyed the tension that also went into organizing their work.

Finally, it was time for the final presentations.

Within the eight-minute presentation time limit, each team beautifully summarized a wealth of content, including not only their business ideas but also user insights, supporting interview data obtained from local research, and an introduction to their prototypes.

Each team’s presentation was followed by a Q&A session, during which the judges threw sharp questions at the presenters. Even in the tension of presenting and answering questions in English in front of the CEO and VPs, their confidence in their ideas and teammates was impressive and very reassuring.

Time to announce the results! Which team will take home the championship trophy?

3^rd place: Team 7—Korea

Team 7 won third place with their proposal for a live auction-style second-hand marketplace “mercari On!” for Japan and South Korea.

The idea combined three elements: live streaming, auctions, and crossborder transactions, along with a catchy promotional video and mockups that explained these concepts clearly. The idea received high praise.

2^nd place: Team 4—India

Aiming to solve the reliability and pricing issues of existing C2C markets in India, Team 4 proposed “mercari Scoop,” a C2C app that targets students in particular. The idea won the team second place.

Two aspects of the team’s ideas were evaluated highly: First, they focused on the potential for global growth in India. Second, they advocated for the idea of imparting to students early in their lives the habits of a circular economy, which Mercari is aiming to create.

1^st place: Team 5—Hong Kong and Taiwan

The prestigious first-place prize went to Team 5, which proposed “Mercari GoBiz,” which connects Japanese sellers with overseas buyers and enables more efficient and cost-effective transactions by directly shipping to existing second-hand stores in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The deep user insights and meticulous user and market research underlying the business idea were so impressive that even the judges were taken aback. Thanks to their business proposal that fully leveraged the characteristics of the program, including on-site research, the judges were unanimous in choosing Team 5 as the first-place winners.

Overall evaluation from Mercari CEO Yamada

To wrap up, Shintaro Yamada, Mercari’s CEO, gave his overall evaluation of the program to all participants (an extract of the speech follows).

First, thank you for all your hard work. To all the participants, who brought their passion to their efforts on this program, I simply cannot praise you enough. I’d like to thank you for your efforts in preparing such high-quality presentations in such a short amount of time. Speaking from my years-long experience of working in the marketplace industry I can say that the proposed solutions you presented were extremely meaningful and impressive.

If any of you are now interested in making Mercari your workplace, be sure to ask our members for more information.

Program summary and editor’s notes

The Mercari Bold Program 2025, aimed at producing the next generation of global leaders from the young women who participated, concluded with great success.

The high aspirations and passionate peers who met through this program shared joy and strife while brainstorming business ideas and creating bonds deeper than expected, which deeply moved the organizers and mentors.

Additionally, the excitement that participants brought to the program expanded the perspectives of Mercari employees and became a source of new ideas, creating a synergistic effect between participants and Mercari employees, which was also impressive.

Going forward, we sincerely hope that the next generation of talent will bring a breath of fresh air to the tech industry and that their passion will spread not only in Japan but around the world.

Thanks to everybody who took the time to be with us!