Gorom Association

Would you like to travel to Japan and participate in a social entrepreneurship program through a partial scholarship? ✈️🇯🇵

We invite you to participate in our promotional events next week in Medellín (EAFIT University - February 26) and Bogotá (Rosario University and University of the Andes - February 25).

The president of the GOROM Association will be present, as well as alumni from each city, to tell you about their experiences and provide details on how to apply. We hope to see you there!

On November 7th, we had a joint session with students from Meiji University in Japan 🇯🇵, along with a cultural orientation led by American students from Florida International University who previously lived in Japan.

The session began with Meiji University students organizing SEED 2025 participants into four cultural groups—each themed around Music, Food, Festivals, and Daily Life. Through this exchange, participants from across Latin America and the U.S. shared traditions, flavors, and perspectives from their own countries 🎶🍱

We then welcomed our guest speakers, Daniela Figueroa and Cori Hallock from FIU, who shared their experiences living in Japan from a Western perspective. They offered valuable insights into topics like clothing etiquette, communication styles, and cultural listening—helping prepare our SEED 2025 members for their upcoming Study Tour in Japan this December 🇯🇵✨.

Every voice, every story, and every question in this session brought us one step closer to understanding Japan not only as a destination, but as an experience of connection and learning 🌸🚀.

SEED Stories: Global Spotlights — Japan Fes Florida 2025 🇯🇵🌴

This story comes from Sofia Lopes Rodrigues, SEED 2025 participant from Florida International University (FIU), who attended the Japan Fes Florida at Indian Beach Park in Miami.
Bringing together local residents and Japanese communities, the festival celebrated Japan’s culture through food, art, music, and traditional games—creating a space of joy, discovery, and cultural exchange. 🌸✨

SEED Stories: Global Spotlights — Visit to the Japan Center at Universidad de Los Andes 🇯🇵🎓

This week, María Camila Romero, SEED 2025 participant from Universidad del Rosario (Colombia), shares her experience visiting the Japan Center at Universidad de Los Andes.

Through calligraphy practice, Japanese karaoke, and meaningful exchange with cultural experts, María Camila discovered new ways to connect with Japan and strengthen intercultural understanding within her local academic community. 🌸

On October 24, we hosted Prof. Staci Bernhard from Florida International University for “A Practical Guide to Developing Public Relations Materials.”

Through a practical lens, we explored how to set measurable goals, craft a clear and concise message, and apply core design principles—color, typography, white space, visual hierarchy, and consistency—to create materials that inform and persuade. As Prof. Staci reminded us, effective communication is the key to successful PR and marketing 🎯✨.

We then put it into action: every team delivered a 10-minute first draft of their pitch, sharing market research and business ideas they’ll present to Japanese local producers this December in Yamanashi, Japan 🇯🇵. After each pitch, professors, the GOROM team, and peers offered feedback to refine content and delivery.

Next session: rehearsal and iteration—one step closer to Yamanashi and to messages that move people to action 🚀🌸.

SEED Stories: Global Spotlights — FIU Japan Club “Game Night” 🎮🇯🇵

On October 1, 2025, SEED 2025 participant Sofía Lopes Rodrigues attended the FIU Japan Club’s “Game Night,” organized in collaboration with the Shigiri community. The event invited students and community members to connect through the joy of traditional Japanese games, creating a relaxed atmosphere for cultural exchange and meaningful interaction.

From shared laughter during group activities to spontaneous conversations across tables, the evening reflected the essence of intercultural understanding that SEED embodies. The presence of the Shigiri community added cultural depth and authenticity, while moments captured by Sofía throughout the night now stand as a visual record of connection and learning.

By blending play, dialogue, and collaboration, “Game Night” became more than just an event—it became a celebration of how culture can bring people together. 🌸✨

On October 10, we had a lecture led by Prof. Maria Alejandra from Universidad del Rosario 🇨🇴 called: “Story Lab: Crafting Impactful Stories for Leaders and Changemakers.”

Through the lens of the Hero’s Journey, we unpacked its stages and saw why this timeless structure shapes our culture—from Adventure Time and Iron Man to Twilight 🎥✨.

Then we brought it to practice: how to use storytelling in a public pitch—the same stage our SEED 2025 participants will step onto in Yamanashi, Japan this December 🇯🇵. We followed a simple arc to guide every team: Hook → Problem → Hero → Mentor → Trials → Insight → Solution → Impact → Call to Action.

We wrapped up in breakout rooms, where teams continued buidling the first version of their pitch decks. Next session we will have our first pitch rehearsal and refinement—one step closer to Yamanashi and to stories that inspire real change 🚀🌸.

On October 10, we had a session led by Prof. Maria Alejandra from Universidad del Rosario 🇨🇴 called: “Story Lab: Crafting Impactful Stories for Leaders and Changemakers.”

Through the lens of the Hero’s Journey, we unpacked its stages and saw why this timeless structure shapes our culture—from Adventure Time and Iron Man to Twilight 🎥✨.

Then we brought it to practice: how to use storytelling in a public pitch—the same stage our SEED 2025 participants will step onto in Yamanashi, Japan this December 🇯🇵. We followed a simple arc to guide every team: Hook → Problem → Hero → Mentor → Trials → Insight → Solution → Impact → Call to Action.

We wrapped up in breakout rooms, where teams continued building the first version of their pitch decks. Next session, we will have our first rehearsal and refinement—we are now one step closer to Yamanashi and to stories that inspire real change 🚀🌸.

Last week we dove into the art of Worldbuilding with Prof. Ignacio Trossero (Nacho) 🌍💡. Through storytelling, design, and technology, he showed us how to imagine new realities—whether in imaginary worlds, alternative futures, or reimagined real places. From Zootopia to Black Mirror, the examples brought creativity to life 🎥✨.

Nacho challenged us with a big question: “What if we imagine a better world? How might it look like?” 🌸 The answers were powerful: a world without poverty, more opportunities for study, peace, sustainability, harmony with animals… and so much more 🌍💬.

We wrapped up the session in team breakout rooms, working on our Executive Summaries in English and Japanese 🇬🇧🇯🇵. Each session brings us closer to Yamanashi—and to co-creating futures full of impact 🚀🌸.

✨ At GOROM Association, we love seeing how our SEED Alumni continue to explore the world and connect their journeys with the program’s mission. Today we share the words of a SEED 2024 alumni from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia), Maria Alejandra Jimenez Castellanos, who recently visited São Paulo and reflected on her experience in the Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade. Here is her story in her own words.

✨ Special SEED Session — September 19 ✨

This week, we had the honor of hosting Former Ambassador Fausto Godoy, invited by our Alumni Leader Eduardo Viel (Brazil) 🌍. Ambassador Godoy shared stories from his outstanding diplomatic career—especially his years in Asia—while encouraging participants and alumni to actively engage in international dialogue.

We also heard from Eduardo Viel, who reflected on his own journey through SEED 2024 in Japan. From his diplomatic lens, he reminded us how SEED is much more than an academic program: it’s a bridge to real global connections 🤝✨.

A truly inspiring session that connected generations of SEEDers through diplomacy, leadership, and cultural exchange 🌸🚀.

✨ SEED 2025: Session 6 — September 12 ✨

This session was all about marketing from strategy to ex*****on! Prof. Santiago Morgantini (Universidad de Belgrano, Argentina) shared the theory behind building strong marketing strategies—covering segmentation, positioning, and the classic 4 Ps 📊.

Then, Ms. Martina Troentle brought the concepts to life with a practical case, showing how to connect consumer needs, motivations, and buyer personas to real-world strategies. Her session reminded us that effective marketing is not only about selling, but about creating genuine value 💡🌍.

To wrap up, teams worked in breakout rooms to start drafting their Executive Summary—for the first time written in both English and Japanese . Another exciting step toward the Final Pitch in Yamanashi this December! 🌸