Lectures by Mr. Satoru Inoue, a Social Entrepreneur

Lecture by Mr. Satoru Inoue, a Social Entrepreneur of the Fashion Industry, conducted on July 17, 2024

On his third visit to Soka University, Mr. Satoru Inoue, co-founder and co-owner of the social design studio The Inoue Brothers... (established in 2004 in Copenhagen), shared his entrepreneurial journey and insights with students. He emphasized the importance of using design thinking to creatively contribute to society while maintaining passion and purpose. Raised in Denmark, a country known for its values of equality and democracy, Mr. Inoue often engaged in debates with his teachers, nurturing critical and independent thinking—values deeply ingrained in Danish society, which influenced Soka University’s educational philosophy, as inspired by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi.

Mr. Inoue highlighted the immense challenges facing today’s youth but expressed hope for the future, citing efforts by young people to establish a think tank at the UN to generate new ideas. He also shared anecdotes about Denmark, a country known for its transparency and good governance but also facing issues such as high suicide and divorce rates.

Opening his talk with an excerpt from his book, Mr. Inoue reflected on his father’s life philosophy, his immigrant upbringing in Denmark with his brother, and his transition from a graphic designer to a social entrepreneur. After establishing himself as a successful designer in Copenhagen, he and his brother decided to leave their jobs to create The Inoue Brothers..., motivated by a desire to address global challenges such as climate change, social injustice, and war.

One of his inspirations is Greta Thunberg, whose fight for environmental justice resonates deeply with him. Mr. Inoue stressed the importance of education, encouraging young people to educate themselves about their future, noting how 5 million children have since rallied behind Thunberg’s cause, earning her praise from figures like David Attenborough.

Dissatisfied with their lives at the time, the brothers sought to give back to society by helping communities in need, using the power of design. Initially, The Inoue Brothers... was not a fashion company, but after meeting alpaca herders in Bolivia and Peru, they were inspired to enter the industry. They built their business on three key principles: social entrepreneurship, sustainability (including racial and gender equity), and a refusal to accept corporate investors. Rejecting greed as a driving force in business, they committed to making a difference.

The turning point came when the brothers realized that despite the value of alpaca fleece, the herders still lived in poverty. By adopting a direct trade model that cut out middlemen, they ensured the herders received a larger share of the profits. This model was later introduced to Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

Direct involvement with their partners in production and distribution became central to their business, which promotes fair trade and sustainability while rejecting profit-driven corporate investors. Mr. Inoue emphasized that trust, sincerity, and empathy are crucial in business, and that design and branding should be used as tools for positive social change. This philosophy continues to drive The Inoue Brothers... in their efforts to support communities, such as the survivors of the Tohoku earthquake or Palestinian refugees. Mr. Inoue is particularly focused on humanizing Palestinian culture and sharing its beauty with the world.

During the Q&A session, Mr. Inoue discussed the challenges of entering social entrepreneurship, noting the financial hurdles they overcame by using their own savings and personal time to ensure the company’s sustainability. He stressed that if you’re passionate about something, it won’t feel like a burden, which helped them grow their business.

When asked whether the communities they help could afford their products, Mr. Inoue explained that the workers and even himself are not the target market. By selling high-end products to wealthy customers, the company can redistribute wealth to improve the well-being of the workers and their communities.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Inoue highlighted the importance of achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the fight against poverty and the promotion of gender equality. He stressed that no sustainable development can occur while people struggle to meet basic needs or where women are not treated equally. Empowering women and eradicating poverty, he believes, are essential steps toward a sustainable future.

Excerpts from the Q&A:

1. What was your Tohoku Earthquake project about? Where did the funding come from?

Mr. Inoue believes that art should serve the betterment of society. While it’s easy to start a project, maintaining it is difficult. He wanted to support individuals in Tohoku, similar to his work in Peru. His approach to funding is “old school,” relying on earning money through production rather than passive investment. He emphasized that successful individuals are driven by passion, not profits.

2. What was the biggest lesson that shaped who you are today?

Mr. Inoue sought advice from a respected mentor, who advised him not to fear bankruptcy. By confronting the fear of failure through “image training,” he was able to overcome it and move forward with new ventures.

3. Are you afraid of losing what you have?

Mr. Inoue clarified that he is not anti-capitalist but resists profit-driven motives. He criticized how companies like Apple are now more influenced by investors than their original founders. He emphasized the need for dialogue, suggesting that social media, which can spread hate, should be used to foster connections instead.

4. When did you break even?

It took eight years for The Inoue Brothers to break even, and Mr. Inoue advises entrepreneurs to expect a 10-year timeline to reach that point. He used his income from graphic design to fund new projects.

5. What about disaffected youth and their voting patterns today?

Mr. Inoue noted that young people in Japan often seem disengaged, but he believes that if properly guided, they can move collectively in a positive direction. Japan’s greatest asset, he emphasized, is its people.

Lecture by Mr. Satoru Inoue, a Social Entrepreneur of the Fashion Industry, conducted on July 20, 2023

In his second visit to Soka University to talk to students and share his entrepreneurial experiences, Mr. Satoru Inoue, founder and owner of the social design company The Inoue Brothers…, emphasized the importance of creatively contributing to society through design thinking and never letting go of one’s passion in doing so.

Mr. Inoue opened his talk by reading an excerpt from his book, mentioning the positive influence of his father’s life philosophy, his youth growing up in Denmark with his brother as an immigrant, and his journey from a graphic designer to a social entrepreneur. After becoming an accomplished designer in Copenhagen in his youth, Mr. Inoue shared that he chose to quit his job and created The Inoue Brothers… with his brother.

Both were unhappy with their lives at that moment and wanted to contribute back to society and help communities in need, deciding to do so through the power of design, the projects, and the mission of The Inoue Brothers... At first, The Inoue Brothers… was not a fashion company, only becoming one after the brothers met alpaca herders in Peru and were inspired by them.

It was at that moment that they saw that the alpaca herders, though dealing with a very valuable commodity, still lived in poor conditions. Through partnering with them, The Inoue Brothers… designed alpaca fleece sweaters, creating a business model that cut out the middlemen to make sure that the Peruvian workers could get a higher cut of profit on their production.

This kind of trade became part of the brothers’ way of business, being directly involved with their partners in the production and distribution of goods. Not only were fair and direct trade featured in their company’s mission statements, but they were also promoting sustainability and refusing money from profit-driven corporate investors.

Mr. Inoue highlighted that trust and sincerity are key in the world of business, and that design and branding should be done through empathy. To be a positive force of change is what drives The Inoue Brothers… to keep finding new communities to help (such as those affected by the Tohoku earthquake of 2011 in Japan, or Palestinian refugees), and create value through social design thinking.

Challenges of adopting a new business model. Opening the conversation to the floor for dialogue and questions from the attending students, Mr. Inoue was asked about the challenges he faced when deciding to enter the world of social entrepreneurship. While there were financial hurdles to overcome, the brothers utilized their own savings and personal time, working to make sure that The Inoue Brothers… could continue operating sustainably.

Stressing that perseverance is important, he mentioned that, if something is your passion, it will never feel like burdensome work, and that is how they were able to grow their business positively. On a more challenging question, a student asked if the workers from the communities that The Inoue Brothers… help would be able to afford their products. Mr. Inoue explained that the workers, as well as himself, are not his target market. Through selling his high-end, expensive goods to wealthy customers, The Inoue Brothers… is able to use that money to help the workers, and improve their communities’ well-being. In that sense, he believes his company is acting as a positive force, one that helps in wealth redistribution.

 

As a closing note, Mr. Inoue mentioned the importance of achieving the SDGs, stating that the most essential ones to tackle are fighting poverty and promoting gender equality. The social entrepreneur said that no sustainable development in the world can exist while people still struggle to attend to their basic needs, or where women are not treated equal to men. By empowering women and eradicating poverty, Mr. Inoue believes that a sustainable world can finally be within our reach. It is up to each individual to do his/her part to help.

The Excerpts of comments from the student attendees are as follows.
 

• Your dedication in creating a brand that embraces both Japanese sensibility and Scandinavian simplicity is truly commendable. The concept of "Scandinavian design" resonates deeply with me, as it beautifully blends the best of both cultures.
• The social design and art projects you have initiated, such as the Tatreez Project, the Natural Pima Cotton Project, the Tohoku Project, and the Alpaca Project, showcase your commitment to responsible production methods and the preservation of indigenous heritage. It is heartwarming to witness your studio establishing strong bonds with various communities and supporting them through your collaborations.
• The Vicuña Project, with its focus on the finest animal fiber and ancient Incan ceremonial shearing, is indeed a testament to your pursuit of uniqueness and quality throughout the supply chain.
• I am truly inspired by your mission and vision, and I commend your efforts to create awareness of responsible production methods through quality and design. Your dedication to ethical practices sets an example for others in the industry.

 

Lectures by Mr. Satoru Inoue, a Social Entrepreneur, on Dec. 9 on 2020 and January 6 on 2021

Mr. Satoru Inoue who owns and runs The Inoue Brothers conducted creative dialogue sessions with the IBSP students on Dec. 9 on 2020, and Jan. 6 on, 2021. Titled “Can fashion be a force for good?” he argued that “social entrepreneurship” is not just pursuing profit but aiming for social values and positive changes in society through business. Fashion (and its expression) has been a source of personal identity and expression and is deeply connected to human nature and behavior. But the fashion industry is also the third most polluting industry in the world. He explained in depth the three institutional guidelines of The Inoue Brothers, such as sustainability, fair and direct trade, and no investor involvement. In the following session, the students presented the findings of their research. Mr. Inoue inspired the students’ minds and encouraged them to become more conscious consumers and members of the global society.

Mr. Inoue's comment on SDGs

Sustainability has become an important issue only because of the current environmental situation in which we are all in together. The word ‘crisis’ is probably a more fitting word for it. A crisis that we human beings have created and therefore the solution must come from us as well. As long as we keep a “buy, use and discard” mentality, it doesn’t matter how sustainable the production-methods are, it will not solve the fundamental causes of the problem.
Sustainability is a state of mind and starts with the individual, in the family and with our local community. It is a challenge rather than a sacrifice. It can be fun and life-affirming and not a burden. It must be rooted in human qualities such as empathic caring, gratitude, creativity, and courage.
True sustainability should be a win-win for both you and the planet as a whole. Youths and women must be empowered since they will play some of the most crucial roles in changing our values from a growth-related economy to a cyclical economy and from the profit-first orientation to a welfare-first worldview.
If we all change our habits just a little, it will accumulate and create a huge overall change.

The Excerpts of comments from the student attendees are as follows.
 

• “I was deeply inspired to become a Social Entrepreneur myself.”
• “It was such a pleasure to have this golden opportunity to listen to a successful entrepreneur on how they overcame obstacles they faced throughout the journey.”
• “The session was really interesting and it gave me a real insight into the real world business.”
• “It gave me hope that there are businesses out there that genuinely work for the betterment of people and the planet.”
• “What struck me the most about what Mr. Inoue said is that it all boils down to the gratitude for being a part of life, of being a part of humanity, for living in this planet, and that our existence depends on the resources available to us in the world.”
• “Mr. Inoue shared his vision and his belief of the importance of thinking about the impact that we are creating. It is not always about profit and money, but the changes that each of us could create as an individual. I think this also correlated with Soka University’s principle of value creation. I will always remember this throughout my life and in my future job to create changes in our society.”