CEO and Co-Founder of BasisTech
“Listen to your inner voice… especially when making important decisions.”
Mr. Carl Hoffman has been a committed member of the International House of Japan since 1985, following in his parents’ footsteps. He became influenced to be a member of the International House because of his parents’ involvement from the early to mid 70s. Hoffman has many memories from staying at the International House spanning back to when he was 13 years old and living in Okinawa. Since attending graduate school, the International House has been his home away from home, where he can engage in interesting activities like discussion groups, symposiums, conferences, and seeing old friends.
Hoffman is the CEO and Co-Founder of BasisTech, which works with entrepreneurs to refine ideas, attract talent, access capital, and accelerate growth. Learn more about BasisTech here: https://www.basistech.com/.
We sat down with Mr. Hoffman and had the opportunity to ask him questions related to both his work and his time as a member of the International House of Japan.
Q: If you could summarize your experience with the IHJ in one word, what would it be?
A: Community.
Q: If you could pass on a piece of advice to someone, what would it be?
A: Listen to your inner voice…especially when making important decisions.
Q: How does your experience living and working in Japan aid you in doing business with Japanese companies?
A: Living in Japan helped me understand the professional economic environment that many foreigners with no experience do not. They tend to assume that the environment in Japan is similar to what they experience in the U.S., which is not the case. There are different business protocols and ways that people work together; for example, the role of lawyers in business, litigation (much more common in the U.S.), and the length of time to build a trusting relationship.
Q: What was one of your favorite decisions you made in your professional life?
A: To become an entrepreneur.
Q: When you think back on your career, what’s a risk you took that really paid off?
A: Becoming an entrepreneur.
Q: How do you see AI impacting cross-cultural communication and the future of business?
A: Many of the newer AI models are deeply capable in cross-cultural communication, and AI can build on a lot of the progress we have seen in machine translation to facilitate cross-cultural communication and collaboration. It can become a collaborative participant in brainstorming, dispute resolution, and more across language and cultural boundaries.
Q: What do you hope is the future of U.S. - Japan relations and the International House of Japan?
A: A generic answer you would probably get from a lot of people is for the U.S. and Japan to continue to strengthen and build their ties. A more specific answer would be for Japan to change its laws to permit dual or multiple citizenship. When someone leaves Japan and settles in the West, they have to choose between citizenship in Japan or their adopted country. I think this is hurting Japan because second or third generations are less likely to travel to Japan for extended periods of time and develop deeper roots there.
Q: What are a few discussion topics or projects you would like to see the International House of Japan engage more in both in Japan and in North America?
A: I would like to see the I-House facilitate or host more discussions concerning national security. Although they have done this in the past, the security landscape has changed dramatically. I think they should invite Rahm Emanuel, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, to speak about the national security situation, especially since Japan needs to start engaging differently with its allies in Asia and in the West in the area of national security.