News & Announcements
The Yokohama Festival weekend closes with a forward-looking afternoon. On Sunday, November 15, the inaugural SYLA Leadership Retreat: Building the Next 70 brings together leaders, educators, students and professionals from Japan, the United States and beyond at Alliant University’s San Diego campus.
Your Lead Facilitator
Leila Naderi, PhD, founder, co-chair and lead facilitator of the San Diego–Yokohama Leadership Academy, brings together leadership development, cross-cultural collaboration and the Yoga for Leadership framework to create space for dialogue, reflection and connection.
Featured Speakers
From Yokohama
- Taro Suzuki, Yokohama City Council Member; Chairman, Yokohama San Diego Friendship Committee
- Masato Yokoyama, Yokohama City Council Member; President, Yokohama City Council Members’ American States Friendship League
- Masahiro Nishikawa, Chief Representative and Director, Office of the City of Yokohama Representative to the Americas
From San Diego and Beyond
- Ai Hashimoto, President, San Diego Japanese Business Association
- Yume Velliquette, Vice President, San Diego Japanese Business Association
- Sheri Nasim, President and CEO, Center for Executive Excellence; Chair of the Board, San Diego Business Chamber
- Jessica Censotti, President and Founder, My Chosen Vessels; Executive Director, San Diego International Sister Cities Association
- James Floros, Founder and CEO, Floros & Associates
- Stacey Hrountas, Retired CEO, Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers
- Takuma Kozaiwa, General Manager, H.I.S. Americas Inc.
- Corey Cleary-Stoner, Co-Founder and Creative Director, CleanUp Kitsune
- Steven Sigafus, Co-Chair, SYLA; President, San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society
What You'll Experience
This is a highly interactive half day, not a lecture series.
- Leadership talks and panels with global, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives.
- Collaborative team-building alongside participants from academia, government, industry, education, nonprofits and community organizations.
- Nature-based reflection and mind-body practices drawn from the Yoga for Leadership framework.
- Structured networking through facilitated conversations and networking circles.
Who Should Attend
The retreat is open to leaders at every stage: business and industry, government and public service, education, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, arts and culture, and students and emerging leaders who want to build relationships across the Pacific.
Retreat Details
- Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Time: 1:00 to 5:30 PM
- Location: Alliant University, San Diego Campus, Green Hall
- Registration: $395
