Who We Are

“LIVE your dreams, you are what you do, so DO your dreams”

GARY VIERHELLER

Gary earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of Mexico, with focus on Speech Communications and Educational Psychology. He is also a Constructive Living Instructor, based upon the precepts of the Morita Psychotherapy. This unique background has equipped Gary to train a wide variety of business professionals and executives, including Japanese astronauts. He has coached CEOs and Presidents of companies, helping solve personnel problems and guiding them how to develop better work environments. He has worked for the National Museum of Emerging Science (Miraikan) as the sole English Communications Specialist and a Science Communication Advisor to the center’s Director.

Gary’s specialty includes presentations and writing.

On his free time, Gary once in a while reminisces his gleanings from his other world, where he once served as a professional Flamenco dancer, a private investigator, a fitness club manager, and a wine steward.

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“Confidence follows action.” 

SACHIYO TAKIGUCHI

Sachiyo gained her Degree in American Literature at the Oberlin University in Japan and took further studies in North Carolina. She has repeatedly scored 980 in the TOEIC. She is well-trained in the areas of executive coaching and “English engineering.” Her expertise and experiences have allowed her to maintain relationships with long-standing clients for over 15 years. Her unique communication training as a Japanese who learned English (not a native bilingual) has allowed her to effectively train clients to learn English, understanding the inherent challenges that go with it.

Sachiyo’s specialty is language learning in a quick and effective manner.

On her free time, Sachiyo prides herself in being an excellent bread maker and soup creator.

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“No one really knows why humans do what they do.” 

DAVID K. REYNOLDS

David K. Reynolds is recognized as the leading Western authority on Japanese psychotherapies. He is a former faculty member of the UCLA School of Public Health, the USC School of Medicine, and the University of Houston. His books have been published by university presses (California, Chicago, Hawaii, and New York) and popular presses in the U.S., Japan, China, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere.

In 1988, the World Health Organization sent Dr. Reynolds to China to train psychiatrists in Constructive Living. He currently lectures and conducts workshops around the Pacific, including Japan, lecturing and consulting in Japanese. He is the only Westerner to receive the Kora Prize and the Morita Prize by the Morita Therapy Association of Japan.

More about David on http://www.constructiveliving1.weebly.com/   and docl.jp

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“I am passionate about design and delivery of enjoyable and interactive cross-cultural communication solutions.”

Vienkeo Lai

Vienkeo Lai gained a rich corporate experience in the past 23 years. Her experience in Ericsson exposed her to extensive knowledge on technical sales and leadership in Asia and Europe. She had led expatriates and diverse engineering teams, ensuring that they meet the business needs of clients and develop competence of the local staff. As a corporate trainer and consultant, she has translated business objectives into effective learning programs for multinational enterprises. She also contributed to the Global Leadership Program of a Japanese talent acquisition company expanding in South East Asia.

Vienkeo’s strength lies in understanding cultural norms and business manners in Asian and Western contexts. She is fluent in English, French, Mandarin, and Cantonese. She also speaks Japanese, Thai, and Laotian.

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 “I believe in going beyond language, beyond culture.”

MINERVA LARDIZABAL

Minerva Lardizabal held a number of demanding roles in her career with the private sector for the first 10 years of her career. She later gained extensive field experience in over ten countries— South East Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America—working for a Swiss-based multinational company. She has been sought for her expertise in operations, project management, audit, and training.

Minerva has been working as a coach and corporate trainer with training providers in Tokyo since 2007, working with client companies in diverse industries, delivering over 500 tailored business communications training and cross-cultural programs for Japanese multinational and global companies.

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“Acquiring new skills helps your chances in succeeding in life.”

DUNCAN SCULPHER

Duncan Sculpher has gained multi-cultural exposure and cross-cultural understanding having lived in seven countries. He has been living in Japan for 20 years, and has been working with various companies, such as KEIO and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Through the years, he has studied in-depth the points and concepts in communication that have not been prioritized in Japan, but are of highest relevance in other countries.

Duncan is a true “Weltburger,” which means “World Citizen” in German. His desire is to share his experiences and knowledge to others, to also empower them to be global citizens, able to adapt to any country.

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“Anything worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” 

KATRINA VINLUAN

Katrina Vinluan has gained over 10 years of working experience in Manila in the field of media and marketing. She worked for a 100 million dollar worth Philippine real estate company, Megaworld (Alliance Global), focusing on leasing and marketing roles in retail development. She also worked for a leading magazine publishing company, delivering multi-platform (print, digital, events) creative solutions for brands.

In Japan, Katrina completed her MBA then worked as a lead for the web magazine of the country’s largest ad agency. She also jumpstarted Cookpad Japan’s Philippine localization. After working for an international scientific publishing company in Tokyo, she decided to go freelance and has been working as a writer, marketer, trainer, and startup founder.

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“I am driven by purpose and have a deep passion in the crossroads of creativity and technology.”

VALDIMYR CRESSANT

Vladimyr Cessant has gained substantial experience in global marketing, digital marketing, and technology sciences, working with world brands. He has been exposed to corporate communication, project management, and customer relationship management, and have helped companies in their digital shifting strategies, managing brand and agency needs.
At Sony, he has made presentations for C-level executives, diplomats, country presidents, and royalty. He has also performed roles in exhibit management, event planning, and rights management for Sony’s global assets.

Vladimyr takes pride in being part of the team behind Sony’s experiential showrooms, which offer unique experiences for a wide range of customers.

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“Learning about cultures different from yours and traveling to places that are different from what you are used to greatly enriches life.” 

ALEXADRA IVANOV

Aleksandra Ivanov started her career in Corporate Finance in Seattle, before pursuing teaching in four countries—United States, Czech Republic, South Korea, and Japan. She has been teaching people from all walks of life, in varied settings, from one-on-one, to group, to class, to corporate setups. In Czech Republic, she had taught test preparation courses for the Cambridge English exams (FCE, CAE, and BEC exams). She had also completed six courses on language teaching methods for Master’s in TESOL in Temple University in Tokyo.

Aleksandra loves travel, practices Vipassana meditation, and spends time outdoors doing camping, hiking, trail running, and more. She has completed full-length road marathons in Seattle, Tokyo, and Seoul.

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“Those who believe in themselves can achieve anything, as our only limits are the ones we choose for ourselves.” 

RICHARD CLEARY

Richard Cleary is a qualified, experienced instructor, who has spent the last 25 years in Japan focusing on professional training, education management, and Human Resources.

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