Student Spotlight: Shiho Takezawa
Meet Shiho Takezawa, an incoming PhD student in MS&E.
HOMETOWN
Tsukuba and Kyoto, Japan
WHERE I LIVED BEFORE STANFORD
Kyoto, Japan
Oxford, United Kingdom
ALMA MATERS
International Christian University
University of Oxford
DEGREES & MAJORS
MSc, Social Anthropology
BA, Liberal Arts with Business Major
RESEARCH THEMES MY WORK REPRESENTS
The Future of Organizing
Academic and work experience
Before returning to academia, I was a journalist in Tokyo. I worked for Bloomberg News and President Magazine, writing about Japanese companies, finance, and the economy. Studying anthropology at Oxford deepened my interest in researching financial inequality from an ethnographic approach, which led me to pursue my doctoral studies.
Impact I hope to have in my field and the world
I aspire to continue my work in interviewing and field studies to make an impact in and beyond academia. Through my research on gender and racial disparities in startup funding, I hope to expand financial access for women of color, immigrants, and refugees seeking entrepreneurship.
Interests and hobbies
Cooking, journaling, photography, and creative pursuits.
Published September 22, 2025.