Event

What is Lake Tahoe Entrepreneur Social?

These are relaxed monthly networking events that you want to attend regularly and show up when you are able. This is an opportunity to move away from your solopreneur desk to connect and collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs; a place to meet new friends and potential partners in the community. We provide drinks, light snacks and a whole lot of conversation, connections and inspiration along with useful tools and ideas that can accelerate your business.

Every month we feature a successful entrepreneur as our guest speaker to share their story and insights that you may be able to connect with. These valuable discussions focus on sharing experiences of being in business, making a difference and suggestions of how to overcome challenges and implement tools that are intended to accelerate your life and business.

GUEST SPEAKER

Kotaro “Taro” Arai, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant Group

 Kotaro “Taro” Arai was born on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu. He was virtuous, carefree, radical, and was forever being sent home from school. At age 15, with the money Taro saved from his newspaper route, Taro’s father decided to move the Arai family to America.

In 1987, Taro’s parents opened a modest Japanese restaurant in Fair Oaks called Mikuni, to provide a living for the family. Celebrating a thirty-year business milestone last year, with nine locations and 1,000 employees, Mikuni is one of the most successful restaurant businesses in northern California.

Mikuni has named the winner of multiple restaurant awards annually since 1998, and under Taro’s leadership, Mikuni sushi chefs have conceived more than 300 original creations—many of them named for their loyal guests.

Mikuni celebrated the naming of the Mikuni Infusion Center at Sutter Medical Center Sacramento last year with $1 million raised to support the Sutter Cancer Center Breast Cancer Navigator Program. In addition, Mikuni Charitable Foundation has financially supported many local charities over the past two decades from the proceeds of the annual Mikuni Summer Classic golf tournament.

 Chef Taro is the co-author of Abundance: Finding the American Dream in a Japanese Kitchen and Appreciation: Honoring Those Who Have Blessed My Life