Hiroki Ogasawara is the 2024 recipient of the MIT SDM Student Award for Leadership, Innovation, and Systems Thinking. Hiro’s extensive service and efforts in a range of areas earned him the award bestowed by the program staff.
Since starting the program in August of 2023, Hiro has participated on a number of Tech Treks and trips organized and/or affiliated with SDM. He was part of the organizing committee for the Innovation Discovery Japan (IDJ) tour in January 2024 and will be a lead for the 2025 trip. IDJ is a student-led trip designed to introduce MIT students to companies known for innovation across industries. The trip also helps students understand the cultural richness of Japan, improving their ability to work effectively with global companies. Hiro was part of the student team building deep connections with companies in Japan and overseeing the logistics of a multi-city trip. He also served as co-lead for SDM’s Bay Area Tech Trek and the marketing and communications lead for the program’s Netherlands Tech Trek. These week-long trips are also led by students to visit companies putting systems thinking principles into action. Hiro provided support to fellow students and to members of the SDM staff in planning and executing the trips as well as co-writing reports for SDM’s social media.
In addition, Hiro has found time to make a difference in the broader MIT community. Building on his work experience in the automotive industry, he participates in clubs such as MIT Driverless, MIT Sloan Mobility Club, and MIT Motorsports. He’s also served as a vice president for the conference in the Sloan Product Management Club. As an international student from Japan, Hiro has also supported the broader Japanese community at MIT. He assisted incoming students from Japan with their transition to the U.S. and serves as a conversation partner for students learning Japanese at MIT. He has also met with prospective students to share his experiences with the program.
“Hiro has embraced his time at SDM and has sought out ways to connect his background and experiences with opportunities here at MIT. He spent countless hours working with other IDJ leaders to make the Japan Trek rich in culture and history, as well as a showcase of leading Japanese companies,: commented Joan Rubin, SDM Executive Director. “Hiro embodies the leadership qualities we strive to enable in our students.”
The other finalists included:
- Jorge Farfan Perdomo, a founding member and vice president of the MIT Mexican Student Association and a member of the MIT Fulbright program; and
- Sai Prasad Balla, completing research at the Idaho National Laboratory and organizer of cultural events with the Hindu Students Council and Sangam.
Established in 2010, the Student Award for Leadership, Innovation, and Systems Thinking recognizes a student who has completed their first year in the program and demonstrates the highest level of strategic and sustainable contributions to fellow SDM students; superior skills in leadership, innovation, and systems thinking; and an outstanding ability to work effectively and collaboratively with SDM staff, faculty, students, alums, and industry, as well as in the greater MIT community. The winner is decided by the System Design and Management program staff, though students are encouraged to nominate their peers.
