Mieko Murao (Matsumaru) was born in Tokyo, Japan. She independently established a graphic design firm "Natural Graphic" at 19. The company, including her eight employees, was acquired by a web development firm "Jambase" as its design division. After serving as the Vice President and Senior Designer, she decided to leave and establish Graphnetwork, an online-contents production company focusing on user-friendly design. From ideation to system development, Graphnetwork provides everything from a website's start-up to getting it up and running and beyond. Her innovative ideas, strategies, and thoughtful designs have led the company to become one of Japan's leading web development firms, producing over 1,000 websites and Apps. After she devoted her time as the CEO and designer of Graphnetwork for a decade, she moved to Los Angeles to expand the company globally.
She obtained her investment visa by purchasing a restaurant. She established a company, produced several restaurants in Los Angeles, and sold them all for profit. Three years later, she shifted her gear towards UI/UX design for the clients she gained from the food/entertainment industry. During this time, she realized that doing business in the U.S. had its own set of rules and cultures, and having that knowledge would have complemented the lessons she learned on the front lines. This realization sets her on a journey from the University of The People to UC Berkeley to MIT. She completed her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley while raising her son and maintaining her businesses. She completed her master's degree at MIT IDM (Integrated Design and Management) program and researched Design Thinking. In 2020, she also founded a shop called Crane and Turtle in Boston to introduce Japan-made household items that are sustainable and practical, which advocate the mitigation of waste, and the culture of cherishing things. She continues to research human-centered design and develop products and services from that standpoint.
東京都出身。19歳でグラフィックデザイン会社Natural Graphicを設立。8人の従業員を含む同社はWeb開発会社のJambaseのデザイン部門として買収され、21歳の若さでJambaseの副社長兼シニアデザイナーに就任。その後同じ職場で勤務していたプログラマーである桜田と新たに株式会社グラフネットワークを設立。少人数ながらも数多くの案件をこなし、UX/UIのスペシャリストとしてWeb制作誌等で認知されるように。
10年CEO兼デザイナーとして東京オフィスで勤務したのち、業務拡張のためにアメリカロサンゼルスへ移住。デザイン業務はパソコン1台で仕事が完結するために、投資家ビザが取得しづらい事を知り、観光ビザでの訪米期間中にハリウッドでレストランを購入。全く未経験である米国での飲食店の経営に飛び込み、思うように業績が伸びない中、ビジネス自体を売却する事を考え、結果的に購入額の5倍で売却を果たす。その後合計で3軒の飲食店をプロデュースし全て売却。その間に培ったネットワークを通じて原点であるデザイン業の案件が増加し、再びデザイン制作に専念出来るようになる。
全くコネクションの無い中でアメリカに渡り、単独でビジネスをはじめ、疑問にぶち当たったらオンラインで独自に学ぶという事を繰り返す中、これはもう一度学校に行って学び直した方が良いと考え、オンラインオンリーの大学UoPeopleで単位を取得後、UC Berkeleyに編入。子育てと仕事の傍ら首席で卒業を果たし、MIT（マサチューセッツ工科大学）の大学院に通うために家族でボストンに拠点を移す。ボストンでは伝統工芸品などを扱うショップCrane&Turtleを立ち上げ、ショップの経営を行いながらMITではIntegrated Design and Management (IDM) というプログラムでデザイン思考やイマーシブエクスペリエンスに関する研究を行う。
2022年夏、アメリカでのビジネスを売却し、沖縄に移住。
A design office that I started when I was 19 years old. Launched a free paper/magazine called Contact, a club information magazine.
19歳の時に起業したデザイン事務所。クラブ情報誌Contactというフリーペーパーを創刊。
My company became a joint stock company in 2004. The company provides web design services and a wide range of online solutions for clients such as Kadokawa Film, ANAP, Universal Music, and T&G.
2004年に株式会社化。角川映画、ANAP、Universal Music, T&Gなど多方面に渡る業界のWeb制作及びオンラインソリューションを担当
The Los Angeles Branch Office of GNW.
Since moving to the United States in 2011, the company has provided web production, restaurant-related order systems, and employee education systems.
2011年に渡米して以来、Web制作及び飲食店関連のオーダーシステムや従業員教育システムなどを提供
A Japanese dining restaurant I opened on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I purchased an old sushi restaurant to obtain an investor visa and redesigned and produced the restaurant from the ground up. It was my first restaurant production project in the United States.
ハリウッドのサンセット大通り沿いにオープンしたジャパニーズダイニングレストラン。投資家ビザ取得のためにレストランを購入し、初めて飲食店をアメリカでプロデュース。
Fortunately, the location in Hollywood sold for five times the purchase price. So I purchased a more prominent space in Torrance. Again, I redesigned, produced, and operated a restaurant; this time, a Japanese Italian restaurant, and I sold it for double the purchase price.
ハリウッドの店が購入額の5倍で売却出来た為、トーランスにあるさらに規模の大きい店舗を購入。ジャパニーズイタリアンレストランを運営し、購入額の倍で売却。
While living in Los Angeles, I built and operated a Japanese-English bilingual job site and a Los Angeles information site.
Graphnetwork handled the overall system construction.
ロサンゼルス在住時代に、日英バイリンガル求人サイト及びロサンゼルス情報サイトを構築、運営。Graphnetworkがシステム構築全般を請け負う。
I opened a gourmet shaved ice shop Cold Rush in Downtown Los Angeles. A modern take on the Japanese Kakigori.
I sold the store due to childbirth and moving north (as a result of being accepted to UC Berkeley).
ダウンタウンロサンゼルスにグルメかき氷店Cold Rushを開店。出産と引っ越し（UC Berkeleyに合格した為）の為、店舗を売却。
A gift shop in Boston that sells traditional crafts with sustainable development goals in mind.
We do everything from concept formulation to operation and develop many original products.
ボストンにある伝統工芸品等を扱うギフトショップ。
コンセプト策定から運営まで全て行い、オリジナル商品も多々開発
A design firm in Okinawa that does everything from designing to producing. It is also a retail store, art & design workshops, museum & art space producer, and art-related commerce.
沖縄にて、デザイン制作、小売店運営、アート＆デザインワークショップ及びミュージアムの企画等を行うため会社設立
