Born in Tokyo, Miko founded the graphic design company Natural Graphic at the age of 19. Later, it was acquired by the web development company Jambase as its design division, and at just 21 years old, she became Jambase’s Vice President and Senior Designer. She then co-founded Graphnetwork with programmer Sakurada, a former colleague. Despite operating with a small team, they handled numerous projects, gaining recognition in web design magazines as UX/UI specialists.After serving as CEO and designer at the Tokyo office for ten years, she moved to Los Angeles to expand her business. However, since design work could be completed with just a computer, the required investment amount was small, making it difficult to obtain an investor visa. Upon consulting a lawyer, she was jokingly told, “You might as well open a Japanese restaurant, which requires a larger investment and employees.” Taking that suggestion to heart, she purchased a restaurant in Hollywood while staying in the U.S. on a tourist visa and successfully applied for and obtained an investor visa.
Without any prior connections or experience in the restaurant industry, she dived into the business, learning through trial and error. Ultimately, she managed to sell the restaurant for five times the purchase price. Following this success, she produced and sold a total of three restaurants. Meanwhile, the network she built during this time led to an increase in design-related opportunities, allowing her to fully return to the design industry. Alongside restaurants, she also launched and managed a job listing site and a Los Angeles information platform.After running businesses in Los Angeles for three years, she married a Japanese-American she met there in 2013 and obtained a green card. In 2015, she gave birth to her first child.
During her time in the U.S., she became acutely aware of the differences in business practices between Japan and America and faced many challenges. Wanting to work more efficiently, she decided to return to studying. After earning credits at UoPeople, she transferred to UC Berkeley, where she graduated as valedictorian while balancing work and parenting. She deepened her knowledge of art, design, and business before relocating with her family to Boston, where she pursued a master’s degree at MIT’s Integrated Design and Management (IDM) program. There, she researched design thinking and immersive experiences while also launching Crane & Turtle (now Ko-Kyoto), a traditional craft store located inside Bow Market in Boston.
In the summer of 2022, she sold her U.S. businesses and relocated to Okinawa. After moving, she founded see em why k, collaborating with local businesses to develop various products. In 2024, she resumed her role as CEO of Graphnetwork and, together with Graphnetwork’s creative team, established Weave Creative, a digital art company. In 2025, she is set to launch HUE Creators Guild, a platform allowing creators to set up their own retail spaces freely, along with Scoop, a gelato and café business.
While managing a diverse range of businesses, she enjoys life with her husband and son.
The MIT IDM program was merged with MIT SDM (MIT System Design and Management) in 2023.After marrying in the U.S., my legal name became Mieko Murao. However, after returning to Japan, I reverted to my maiden name because my husband, as a U.S. citizen, has no registered family record (戸籍) in Japan. To clarify—no, we are not divorced! Lol
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。その後Web開発会社Jambaseのデザイン部門として買収され、21歳で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の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なる。
約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、業務拡張のためロサンゼルスへ移住。
デザイン業務はパソコン1台で完結するため、投資額が少なく、投資家ビザの取得が難しかったため、弁護士に相談したところ『投資額が大きく従業員も雇う必要のある日本食の飲食店でもやるしかないね』と冗談半分で言われ、実際に観光ビザでの滞在中にハリウッドでレストランを購入し、投資家ビザを申請、取得する。コネクションもない中、全く未経験の飲食業に飛び込み、試行錯誤しながら経営を行い結果的に購入額の5倍で売却を果たす。 その後、合計3軒の飲食店をプロデュースし、すべて売却。その間に培ったネットワークを通じてデザイン業の案件が増加し、再びデザイン制作に専念できるようになる。飲食店以外にも、求人サイトやロサンゼルス情報サイトなどの運営を行うなど、ロサンゼルスで3年間ビジネスを展開しながら、ロサンゼルスで出会った日系アメリカ人と2013年に結婚し、グリーンカードを取得。 その後、2015年に第一子を出産。 渡米してから日米のビジネスの進め方の違いを痛感し、多くの挫折を経験する中で、「もっと効率よく仕事ができないか」と考え、再び学び直すことを決意。UoPeopleで単位を取得後、UC Berkeleyに編入。仕事と子育てを両立しながら首席で卒業し、アート・デザイン・ビジネスを深く学ぶ。その後、家族とともにボストンへ拠点を移し、MIT（マサチューセッツ工科大学）の大学院Integrated Design and Management (IDM) プログラムに進学。デザイン思考やイマーシブエクスペリエンスの研究を行いながら、ボストンのBow Market内に伝統工芸品を扱うショップCrane&Turtle（現在のKo-Kyoto）を立ち上げる。
2022年夏、アメリカでのビジネスを売却し、沖縄へ移住。移住後はsee em why kを設立し、ローカルビジネスとコラボレーションしながら多くの商品を開発。2024年にはグラフネットワークの代表に再就任し、また、デジタルアートを中心に展開するWeave Creativeをグラフネットワークのクリエイティブチームとともに設立。2025年には、クリエイターが自由に出店できるHUE Creators Guild、さらにジェラート＆カフェScoopのオープンを予定。
多岐にわたるビジネスを展開しながら、音楽好きの夫とゲーム好きの息子と仲良く生活を送っている。
*MIT IDMプログラムは、2023年にMIT SDM（MIT System Design and Management）と統合されました。
*私の名前はアメリカで結婚したあとはMieko Muraoでしたが、日本に帰国してから、アメリカ国籍である夫は日本に戸籍がないため、私が日本の戸籍筆頭者になり、旧姓に戻りました。離婚はしていません。笑。
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
