Alumnus Hiroshi Nagai ('99) is a skilled inventor and businessman who has made a career out of trying to improve people’s daily lives. His story is a perfect example of the kind of entrepreneurial and innovative spirit that the University of Minnesota strives to nurture in its students.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering, Hiroshi went on to found BeaTOOL, an innovative company that changes the way people use household tools in their daily lives. Whether it’s developing chopsticks that “float” to keep the chopstick rest clean (see photo below) or designing a necktie made out of cardboard (which he is wearing in this photo), Mr. Nagai is pushing the boundaries of conventional design with thoughtfulness and purpose.

Hiroshi’s guiding philosophy is that modern convenience and efficiency should not come at the expense of happiness and satisfaction in daily activities. As such, his company’s products are thoughtfully designed to balance modern efficiency with a whimsical twist on daily life. His company is making waves in Japan, and has been featured on business-focused TV shows across the country, as well as at expos in other Asian nations. 

Hiroshi credits his experience at the University of Minnesota with informing the way in which he designs his products for customers. During his studies at the University, he learned to broaden his worldview and approach his work with new perspectives. Collaboration with international colleagues and peers helped him to build a completely new design theory upon which he later modeled his business.

Hiroshi continues to express his gratitude by encouraging Japanese students and scholars to apply to study at the University of Minnesota. He firmly believes it will reinvigorate the next generation of Japanese entrepreneurs to study abroad and experience the unfamiliar. By broadening their knowledge and worldview the way his time at the University of Minnesota did for him, he hopes that future graduates may return to Japan from Minnesota with fresh ideas and new connections.

Headshot photo courtesy of Hiroshi Nagai; chopsticks photo from the BeaTOOL website.