The Role of Leader Side-Workers in Ota Ward's SDGs Project
Ota Ward has launched a side-work platform to support local shopping streets and small manufacturers in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Professionals from a variety of fields participate as side-workers to support local businesses. In this article, we speak with Kazuhisa Sakamoto, who serves as a leader side-worker in the Ota Ward SDGs Project, about his role and approach to the work.
What motivated you to join the project, and what is your role?
Sakamoto: I was interested in side work to begin with — it lets you do things you can't experience in your main job. I was also drawn to the idea of connecting with local communities. I grew up in Aomori, so I have a real attachment to regional identity. Even in Tokyo's Ota Ward, I felt a similar kind of local connection at the level of a single ward or station area. That's how I came across the Ota Ward SDGs Project and decided to join.
Could you walk us through your role in terms of planning, talent matching, and project execution?
Sakamoto: In the planning phase, I discuss the project's goals and scope with stakeholders and handle recruitment for both the participating shops and the side-workers. For talent matching, I review applications and conduct interviews, then make final hiring decisions in consultation with the ward office. In the execution phase, I hold regular all-hands meetings and one-on-one sessions with individual side-workers to check progress and help resolve issues.
What are the main challenges you've encountered, and how do you address them?
Sakamoto: Staying in smooth communication with both the side-workers and the shops is one of the main challenges. Each shop has different business hours, so reaching them outside those hours takes effort — and balancing it with my main job can be demanding. To manage this, I try to time my outreach around each person's schedule and routine.
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The Value and Fulfillment of Being a Leader Side-Worker
When do you feel most fulfilled in this role? And how has participating changed you personally?
Sakamoto: The most rewarding moments come when I hear that a proposal I made — like using LINE to try something new for a shop after understanding their background — actually led to increased sales or new customers. I also find that I become genuinely close with the shop owners. Positive feedback from both side-workers and shop owners reinforces my sense of what this work is worth.
Personally, my perspective on local shopping streets has completely changed. By getting to know the realities behind the scenes, I've started to notice the thoughts and intentions behind what shops share on social media. Being able to see things from the shop owner's point of view as well as the customer's has been one of the biggest shifts for me.
What skills and background are you drawing on most as a leader side-worker?
Sakamoto: I think the skill I'm applying most is my experience in communications and PR. I spent about eight years in corporate communications in my main job, handling website redesigns and launching social media accounts. That experience gave me an understanding of the characteristics of different platforms, what each is good at and not so good at, from both the operator's and the audience's perspective.
How does that experience translate to the project?
Sakamoto: I didn't have direct experience with LINE, but I was able to apply frameworks from my work on other platforms. Having been through several years of this project, I've also accumulated a range of case studies from different side-worker engagements, which means I can now take successful approaches from shops we worked with last year or the year before and apply them to shops we're currently supporting.
Is there any other experience that's been useful?
Sakamoto: Before joining this project, I also worked as a pro bono contributor for the Hachijojima Tourism Association, where I helped develop an overall SNS strategy. That involved planning operations for what was then Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — including efficient content management and creating posting calendars. That experience has been very valuable in terms of thinking about how to manage multiple media channels simultaneously.
In my main job, I work in corporate planning, which requires keeping a bird's-eye view of the whole organization. In this project, I often deal directly with individual shop owners, which calls for a much more micro perspective. Being able to apply both modes of thinking every day has been an incredibly valuable experience. Too macro and you lose sight of the ground level; too micro and you can't see the bigger picture. I'm constantly mindful of maintaining that balance as a leader side-worker.
Motivation and Outlook
What challenges do you want to tackle going forward as a leader side-worker?
Sakamoto: I think the most important thing is how quickly and effectively we can get the project off to a flying start. The speed at which shops and members reach a common starting point has a major impact on how the project progresses afterward.
Next year, I want to better capture shop needs from the recruitment stage itself — clarifying early challenges like LINE setup and how it fits alongside other social media channels — so we can hit the ground running. A strong launch means more time for challenges during the project period, which opens the door to the next step.
Finally, what do you keep in mind when participating in this project as a side-worker?
Sakamoto: The project comes with real responsibilities, but I think the key to sustaining it is approaching it with a sense of fun — almost like a hobby. Finding what genuinely interests you about it and discovering your own sense of purpose is what matters.
Through a perspective and set of experiences different from my main job, I can connect this work to my own growth. Being able to develop both the close-up view of working alongside a shop and the broad view of the project as a whole is something uniquely valuable about being a leader side-worker.
M&M Uses AI to Develop Automotive Safety Features
World's Leading Cause of Vehicle Collisions: Improper Lane Changes
Summary
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) plans to use AI across its electric vehicle lineup to enhance safety features including collision avoidance systems and lane assist.
AI-assisted systems are expected to use vehicle sensors to detect vehicles in adjacent lanes and prevent accidents.
M&M plans to launch 5–6 electric SUVs between 2026 and 2028, which it says will serve as benchmarks for technology and vehicle design.
AI will also be used for car design optimization and manufacturing process efficiency, reducing time and cost.
Apollo Tyres has also adopted AI in its manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and quality.
Full Article
Artificial intelligence (AI) will help Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), an SUV specialist, enhance collision avoidance systems, lane assist, and other comfort-enhancing features across the electric vehicle lineup it plans to introduce over the coming years.
One of the leading causes of vehicle accidents worldwide is improper lane changing. Drivers sometimes fail to signal during such maneuvers, often leading to accidents. AI-assisted systems using onboard sensors to detect approaching vehicles in adjacent lanes will help drivers avoid such incidents. Other applications include automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, and automated parking assist.
In an exclusive interview, R. Velusamy, President of Automotive Technology and Product Development at M&M, noted that "AI can be used in the product development process — whether it's aerodynamic optimization, weight optimization, or crash simulation to select the optimal combination."
The company is working on 5–6 EV SUVs to be launched between 2025 and 2028, which will serve as brand benchmarks in technology and vehicle design.
According to Velusamy, advanced safety-oriented vehicle features beyond conventional passive mechanisms like airbags and seatbelts rely heavily on AI, primarily algorithm-driven. He noted that AI helps achieve the optimal design from the aerodynamic perspective of a given vehicle, reducing wind resistance at high speeds while maximizing safety for occupants in the event of an accident.
"You can use AI in the cloud, bring it onboard the vehicle's computer, and have algorithms that help make real-time decisions — such as ADAS, autonomous driving, corrective actions, and customer warnings," Velusamy added.
Beyond product features, the area where AI can be most effectively deployed is in the vehicle manufacturing process itself. Time and cost consumed during manufacturing are significantly reduced, and overall quality levels improve.
"If you run 400 aerodynamic simulations on a computer, algorithms can reduce that to 250 and stick to that number. Computer run time is dramatically reduced as a result," Velusamy added.
M&M isn't the only company adopting AI. Apollo Tyres, India's second-largest tire manufacturer, has introduced AI into its manufacturing operations, improving efficiency and quality while increasing factory output at no additional cost.
Delhi-based Apollo claims to have achieved an efficiency improvement of over 8% through AI. This upgrade has made management optimistic about sustaining margin improvements going forward.
Gamma: Streamlining Work with AI-Powered Presentation Creation
For business professionals, creating presentation materials is an essential but time-consuming task. Researching content, designing layouts, and formatting slides can eat up hours. That's why the AI-powered presentation tool Gamma has been attracting so much attention. With Gamma, you can automatically generate high-quality presentations simply by entering a prompt.
What Makes Gamma Stand Out
Gamma is a presentation creation AI tool that leverages large language models. When you input a prompt, Gamma understands the content and automatically generates text, images, and layouts. Key features include:
- Generate high-quality materials from a prompt in one shot
- Refine accuracy through chat-based interaction with AI
- A wide variety of design themes and layouts
- Built-in image generation AI that automatically inserts relevant visuals
- Export as PowerPoint, PDF, or image
Traditional presentation creation requires significant time for research, outlining, and design. With Gamma, these steps are dramatically streamlined by simply entering a prompt.
For example, type "create a promotional plan for a new product" and Gamma automatically generates the product's features, key selling points, target audience, and promotional initiatives. Select a design theme and a polished presentation is ready to go. When revisions are needed, chat directly with the AI to refine the output.
How to Use Gamma
Gamma's basic workflow is straightforward:
- Access Gamma and click "New"
- Enter a prompt (e.g., "create a press release for a new product")
- Select the type of output (presentation, document, etc.)
- Review and edit the auto-generated outline
- Choose a design theme
- Review the generated materials and refine through AI chat
- Export as PowerPoint, PDF, or image
For best results, be as specific as possible in your prompt. Specifying the information you want included — "create a press release for a new product. Please include the product's features, benefits, launch date, and price" — produces more accurate output.
Rather than using auto-generated content as-is, refining through AI chat is important. Specific instructions like "explain the product features in more detail" or "simplify the design" will help you get closer to your ideal output.
Tips for Efficient Use
To get the most out of Gamma:
- Do your own research rather than relying on Gamma to gather information
- Keep prompts specific and concise
- Use auto-generated output as a base and refine through AI chat
- Create templates for recurring document types
- Combine with other AI tools
Most importantly, research first. Gamma generates materials based on the information you provide, so the quality of what you input directly affects the quality of the output. Gather information from reliable sources and organize it before inputting.
Creating templates for recurring document types — monthly sales reports, meeting minutes, etc. — saves the effort of re-entering prompts each time.
Combining Gamma with other AI tools can also be highly effective. For instance, use ChatGPT to summarize information, then input that summary into Gamma to generate a presentation.
Summary
Gamma is a powerful AI tool that automatically generates high-quality presentation materials from a prompt alone. By dramatically reducing the time spent on research, design, and formatting, it has a significant impact on business productivity.
To get the most out of Gamma, focus on specific prompts, refine through AI chat, and combine it with other tools. Apply these approaches and Gamma will significantly cut the time you spend on presentations, freeing you to focus on higher-value work.
The wave of AI-powered automation has definitively arrived in presentation creation. Leveraging cutting-edge tools like Gamma to improve efficiency is becoming an essential skill for modern business professionals.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPjooQWRyw
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