Sun Rises Here
Updates from Chloe.
An update for everyone who has been part of my newsletter journey so far.
As 2025 quickly comes to a closeโwith just two weeks leftโI wanted to share an important update with you.
Although I wasnโt able to post as frequently as I had hoped this year, I was truly grateful to see the number of subscribers to this newsletter continue to grow month after month on Substack.
Much like 2024, 2025 has been another year of major change. Some call this the โage of the wind,โ and I suspect many of youโboth personally and professionallyโhave felt this sense of rapid transition and movement as well.
As we head into the end of the year, Iโd like to take some time to reflect and gradually share updates on what this past year has looked like for me.
Over the past decade, Iโve worked across the U.S. and Asia with more than 10,000 startups, mentored 1,000+ founders, and connected 5,000+ investors with 3,000+ corporations. Regardless of which company or organization I was part of at the time, one theme has always remained constant: building community.
Looking back, I realize that community-building has always been an integral part of my life.
In 2018, when I founded my startup Cosme Hunt (now J-Beauty Hunt) in San Francisco, I built a community of 10,000+ Japanese beauty enthusiasts and created a platform where 100,000+ customers in the U.S. could discover, purchase from, and connect with more than 200 Japanese beauty brands across bordersโdespite significant logistical challenges.
That same year, my mentor Odile Roujol launched the FaB Tech Community in San Francisco. We quickly realized we were facing the exact same challenge: how difficult it was to find investors and supporters willing to back startups in the fashion and beauty space. I decided to step in and help build the community alongside her.
Today, FaB Tech has grown into a global network of more than 10,000 founders and investors across the beauty, consumer, and healthcare sectors, spanning 15+ cities worldwide, including NYC, LA, Paris, London, Singapore, and Tokyo.
After my companyโs exit, I went on to work with several venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, including Techstars. At Techstars, I helped build a community centered around the Tokyo startup ecosystem, growing it to 1,500+ email subscribers and 3,000+ social media followers in just one year, despite a very small team.
Looking Ahead: Sunrise Club
Through all of these experiences, Iโve come to realize that community-building is not only something that follows me wherever I goโitโs also something that comes naturally to me.
I believe thatโs because I genuinely enjoy meeting people, learning what theyโre passionate about, and always thinking about how I might be able to help.
This update ended up being a bit longer than planned, but I wanted to take this opportunity to officially share that the newsletter has evolved into a new, community-based platform: Sunrise Club.
Please subscribe to this newsletter to get updates on Sunrise Club, upcoming community activities, and future initiatives. Thank you so much for your support and for helping make this transition possible.
I hope youโre staying healthy and enjoying a wonderful end to the year. I truly look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026.
Warm regards,
Chloe Takahashi