From international development in Africa to spreading the joy of home cooking globally — how a passion for social impact led to a career at Cookpad.
An ex-management consultant with a mission, Junko Tashiro leads Cookpad’s global Marketing and Editorial team with a common purpose… to build a healthier future for the planet.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your studies?
Born and raised in Tokyo, I was a curious kid with countless questions — about the world, about society, and about humanity. What particularly bothered me was the societal divides and disparities that create a rift between people. This is what led me to pursue international relations studies during my undergrad in Japan, and then economic and political development in the US, as well as a management master’s degree.
How did you launch your career?
During my final uni semester I worked at an NGO in rural Kenya and a local friend asked for my help with a small food business to address malnutrition amongst women. Sadly I wasn’t able to offer meaningful support and I felt powerless. This propelled my motivation to learn, which brought me to pursue a management consulting career path. My first professional role was at McKinsey, learning how a business works. A few years later I started a role with Acumen, a social venture capital fund, which took me back to Africa to launch and scale a vertically-integrated agricultural startup in Ghana.
Have any previous experiences shaped you?
Yes, my time in Ghana building a business in a super resource-constrained environment was life-changing. I learned that to make the world a better place, good intentions are not enough. It takes resilience — the ability to recover from setbacks, adaptability to change, and courage to pick ourselves up and keep going. In Cookpad’s language, it means we need ‘Crazy Optimism’ — we face up to reality, knowing that we can change it. We see the biggest challenges as the greatest opportunities. And we make change possible.
“Cookpad is a purpose-driven company set on tackling the world’s most complex issues, notably sustainability, by empowering communities with the joy of cooking.”
What drew you to Cookpad?
Cookpad is a household name in Japan, but I never realised it had a global presence across more than 70 countries. Not only that, but that Cookpad is a purpose-driven company set on tackling the world’s most complex issues, notably sustainability, by empowering communities with the joy of cooking. I was so intrigued, as I’d experienced the values of home-cooking first hand on my travels. Many families who generously invited me to eat with them would be classed as ‘poor’ according to economic indicators, but in the kitchen, they shined with passion. The table was filled with smiles and laughter. This moment of joy is what Cookpad seeks to spread across the world.
What has been your Cookpad journey so far?
I initially joined Cookpad to work on a new marketplace aimed at connecting passionate home cooks and busy working mothers in Jakarta, Indonesia, through home-made meal packages. My next project, Conscious Cooking, was launched to celebrate people who are cooking more responsibly to build a healthier future for the planet. Too often, the impact and the wisdom of these everyday heroes go unnoticed, and my goal is to give them a voice to inspire the rest of the community. Today, I oversee a wide-spun space from marketing to editorial at Cookpad’s global organization. My role has been dynamically evolving since joining the company, but my sense of purpose is consistent — how can we unlock the power of home cooking by empowering our community around the globe?
Is there anything new at Cookpad?
There are tons of exciting new features on our app, but if I had to choose, it would have to be Cookbook. It’s a fun way to find recipes with friends and family, and to crowdsource cooking inspiration from the Cookpad community. From curating a Cookbook around unforgettable childhood memories to creating the perfect party menu, the possibilities of what to create are endless! Cooking unites people, which is why Cookpad is so much more than just a recipe platform — it is a place where stories, memories, lives and tastes intersect for the greater good.
What does Cookpad’s mission ‘Make everyday cooking fun’ mean?
In the context of home cooking, ‘fun’ can be a sense of excitement, learning, accomplishment, discovery (of new flavors, dishes…), fulfillment, connectedness, and so much more. This sense of enjoyment may emerge when you succeed in cooking something new, when you see your loved ones enjoy the meal you’ve prepared, or when you sit at the table to eat together. We believe in the positive power of cooking and ‘fun’ is important, because when someone is enjoying something, they shine with passion and are fueled by energy, which sparks creativity. Joy is contagious, and this is a huge force of positivity to inspire others to cook.
“Cooking unites people, which is why Cookpad is so much more than just a recipe platform — it is a place where stories, memories, lives and tastes intersect for the greater good.”
What kind of attributes do you look for when hiring?
To thrive at Cookpad, what’s called a ‘startup mentality’ is a must-have: curiosity, creativity, roll-up-your-sleeve attitude, boldness, and an outcome-focused mindset… but I also look for soulfulness. I want to know what drives you, what makes you shine, if you are daring and how you handle failure. These things are not easy to unpack during a job interview, but I always try to look for the essence of who that person really is.
What’s your favourite childhood recipe and why?
My grandpa’s miso yaki onigiri (grilled miso rice balls) will forever live in my memories, as will his wisdom. As a child he taught me so much about world issues like poverty, and I chose my path thanks to the valuable lessons he instilled upon me.
