Leading a Seattle Icon: An Evening with Uwajimaya CEO Denise Moriguchi

Join the Harvard Business School Club of Seattle the evening of April 7 for an intimate fireside chat with Denise Moriguchi, President & CEO of Uwajimaya

Every Seattleite knows Uwajimaya. Founded in 1928 by Fujimatsu and Sadako Moriguchi, the company has grown from a one-truck operation into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved grocery brands, with stores across Washington and Oregon and deep roots in the International District. The family rebuilt the business after wartime incarceration at Tule Lake and turned it into a multi-generation anchor of Seattle’s food and cultural landscape.

Today, Denise is the third-generation leader of this 90-plus-year family enterprise, and the first in her family to bring an MBA—earned at MIT Sloan—back into the business. After a career on the East Coast in consulting and healthcare, she returned to Seattle in 2013 to join Uwajimaya and eventually stepped into the president role in 2016 and CEO role in 2017. Her mandate: honor a powerful immigrant and family story while modernizing a regional brand that means a great deal to this community.

Under her leadership, Uwajimaya has continued to thrive and evolve—refreshing stores, launching new concepts, and leaning into its role as a cultural hub—while earning recognition for its contributions to Seattle’s civic and nonprofit life. Denise has been honored as a Woman of Influence and Middle Market leader, and the Moriguchi family has been recognized for strengthening ties between Seattle and Japan.

Topics we will explore:

• Stewarding a multi-generation family business: How Denise navigates legacy, governance, and succession as a third-generation CEO

• Protecting a beloved regional brand while pushing for change: Balancing tradition with new formats, new customers, and a rapidly changing Seattle

• Community, advocacy, and the CID: Why Uwajimaya engages in local policy debates and invests in neighborhood institutions—and how that shapes strategic decisions

• Candid conversation and audience Q&A: Expect a frank discussion about hard calls, family dynamics, and what she’s learned about leadership along the way.

This session is designed for alumni who care about family business, brand stewardship, and community leadership

Who’s Invited:

• HBS alumni (all programs)

• Ivy++ (Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, MIT, etc.)

• Harvard undergrad/grad alumni

• Your guests

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

Place: location TBD

Price: $30

Event Contacts

Tom Lapham - jit.tom@gmail.com‬

Kyle Buffenmyer - kylebuffenmyer@gmail.com - ‪+1.717.201.0064