Michael Takami

Class of 2025-2026

University of California, Santa Cruz, 2024
Computer Science, Specialization in Game Design

Capstone Project Abstract:

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is a global healthcare company with a nearly 140-year history, operating with over 135,000 employees in virtually every country across its Innovative Medicine and MedTech businesses. With a strong emphasis on proactive risk management and compliance embedded in its DNA, J&J's Business Continuity unit is responsible for developing Crisis Management Plans (CMPs) for assets, people, and places, and Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) for critical processes, with revenue protection as its primary value proposition. However, the current approach to testing these vital continuity and recovery plans is manual, time-consuming, and infrequent. This leads to a limited scope of testing, unaddressed vulnerabilities, and potentially significant financial exposure due to unmeasured effectiveness.

This capstone project aims to address these challenges by innovating J&J’s approach to testing the effectiveness of its business continuity and crisis management plans. To achieve this, the student will contribute to the development of an internal digital test method that can rapidly assess electronically documented continuity and recovery plans against a vast repository of plausible scenarios. This solution will generate automated, on-demand reports that provide a benchmark score, a gap analysis, and specific improvement suggestions. By digitally enabling and scaling the automation of plan testing, the project intends to illuminate areas of vulnerability prior to face-to-face Tabletop Exercises (TTEs), thereby enhancing the quality of TTE facilitation and improving overall preparedness and readiness. Ultimately, this will result in significant opportunity cost savings, increase the quality and confidence of organizations and shareholders in the company’s readiness to respond in times of crisis, and foster a more robust, proactive approach to mitigating risks and protecting revenue.

Why did you choose ESTEEM?

I chose ESTEEM to complement my technical software development background with a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and product strategy. While I've always enjoyed building software, I recognized that to truly drive innovation and make an impact, I needed a program that would equip me with the skills to lead a product's journey from a technical concept to a market-ready solution. The opportunity to hone my entrepreneurial and product strategy skills with my computer science background will grant me the tools to build impactful products and ultimately achieve my long-term goal of becoming a product manager.

What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?

After ESTEEM, I hope to serve as a product manager, leading the development strategy for products that address impactful causes. My goal is to act as a crucial liaison between technical and business leads, leveraging my background in both software development and entrepreneurship to ensure innovations meet both user needs and market demands.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Outside of work, I enjoy pickleball, hiking, hanging out with friends, and staying in touch with my family in California. I also love listening to and mixing music alongside attending concerts.