Connecting. Building. Enabling.
What We Do
Where global capital, academia, and talent come together - shaping strategic development opportunities and supporting a living ecosystem of innovation through spaces, partnerships, and community.
The Mila - Where Idea, People and Capital Meets
At The Mila, our work is expressed through three interconnected pillars that reflect how we operate, where we focus, and how we contribute to the Oxford ecosystem. Together, they bring clarity to the way we connect, build, and enable meaningful opportunities across capital, academia, and community.
Connect
Global Capital, Talent & Institutions
We bring together global capital, leading academic institutions, and emerging talent to unlock long-term, impact-driven opportunities.
Through our network and relationships, we facilitate meaningful engagement between investors, universities, and innovators, creating pathways for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strategic alignment.
This enables ideas, people, and capital to come together in ways that support sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
Build
Structure, Develop & Deliver Strategic Estate Opportunities
We source, design, and deliver estate regeneration and development opportunities that create enduring value for communities and future generations, in partnership with institutional capital and academic partners.
In parallel, we develop thoughtfully designed living and working environments that support academic and entrepreneurial growth.
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Student accommodation
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Executive living
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Heritage property repositioning
Enable
Lead Initiatives & Forums for the UK Innovation Ecosystem
We support researchers, entrepreneurs, and global leaders through curated partnerships and independent initiatives, working closely with academic communities to foster engagement and collaboration.
Through events, programmes, and sponsorship initiatives, creating opportunities for connection, knowledge exchange, and community building within the Oxford ecosystem.
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Events & forums
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Entrepreneurship support
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Sponsorship programmes
A Founder’s Message
Where Purpose, People, and Possibility Meet
On People and the Power of Ecosystems
Where Purpose, People, and Possibility Meet
Standing in Oxford today, I often reflect on the moment I first arrived here, not as a founder, but as a student, searching quietly for something more.
I came to Oxford with a simple intention: to change my own life.
What I found was far greater than I had imagined.
It was not only the academic excellence or the historic surroundings, but the people, the conversations, the openness, the generosity of ideas that reshaped how I saw the world and my place within it.
It was here that I began to understand the true power of an ecosystem.
The Beginning of The Mila
The Mila did not begin as a grand vision.
It began as something much smaller, and much more personal.
A desire to create a place where others, like myself, could arrive in Oxford and feel supported, not only through a physical space, but through connection, care, and community.
Over time, that idea evolved.
Through the people I met - academics, entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and friends - what started as a personal journey became something shared. Conversations turned into collaborations. Small ideas began to connect across borders, particularly between Japan and the UK.
And in those moments, something extraordinary began to take shape.
The Power of Connection
Entrepreneurship is never a straight line.
There are moments of doubt, and moments of clarity.
Moments where the path feels uncertain, and others where everything aligns.
What I have come to experience, deeply and continuously, is the transformative power of connection.
When academia, entrepreneurs, and small and medium-sized enterprises come together across borders, something shifts.
Ideas gain oxygen.
Confidence grows.
Vision expands.
Founders who once felt alone begin to see themselves as part of something larger.
Opportunities that once felt distant begin to feel tangible.
Ecosystems do not simply grow businesses ... they grow people.
And when people grow, they shape industries, communities, and future generations.
A Moment of Realisation
I remember standing among a group of visionaries and entrepreneurs far from home in Oxford, each of them stepping into the unknown, challenging themselves, and daring to think beyond what felt familiar.
In them, I saw strength, humility, and possibility.
A dear friend once said during an Oxford ceremony:
“Oxford is a magical place with magical people, where magic happens.”
In that moment, I felt that truth deeply.
There is something here, something intangible yet undeniable that brings people together at exactly the right time, often from different parts of the world, yet aligned in purpose.
It is, in many ways, serendipity.
The Mila Today
Today, The Mila & Partners reflects that journey.
What began as a place to stay has grown into something more - a living ecosystem that brings together people, spaces, and opportunities through shared purpose.
We operate at the intersection of:
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global capital
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academic institutions
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and emerging talent
With the intention of contributing, in our own way, to the broader innovation ecosystem, starting from Oxford.
This is not about scale for its own sake.
It is about meaningful contribution.
To create environments where people can arrive, connect, and grow.
To help ideas move from possibility into reality.
To support those who are building something - whether it is a company, a research initiative, or a new direction in life.
A Personal Commitment
The Mila is not built alone.
It is shaped by the support of advisors, mentors, academic partners, global leaders, and the many individuals who have believed in this journey along the way, including my dear family and friends who have stood beside me through every step even before I believe in myself.
To all of them, I carry a deep sense of gratitude.
And it is from that gratitude that this work continues.
Looking Ahead
We are still at the beginning.
But the intention is clear.
To take a small but meaningful role in strengthening the connections between people, institutions, and capital across Oxford, the UK, connecting Japan, and so much beyond.
To continue building bridges where they do not yet exist.
To support those who are ready to take a step forward.
And to create something that, over time, contributes to a more connected and collaborative global ecosystem.
An Invitation
To those who are building, exploring, researching, or seeking what comes next:
You are warmly invited to be part of this journey.
To the institutions, partners, and investors who share this vision:
There is much we can create together.
Here’s to brave innovators.
To global bridges.
To the quiet moments where everything begins.
And to the magic that happens when we choose to move forward together.
With a kind heart and sincere gratitude,
Jeongmi Dozono-Kim
Founder & CEO - The Mila & Partners
Biography
Jeo (Jeongmi) Dozono-Kim is the Founder, CEO, and Managing Partner of The Mila & Partners, an Oxford-based start-up driving impact-led initiatives and advisory work dedicated to bringing together people, spaces, and ideas in support of long-term, meaningful change.
With over two decades of international experience across global banking and financial institutions, as well as public service and philanthropic initiatives, she has lived and worked in Japan, the United States, Canada, and is now based in the United Kingdom. Having spent part of her formative years in Ohio in the United States, and later completing her undergraduate studies at Keio University (SFC) in Japan, her global journey has been shaped from an early stage. This foundation has informed a perspective grounded in cultural understanding, thoughtful leadership, and a deep appreciation for the role of connection in creating gentle yet lasting change.
Jeo began her career in New York in the early 2000s, and went on to hold a number of senior roles at leading global financial institutions including MUFG, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, and State Street. During this time, she held executive leadership positions and served as Board Director at State Street Trust & Banking Japan. Alongside her corporate responsibilities, she undertook a number of governance roles, chairing multiple committees, including those focused on female empowerment and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also served as Vice Chair of the Tokyo Azabu Policy Advisory Sub-Committee until her move to Oxford. Her work has been defined by a commitment to integrity, careful stewardship, and long-term thinking.
Her transition to Oxford marked a turning point. As a Forte Fellow, she completed her Executive MBA at the University of Oxford, with a focus on impact investing and real estate. It was here, through the people she met and the environment she experienced, that the foundations of The Mila began to take shape.
What started as a personal initiative has since grown, quietly and thoughtfully, into a broader endeavour. Through The Mila & Partners, Jeo is building a living ecosystem that connects global capital, academic communities, and emerging talent. The aim is to create environments where individuals can arrive, grow, and move forward with clarity and purpose.
In parallel, she continues to serve in non-executive roles, including as a Governor of a UK educational corporation and college group in Berkshire, United Kingdom. In this role, she contributes to governance, strategy, and the advancement of education and social mobility.
Her work is guided not by scale, but by intention. She believes that meaningful progress begins with people, with honesty, kindness, trust, and shared purpose, and with the environments that allow ideas to take root. From Oxford and beyond, bridging connections between the UK, Japan, and the wider global community, she continues to move forward with a quiet commitment to contribute, in her own way, to a more connected and supportive global ecosystem.
She warmly welcomes others to join her on this quiet yet meaningful journey, in support of lasting impact and the next generations.
Jeo is endorsed by Envestors (https://envestors.co.uk/) a UK Government–authorised endorsing body for Innovator Founders, for her innovative, viable, and scalable business model aligned with the UK’s innovation strategy.
Discover more about the UK’s Innovation Strategy at:
The Mila
Where Purpose, People, and Possibility Meet
Working with the Best
