Informing Choices Mini-Pod

Jacinda Ardern’s decision to step down as New Zealand’s Prime Minister came as a surprise to many. She became the world’s youngest female head of government when she was elected prime minister in 2017 at 37. She has led New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic, and a series of disasters including the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, and the White Island volcanic eruption.

Asked how she would like New Zealanders to remember her leadership, Ardern said “as someone who always tried to be kind”.

“I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader – one who knows when it’s time to go,” Ardern said.

The prime minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, paid tribute to Ardern, saying she “has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength … She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities.”

Relational Systems Architect, Leadership Development & Impact Coach, and creator of Mycelium Collab Alessandra Marazzi posed the question, “What would the world look if we all wanted to be remembered, as someone who always tried to be kind?” Which in turn begs the question, “Is kindness the leadership competence of the future?”

To consider this question, I am delighted to welcome Alessandra back to the podcast.

You can learn more about Alessandra and her work by contacting and connecting with her as follows:

The Rise of the Machines has a bit of Terminator feel to it, but as increasing automation plays a bigger role across life, society, and business, it’s hard to ignore the potential of AI and other automation technologies taking control.

But as well as the trepidation about dystopian potential, these same technologies offer incredible opportunity to enhance humanity. The question is, what could it mean to be more human in an ever more technology enabled world? And how might we as humans need to adapt and what will remain purely human?

To explore these questions and why 2023 was a tipping point we might look back on from 2033, I am joined by Strategist and Futurist Joana Lenkova.

Right now, mushrooms are in the spotlight as a meat substitute, medicine, bioremediation of oil and toxic chemicals, leather alternative, plastic alternative for some packaging, and mycelium networks in forests for carbon sequestration. They might be one of the most potent organisms to help us combat climate change.

To explore the opportunities presented by mushrooms and mycelium to help resolve some of humanity’s biggest challenges, I am joined by strategic communicator and futurist Gina Clifford.

You can learn more about Gina and her work by contacting and connecting with her as follows:

The confluence of trends such as demographic shifts, automation technologies such as AI and Machine Learning, together with developments in reducing age-related cognitive impairments are likely to have a dramatic effect on future workplaces.

To explore these factors I am joined by Strategic Foresight Advisor and Organizational Change Management and Communications consultant Rob Caldera.

You can learn more about Rob and his work by connecting with him as follows:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcaldera
Website https://www.futureshiftconsulting.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/robcaldera

One of the most persistent ideas about artificial intelligence, is that there’s a clear distinction between what many commentators refer to as narrow AI and the goal of more general artificial intelligence, otherwise often referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI). But there is evidence to suggest that a new perspective would be helpful in fostering balanced discussion on the technology’s evolution now. The progress in the development of AI with wider application begs the question; “Is 2023 about to become a turning point in the public conversation about the incredible potential of AI?”

To consider this question, I am delighted to welcome back futurist speaker, analyst, commentator, and author David Wood to the podcast.

You can learn more about David and his work as follows:

To start the New Year, I am speaking to 6 futurist friends of the podcast - Alex Whittington, David Wood, Gina Clifford, Joana Lenkova, Rob Caldera, and Sylvia Gallusser to explore their thoughts on the new technologies, ideas, and developments that may emerge in 2023 that will have proven to be significant when we look back from 2033 – in 10 years’ time.

The convergence of digital technology and habits formed through the pandemic have changed how we shop. Click and collect, scan and pay, and pay-and-go – the Amazon style concept – have added choice to the options of online shopping and the brick-and-mortar store.

According to Modor Intelligence, the North American Retail Automation Market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 10.2% (2021-2026). The retail automation market in the United States is anticipated to be driven by the growing adoption of automation technologies by the major players, such as Amazon and Walmart; to cut down costs and drive efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

McKinsey say that the United Kingdom has gone further in adopting online shopping than any of its Western peers with 20% of UK consumers shop entirely or mostly online.

So what are the implications as these tech enabled options are implemented widely?

In this first episode of the New Year 2023 Mini-Series, I am joined by leading futurist Alexandra Whittington to consider this question.

You can learn more about Alex and her work by connecting with her as follows:

We often see news items concerning the development of new technologies such as AI, machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, and the metaverse and their potential future deployment. The implications across enterprise and our private lives are often uncertain and depending on one’s point of view represent a possible journey to dystopia or utopia. The journey can be framed as a conflict as humanity versus technology, or an opportunity to achieve super abundance.

But which technologies, ideas, and developments that may emerge in 2023 will have proven to be significant when we look back from 2033 – in 10 years’ time?

This new mini-series will explore some of the ideas of six futurist friends of the podcast, in the following six episodes.

You can learn more about me and my work by connecting with me as follows:

Here’s a question: How has the way you plan to spend Christmas this year, changed from 10 or 20 years ago, and how might it change in the future?

Last year, together with six futurists, we explored how Christmas and the holiday season more broadly might change in the future, and we are going to tap into their ideas again for this festive episode of the Informing Choices Mini-Pod.

The combination of social, technological, and environmental trends in particular are driving change in everyday life, society, and business. The way we celebrate traditional cultural, spiritual, and family events continues to evolve. Technology offers new ways to celebrate and reminisce about Christmases long in the past and create new traditions. And the environment and sustainability agenda more broadly shape how we use resources to help us celebrate.

Contributors:

* Editorial problem with this episode resolved - 12th December. Apologies for any inconvenience. *

The idea of the metaverse is of an iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality and augmented reality devices. Right now, it might be more accurate to describe it as a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection. There are plenty of ideas about what the metaverse might be in the future; how it might evolve from gaming, a virtual workplace, a concert venue, lecture hall, or fashion store.

Today, we will focus on the metaverse and the future of play, and I am delighted to welcome back friend of the podcast, leading futurist and member of Tata Consulting Services Future of Business team, Alexandra Whittington.

You can learn more about Alex and her work by connecting with her as follows:

With the football World Cup in Qatar upon us, I was reflecting on how new technologies and other drivers of change might impact on how the game is refereed and how tournaments - such as the World Cup - are managed and the criteria for host bids considered. And could there be competition to, what has become known, as “the beautiful game”?

So to consider the 2038 World Cup, I have created a brief scenario to explore some of the changes we might see.

You can learn more about me and my work by connecting with me as follows:

In the past, the notion of reinvented government might have been associated with performance management to sharpen the public services saw. But are we now on the precipice of a new era where revolutionary restructuring might underpin, support, and enable the delivery of effective public services? And what role might innovation, entrepreneurship, and new and emerging technology play in the re-shaping of government into the future?

To discuss Reinventing Government I am delighted to welcome back marketing consultant, writer, futurist, and author of a new book entitled Reinventing Government through Political Entrepreneurship and Exponential Innovation, Michael Mascioni to the podcast.

Artificial Intelligence is a concept of building a machine capable of thinking, acting, and learning like humans. There is some debate about what Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) actually is – or could be - and even if something approaching AGI is achievable or even desirable. But let’s go with this: AGI is the intelligence of a machine that could successfully perform any intellectual task that a human being can.

So in this episode of the podcast, I want to take stock of where we are in the development of AGI, the ethical considerations, and the possibilities that achievement of AGI may present to society in the future.

To have this discussion, I am delighted to welcome back to the podcast futurist speaker, analyst, commentator, and author David Wood.

You can learn more about David and his work as follows:

I often reflect on the pace and scale of change in our world – very often technology enabled – and the challenge of enabling a more human future.

Perhaps increasing the role of humans in our future seems unlikely given what we see of the potential for organisations – both public and enterprise – to adopt and embrace increasingly sophisticated and pervasive automation technologies. But it is precisely this transition that requires us to consider ways of enabling more humanity at the heart of our organisations, perhaps a new way of conceiving organisations.

To consider Humanity in Future Organisations I am delighted to welcome Alessandra Marazzi to the podcast. Alessandra is a Relational Systems Architect, Leadership Development & Impact Coach, and creator of “Mycelium”.

You can learn more about Alessandra and her work by contacting and connecting with her as follows:

The future of work is often spoken about at events all over the world. Of course, there are implications for where we work too. The topic of remote, on-site, and hybrid working is a major topic of debate as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. But what are the challenges for corporate real estate, from design, build, to occupation and services? How might the future of work impact the future of workplaces?

Our world today has been created through a consumption mindset, but increasingly we are becoming aware of the unsustainable nature of such an approach. Our growing understanding of the complex and interconnected processes that make up the fragile natural systems on which we ultimately all rely is increasingly shaping our political, business, and personal lives and outlook.

So how might our relationship with the natural world evolve and what role could technology play in helping us enable a more sustainable world?

To consider Humanity's Relationship with the Natural World I am very pleased to welcome Liselotte Lyngsø to the podcast. Lise is a Keynote Speaker, Futurist, and Founder CEO of Future Navigator.

The combination of smart technologies, robotics, new computing paradigms, and immersive technologies in the metaverse represent a potential sea-change across hospitality in general, and hotels specifically. Perhaps in the future we will take our holidays and business trips in virtual spaces in the metaverse and still enjoy a physical experience as well.

To consider the question, “Is the Future of Hotels Physical or Virtual?” I am joined by Simone Puorto, author of the book Hotel Distribution 2050 and organizer of the first-ever travel and hospitality event in the metaverse.

What do Barbados, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Gabon, Honduras, Iceland, Lithuania, Moldova, New Zealand, Samoa, Serbia, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, and Tunisia have in common? As of May 2022, they all have women as their Prime Minister / Head of the Nation’s Executive. And many other countries have also seen multiple occasions when women have led their respective governments.

The questions is, how does global society build on these notable successes and extend the representation of women across society for the good of all humanity, into the future? And how might technology support the empowerment of women to achieve their potential?

To discuss Empowering Women Through FEMTECH, I am honoured to welcome Moroccan based Doctor Hynd Bouhia to the podcast. Hynd has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in Finance and Strategy and is now on a mission to empower a billion girls and women around the world to grow confident, resilient, tech-savvy and financially free.

You can learn more about Hynd and her work by contacting and connecting with her as follows:

Scientists believe babies could be nurtured in external - artificial - wombs in the future. If so, what might the implications be? For some people, the very thought may conjure ideas of Frankenstein’s monster. For others, it could represent an opportunity to save more extreme pre-term babies in a significantly safer environment than that afforded by conventional incubators, when babies’ organs are not developed well enough to survive. Premature birth, before 37 weeks, is globally the biggest cause of death among newborns. The technology could also provide a safe way for couples to have children where other interventions are not possible. It might even allow mother’s to keep working throughout their pregnancy experiencing physical symptoms.

Does all this seem far-fetched? To date, experiments have been conducted on rodents and sheep with human trials anticipated in 10 years.

The big questions about these technologies revolve around the social and ethical implications, and I am delighted to welcome back to the podcast leading female futurist and member of Tata Consulting Services Future of Business team Alexandra Whittington to discuss these issues.

You can learn more about Alex and her work by connecting with her as follows:

The duration of human life—longevity—is influenced by genetics, the environment, and our lifestyles. Environmental improvements beginning in the 1900s extended the average life span dramatically with significant improvements in the availability of food, clean water, better living conditions, reduced exposure to infectious diseases, and access to medical care.

The study of longevity genes is a developing science. It is estimated that about 25% of the variation in human life span is determined by genetics, but which genes, and how they contribute to longevity, are not well understood… yet! Once they are understood, might we see the death of death?

To talk about this issue, I am delighted to welcome director of the Millennium Project, futurist, transhumanist, and author José Cordeiro back to the podcast.

You can learn more about José and his work by connecting with him as follows:

With a current mindset, it’s hard to see the opportunities of a jobless world created through the growth of pervasive and ever-smarter automation technologies. Commentators will often focus on the challenge presented to economies and welfare systems of high unemployment driven by technological shifts. But what if the politically-driven economic paradigm of seeking 100% employment shifts? Are there opportunities as well as risks to a world transitioning towards a jobless future?

To discuss the Opportunities and Threats of a Jobless World I am very pleased to welcome strategic communicator and futurist Gina Clifford back to the podcast.

You can learn more about Gina and her work by contacting and connecting with her as follows:

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, the world changed. The fall of communism and the Soviet Union had meant the end of the Cold War, as Russia began to find its place in a new world order. But the unprovoked attack on Ukraine has sent the world generally, and Europe specifically back into an antagonistic relationship with Moscow, with punishing sanctions undoing decades of “normalisation” between the West and Russia. For now, it has also largely reunited Europe and the NATO alliance, perhaps an achievement that some in the West could only have dreamt of, until Putin’s actions!

The question is, how might the fall-out from the conflict in Ukraine change the future geo-political landscape?

To discuss this question, I am delighted to welcome foresight analyst Max Stucki back to the podcast. Max is senior foresight analyst at Futures Platform - a company focusing on strategic foresight - and he holds Master’s Degrees in Futures Studies and Social Sciences.

You can learn more about Max and his work by connecting with him as follows:

One of the greatest social challenges society faces is the provision of effective healthcare. Whether the system under examination is publicly or privately funded, the challenges are consistent; how do we ensure each patient is able to access the right intervention, at the right time, in the right place? And how does the system need to flex so that people can make informed health choices before illness sets in … and help enable a society characterised by well managed and even delayed chronic disease, and longer, healthier, working lives?

To discuss Optimising Healthcare Optimising Healthcare in the future, I am delighted to welcome entrepreneur and Executive Chairman at Fidesta, Pétur Haraldsson to the podcast.

In this podcast, I am going to build on a previous episode exploring the future of food but this time focus on how take-away and dining-out experiences might change in the future. We will look at converging drivers and how technology could create very different dining experiences.

So let’s consider:

You can also listen to the following episodes of the podcasts on the future of agriculture and food:

The future of food – particularly of meat and meat consumption – can be promoted as a “no choice” future with plant-based meat as the only viable option for human health, the good of the planet, and animal welfare. But is that the case? Are there other solutions that provide consumer choice and reap the benefits to health, the planet and animal welfare? And when we look into the solutions, what are the wider implications of a fundamental change to our food system in the future?

To explore the future of food in 2035, I am painting a brief scenario focusing on:

You can learn more about me and my work by connecting with me as follows:

A commodity market is a market that trades in primary products and materials rather than manufactured products, such as cocoa, fruit, gold, oil, and sugar. Commodity markets can include trading in a physical or a virtual space using spot prices, forwards, futures, and options on futures. The origins of these market places can be traced back over 5,000 years, but how do they work now and how might they change in the future?

To discuss the future of commodity markets I am joined on the podcast by Data Scientist Noah Healy who has a particular interest in combining mathematics with technology to produce game-changing solutions.

David Smith is chief executive and a futurist at London-based Global Futures and Foresight. In the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon, David has explored the implications for the insurance sector of the Coivid-19 pandemic, in addition to the trends that were already visible. So, digitisation, changing business models, and attitudes to risk are all key factors.

His chapter in the book poses this question: “How has the pandemic impacted an insurance industry that is already being disrupted by digital technologies, InsurTech, new entrants, and an increasingly changing role from compensator to preventer of loss?”

Alongside the ongoing fall-out from the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the major stories of the last year or so has been the growing prominence of blockchain technology and the underlying crypto assets it enables. Individuals, investors, businesses, and governments have all been taking note.

The question is, how might blockchain and cryptocurrencies become a platform for transformation? And what might this transformation mean for all of our futures?

Kapil Gupta is a technology and crypto analyst and contributor to the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon and joins me on the podcast.

Patrick van der Duin is Executive Director at The Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends and a contributor to the book, "Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon". In his chapter, co-authored with Hans Stavleu, he poses the question, “How might social and psychological factors shape the new normal of post-pandemic society?”

I have used the phrase before but I think Patrick and Hans are exploring the alternatives of Restoring the Old Order and a Total System Reboot. Let’s see!

In the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon, director of the Millennium Project, futurist, and transhumanist – amongst many other roles - José Cordeiro describes how the Chinese word for crisis can be interpreted to represent danger and opportunity. In his chapter in the book, he subsequently poses the question, “Is the pandemic a source of global danger that also uncovers a great opportunity in the evolution of this planetary crisis?”

To drill down on this question, we ask:
1) How can we avoid wasting this crisis and use it as a global opportunity for a new renaissance?
2) Could new exponential technologies prevent future pandemics?
3) In what ways might technology advance more in the next decade than it did in the entire previous century?

As we have seen in recent years, so many technological advances have changed our world. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated a number of those, particularly the way we interact remotely and virtually. But what do some of these technologies mean for the way we celebrate Christmas?

In this final festive episode of the Informing Choices Mini-Pod mini-series, Fast Future CEO Rohit Talwar shares his ideas about Christmas in 2040.

In this short mini-series on the Informing Choices Mini-Pod, we are exploring how futurists think we might celebrate Christmas in 2040.

There are many cultural, religious festivals and celebrations around the world, but few with such global social and economic significance as Christmas. So when we turn towards the future, and consider the year 2040, what might celebrating Christmas entail? How might we digitise some physical aspects of our celebrations? In this episode, Strategic Communicator Gina Clifford shares her thoughts.

Speak with a futurist and at some point you may well hear the notion that foresight generally and scenario development specifically are not designed to create prediction but to help describe what might happen in the future.

Futurist Sylvia Gallusser points out that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the ghost of Christmas yet to come explains to Scrooge how the future is not set, and that we can set our journey into future by adapting our actions now. Perhaps Dickens was a futurist! With that in mind, in this festive episode of the Informing Choices Mini-Pod, Sylvia explores Christmas in 2040 through four scenarios. The question is, which is your favourite?

Here on the Informing Choices Mini-Pod, in the context of such rapid and extensive global change, we are exploring what futurists think Christmas might be like in 2040. Today, I am delighted to welcome back to the podcast Strategist and Futurist Joana Lenkova for this festive peek into the future. Joana focuses on using technology for a nostalgic trip to Christmases past, expanding the themes of personal kindness and magic in the context of demographic changes which might have an impact on broadening the cultural appeal of the festive season, beyond the purely religious.

Christmas is a special time of year for over two billion Christians around the world, and here on the Informing Choices Mini-Pod we are exploring what futurists think Christmas might be like in 2040. For futurist Alexandra Whittington, Christmas in 2040 might see old traditions retained but with a virtual twist.

In this short mini-series of the Informing Choices Mini-Pod, we are exploring what futurists think Christmas in 2040 might be like. 

For change leadership advisor Rob Caldera, Christmas 2040 might include new treatments for ageing and immersive technologies - like virtual reality - to help us feel more connected across the festive period

Over a period of time, the time we spend with family and friends over Christmas develops its own tradition. Like all traditions, there is evolution, but rather than look back, I wanted to look forward – to Christmas 2040. So in a festive mini-series, I will post a short episode of the podcast each day between Monday 20th and Christmas Day.

I have been speaking to six brilliant futurist friends of the podcast to explore what they think Christmas in 2040 might be like and I am eternally grateful to Rob Caldera, Gina Clifford, Sylvia Gallusser, Joana Lenkova, Alexandra Whittington, and Rohit Talwar for sharing their time and ideas with me.

Our VUCA world requires us to adapt to the pace and scale of change as rapidly as we can. The survival of enterprise and effectiveness of public sector organisations relies on cutting edge leadership to create successful entities in the near term, while in parallel setting the conditions for future success, despite the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous nature of our world. Agility and resilience are increasingly critical organisational characteristics.

But it that is the situation at the organisational level, how do the same drivers impact on our personal resilience? To discuss Personal Resilience in a VUCA World, Director and Co-Founder of Working the Future, Cathryn Barnard joins me on podcast today.

You can learn more about Cathryn and her work by connecting with her as follows:

When we implement change programs, how often do we future-proof the change by exploring the future? Do the programs we put in place simply seek to change the past and present and how well does that set us up for an increasingly uncertain future characterised by exponential change? In this episode of the podcast we explore the integration of foresight with a human-centric change approach to develop programs that help organisations design, create, and implement effective, future-fit change that focuses on people.

So, to discuss leading change with foresight, guest host Islay O’Hara is joined by Change Consultant Jennifer Bryan and Futurist (and usual Informing Choices Mini-Pod host) Steve Wells on the podcast.

You can learn more about Jennifer and Steve by connecting with them as follows:

Extended reality (XR) is a term used to collectively describe immersive technologies: virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. These technologies extend reality by adding to or simulating the real world through digital materials:

With the extended reality revolution already underway, it’s easy to envision a future in which the lines between the real world and the virtual world become even more blurred than they are today.

To discuss the possibilities presented by extended reality technologies, co-founder of Shooting Stories—a video marketing and digital media production company—and Technology Director at IORMA Ross Edwards joins me on the podcast.

Politics can be defined as activities associated with decision-making in groups, or other forms of power relations between individuals and groups including the distribution of resources or status. Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of value entailing change, and the risk encountered in starting up or conducting business. 

So how might entrepreneurial thinking play a role in the future of politics? How might Political Entrepreneurship support policy development, implementation of local initiatives, and support wider public engagement with political processes?

To discuss the future of Political Entrepreneurship, marketing consultant, writer, and futurist with a keen interest in the future of politics Michael Mascioni joins me on the podcast.

In Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon, editor and author Rohit Talwar explores 50 critical questions that organisations and individuals might ask themselves to help map a path to the future. In the book, Talwar describes seven domains covering the operating environment, economy, individuals and civil society, critical sectors, business and investment, politics and government, and science and technology.

Further analysis reveals three core themes; sustainability, resilient economies, and the geopolitical landscape. So what are the most critical questions that we should be asking ourselves at the global, organisational, and personal level in each of these three themes to help map a path to the future?

Whilst the pre-pandemic geo-political backdrop was looking increasingly volatile, the Covid19 pandemic has led to deepening distrust between some nations. The tension between international collaboration - to find effective vaccines and treatments for example – and the every nation for themselves imperative has been problematic for some. But how might the pandemic accelerate and influence future geopolitical developments?

Max Stucki is a senior foresight analyst at Futures Platform, a company focusing on strategic foresight and he holds Master’s Degrees in Futures Studies and Social Sciences. In his chapter in the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2, Max posed the question, “How might the pandemic accelerate and influence future geopolitical developments?”

Humans have a habit of wanting to go back to the familiar in times of crisis and resist radical change. But while resistance to change may be a natural response through the function of our limbic system, the current crisis is a wake-up call for society to reconsider existing norms, societal systems, and lifestyles, and explore how we might build a better future.

Joana Lenkova is a strategist, futurist, author of the interactive foresight book Choose Your Own Future, and a contributor to the Fast Future book, Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 - Navigating the Next Horizon. In this podcast, Joana takes us through her three provocative scenarios; A Brand New World, My Own Personal World, and A Hot New World, and explores the benefits of using futures thinking to help create a better future world.

You can learn more about Joana and her work by connecting with her as follows:

Whilst exponential change has been part of our reality for some time, the Covid-19 pandemic has given renewed impetus for enterprise and government to consider the future, asking questions like: What’s next for work-life? How might the crisis re-energise businesses and business models? And how might the way we live at home change in the future?

Marian Salzman is Senior Vice President, Communications at Philip Morris International, a world renowned trend-spotter, and a contributor to the Fast Future book, Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 - Navigating the Next Horizon. The title of her chapter is, Life Next: How Our World Could Change Post-Pandemic.

For a number of years, “change is constant” was the mantra. More recently, commentators have been talking about “exponential change”. And then came Covid19. The combination of rapidly accelerating change and a sudden, major, global disruption has led to a re-think about how we navigate to a new landscape across life, society, and business. So the question is, what are the critical skills required to help organizations navigate a path to the future?

The notion of digital health passports is one that has emerged as a controversial possibility in a number of countries as the world seeks ways of living with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But the question remains, what is the most realistic balance between health protection and economic activity? And what might the world look like if the use of digital health passports is enforced?

Leland Shupp is a futurist, thought leader, writer, public speaker, and has taught foresight at the California College of the Arts, and will be teaching foresight in the Stanford Continuing Education program in the spring of 2022. He has explored the idea of digital health passports in his chapter in the book “Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 - Navigating the Next Horizon” by posing the question, “How can we best balance the need for robust public health with the desire for personal freedom, privacy, and equality of opportunity?”

You can learn more about Lee and his work by contacting and connecting with him as follows:

The pandemic has irrevocably changed our world. But what might be the legacy of the pandemic for the food, beverage, and agri-food industries, and the very future of food? Futurist, speaker, and foresight strategy consultant Tony Hunter argues that in crisis there’s opportunity and we need to make the most of this one and use technology to fundamentally change our food system.

In the newly published book, Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon published by Fast Future Publishing, Richard Freeman, CEO of Always Possible explores how the Covid19 pandemic could become a catalyst for businesses to embrace bigger picture thinking and smarter localized decision-making. So the question is, How Might Business Change for the Better?

While many sectors have suffered greatly through the pandemic, the travel industry has suffered more than most. As travel restrictions imposed on international travel ease, how might travel for business and pleasure evolve into the future?

Hjörtur Smárason is the Chief Executive Officer at Visit Greenland and a contributing author to the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon published by Fast Future Publishing, and very well placed to consider The Reinvention of Travel.

The Covid pandemic caused authorities across the world to consider more pervasive digital tracking tools to monitor the spread of the disease. In a number of countries, a libertarian culture arguably restricted the potential of digital health monitoring tools and platforms to be as effective as they might have been. But were the libertarian views on such pervasive technologies well-founded?

It’s a question that strategic communicator and futurist Gina Clifford considers in her chapter in the book Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon published by Fast Future Publishing. In this podcast, Gina describes the scenario she developed and explores the potential implications for society.

In the newly published book, Aftershocks and Opportunities 2 – Navigating the Next Horizon from Fast Future Publishing, editor and author Rohit Talwar explores 20 emerging future factors that could turn into influential shifts shaping the next decade and beyond. The shifts he identifies can be characterised under the headings; Operating Environment, Lives and Lifestyles, Economy, and Business and Technology.

While a number of those shifts are on trend, which have been supercharged by the pandemic?

In a famous and much quoted judicial decision from 1604, English judge and jurist Sir Edward Coke declared that, “The house of every one is to him as his Castle and Fortress as well for defence against injury and violence, as for his repose…” Whilst in 1604 Sir Edward was talking about strict limits on how Sheriffs may enter a person’s house in order to issue writs, perhaps it could also be a metaphor for how homes of the future may become a fortress against other invaders; infection for one.

Of course there are many trends and drivers that influence how our homes and home lives might change in the future, but given the additional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on those trends, what might the future home look like by the end of the 2020’s? 

In 2019 the BBC said there are two kinds of fake news:

There might be a third category; where people believe something to be true and share the information within their network, “in case it’s helpful”.

Although the idea of “fake news” found momentum with former US President Donald Trump, we have seen further damaging and dangerous examples during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fake news can be harmless, annoying, dangerous, or deadly.

So with this backdrop, what is the Future of Fake News? To consider this question, I am joined by PR Consultant Islay O'Hara.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Transhumanism can be described as “the theory that science and technology can help human beings develop beyond what is physically and mentally possible at the present time.” It asserts that “with all the new technologies available, mankind will be able solve every challenge it faces.”

But as we have seen in the past, in the hands of humans, waves of technological change can deliver both positive and negatives to society. So what are the considerations and choices that as a society we need to make to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for humanity in an increasingly technological enabled and technologically driven world?

To discuss the Future of Active Transhumanism, I am joined by futurist speaker, analyst, commentator, and author David Wood back on the podcast.

Grand challenges are more than ordinary research questions or priorities, they are end results or outcomes that are global in scale; very difficult to accomplish, yet offer hope of ultimately paving the way to a successful future for humanity. Many people will point to the Covid19 pandemic as the point at which society chooses between restoring the old order and navigating a new landscape. So what challenges do we see ahead of us?

To discuss the Future Five Grand Challenges in this wide ranging (and slightly longer than usual episode), I am delighted to welcome back Global Futurist, International Keynote Speaker, and CEO of Fast Future, Rohit Talwar to the podcast.

It can be very easy to focus on the future of business, enterprise, and work. Or on the future of adult society, but other than considering how education may development in the context of our every more digital world, it is much more unusual to consider the future of childhood. It is perhaps a somewhat tired phrase, but if children are our future, why isn’t the future of childhood more readily considered? In this podcast, we do just that.

To discuss the Future of Childhood I am delighted to welcome futurist at Partners in Foresight Alex Whittington, and strategist, futurist, and author of the interactive foresight book Choose Your Own Future Joana Lenkova to the podcast.

Place-making is a malleable term, open to interpretation. Whether it’s physical design characteristics, land values, job creation, environmental sustainability, biodiversity, new amenities or simply a sense of well-being, people assign different values to areas.

In addition, it seems that Covid-19 has triggered an increased appetite for connection, a sense of belonging, and a sense of community between neighbours. Beyond just surviving the pandemic, the benefits of community are clear: social connection can help you live a longer, happier life.

To discuss The Future of Place I am joined by innovator, entrepreneur, and business change specialist Toby Rhodes on the podcast

Cryptocurrencies have long been discussed and debated, but they have only recently come to light as financial tools that can be accessible and useful to more than only die-hard connoisseurs. Cryptocurrencies have the potential to enable social and economic growth throughout the world, including in developing countries, by offering easier access to capital and financial services.

So to discuss the Future of the Crypto-Economy I am delighted to welcome Global Futurist, International Keynote Speaker, and CEO of Fast Future, Rohit Talwar to the podcast.

In a world where an ever broadening perspective on sustainability is gaining more and more traction, biodegradable, re-use, and recyclable packaging is becoming the norm across many sectors. Increasingly, brands are being viewed within the context of their sustainability credentials. But is the current pace of change fast enough? And how do the other trends we are seeing – in consumer behaviour in retail, for example - impact the future direction of travel for packaging?

To discuss The Future of Sustainable Packaging Lead Consultant and Founder of packaging consultancy Root Innovation, Tracy Sutton joins me on the podcast.

Meat consumption with large environmental and ethical implications is expected to grow in the future. Some studies, however, take the opposite view, that meat consumption is at a turning point because of a growing number of vegetarians and other factors in industrialised countries. In either case, the environmental and health implications of meat production and consumption will continue to be the focus of much attention.

So to discuss the Future of Meat Production and Consumption I am delighted to welcome Diana Davidson, who helps enterprises develop strategy for the zero carbon emissions economy, back to the podcast.

As our world becomes increasingly digitised, our understanding of how our minds work is also increasing. Part of that understanding is leading to developments in artificial intelligence (AI). Meanwhile, rapid changes in our professional and private lives are in part, based on the march of digitisation including AI  across life, society, and business and have highlighted the increasing importance of our mental health and personal wellbeing.

Given this context, what is The Future of Coaching in a Digitised World? To consider this question, I am joined by Craig Forster, a professional Coach to sales leaders and professionals.

Even without the Covid19 pandemic, the world was undergoing complex changes that were drastically transforming the way businesses access and leverage the skills required for optimal business growth. Add to that underlying change the possible – some might say highly likely – rapid switch to technology enabled home, remote, and hybrid working and suddenly building and maintaining future-fit organisations becomes a crucial imperative.

Given this context of continuous change, what is the Future of Continuous Change on Work? To consider this question, I am joined on the podcast by future of work specialist Cathryn Barnard.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted social inequalities around the world and yet in some cases, national responses have also provided potential glimpses of how the gap might be narrowed.

The question raised by Economist, Trend Analyst, and Futurist Bronwyn Williams in her contribution to the book, Aftershocks and Opportunities –Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future (Talwar, R., Wells, S., Whittington, A. Eds (2020). Aftershocks and Opportunities - Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future. London, UK: Fast Future) was, “Will 2020 be a great equaliser or a great divider?”

So with 2020 as the baseline, I am delighted to welcome Bronwyn to the podcast to explore the Future of the Social Separation.

The dynamics of recruiting are changing, and changing fast. For tech-savvy recruiters, there’s a whole gamut of options: from automated applicant tracking systems, to video-based interview platforms, to gamified skills assessments, to simulations of on-the-job scenarios using virtual reality. All of which can take place in a remote environment.

The Covid pandemic has accelerated remote working and is likely to leave behind a more decentralised hybrid work model. Overlay that with the post-pandemic economic scenarios and we have an increasingly uncertain future environment. So what is the Future of Recruitment? To consider this question, I am joined on the podcast by Human Resources Consultant, International Job Coach, and Mentor Ron Mayne.

Tackling fake news and disinformation is an ethical challenge, highlighted throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. New technologies provide the opportunity for the distribution of disinformation created by humans and increasingly by artificial intelligence, and spread via social media. Countering disinformation and earning trust for honest communication is an increasingly critical enabler to developing a positive reputation for enterprise and public sector organisations alike.

So with this backdrop, and the ability for people, organisations, and autonomous systems to create content in ever greater volumes, what is the Future of Ethics in PR?

To consider this question, I am joined by PR Consultant Islay O'Hara.

The need to produce food for increasingly urbanised populations in ways that pays attention to the requirements for minimising carbon emissions and therefore help to minimise climate change is clear. Carbon emissions come from: 

So what is the future of agricultural efficiency? To consider this question, I am joined on the podcast by Adam Greenberg, CEO of Seattle-based Iunu an industrial computer vision company.

As our world becomes ever more uncertain with exponential change punctuated with ever more disruptive events, enterprise, governments, and third sector organisations are trying to come to terms with creating resilient and flexible policy and strategy. Given that challenge, what role might foresight play in supporting this work? And particularly, what might the role be for intelligent systems to enhance human capability?

To discuss the Future of Intelligent Foresight Systems, I am joined by entrepreneur and CEO of Finland-based FIBRES Online Panu Kause to the podcast.

As we have seen across the globe, the Covid-19 pandemic has morphed from a health crisis, to an economic crisis, to a social crisis, and increasingly a political crisis. And as society attempts to come to terms with changing how we live our lives during the pandemic, attention begins to focus the desirability or returning to “normal” compared to the advantage (or horrendous prospect, depending our one’s point of view) of transitioning to a “new normal”. The question to pose is, what might new normal look like?

We are going to look at one aspect of this very broad question. So, to talk about The Future Post-Pandemic Home, I am delighted to welcome US-based futurists Alex Whittington and Sylvia Gallusser to the podcast.

Digital media is everywhere and is playing and increasingly significant role in retail experiences, travel browsing and buying, gaming, communication, and how we distribute and consume information. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the advantages that this family of technologies can offer when human contact is limited. The question is, how will digital media evolve in the future?

To consider this question, I am delighted to welcome marketing consultant, writer, and futurist Michael Mascioni to the podcast.

Agriculture is responsible for 9% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions in the UK, according to Farm Carbon Toolkit. These emissions are the result of livestock rearing and natural processes, crop fertilisation using chemical fertilisers, materials used to build and maintain farms, energy use of farm buildings and vehicles, transport and distribution during and after growing, soil based emissions from disturbing soils, and waste produced as a result of farming processes. So how might the urbanisation of agriculture change this landscape in the future?

To talk about these issues within the broad theme of The Future of Sustainable Urban Agriculture, I am joined by Diana Davidson, who helps enterprise develop performance for the zero carbon emissions economy, to the podcast.

Two things seem destined to play an increasingly significant role in life, society, and business into the future; entrepreneurship and the Internet. Both will be critical as society navigates a new landscape post pandemic and post Brexit. But how do these issues come together? And together, how might they impact the future? 

To talk about The Future of Internet Entrepreneurship, I am delighted to welcome Internet entrepreneur and international speaker Suraj Sodha to the podcast.

The future of work is one of those subjects that has been covered regularly by futurists and organisational development specialists over the years. But the pandemic has brought many developments into where and how we work into sharp focus; increasing automation, home and remote working versus office based, for example.  

In this episode, I talk to change leader Rob Caldera about The Future of the Way we Work. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us a broadening perspective on health, wellness, and wellbeing. The usual levels of stress and anxiety have been exacerbated as we collectively try to deal with the health, economic, and social fall-out from the pandemic. So is workplace wellbeing enough of a priority in our increasing uncertain and complex world?

To talk about this theme and the wider future of wellbeing, I am joined by Executive Health and Wellness Coach Tayyaba Jordan.

For some years now, education systems around the world have come under increasing scrutiny about how the system develops children and students fit for a future world of work. Sir Ken Robinson was a keen advocate of refocusing learning in schools.

To talk about this theme and the wider future of education, I am delighted to welcome educator Santiago Figueroa Diaz to the podcast.

As our world becomes more digital and automated, a number of currently uniquely human characteristics, skills, and capabilities become increasingly important. They differentiate us from increasingly intelligent machines. Social interaction and specifically public speaking is one such skill. 

So in this episode of the Informing Choices Mini-Pod we talk about the future of public speaking with The Speaking Mentor, Chris Murphy by addressing:  

As our world changes, so does the way we consume information which of course has an impact on how we communicate. Technology will play an ever greater role in both consumption and creation of communication.

With gender equality increasingly prominent on the social agenda, in this episode we explore just a few of the issues and drivers that are enabling a change in the role of women in life, society, and business. 

Alex Whittington is a futurist, educator, researcher, and writer with an interest in strategic social foresight. In this Informing Choices Mini-Pod episode, we talk about how the role of women is evolving, how changes have been accelerated through the pandemic, how technology may impact the role of women in the future, and the potential influence of Kamala Harris’s election as Vice-President Elect of the United States. 

Jennifer Bryan is a change management consultant, speaker, and author who has led change programs in a number of major companies. In this podcast, we caught up to chat about the future of human-centric change in light of the current Covid19 pandemic, and what her experience tells us about the future of change leadership. 

Marie Wright is a professional executive, life, and career coach experienced in coaching at all levels, working with clients on a one-to-one basis, either privately or within organisations. In this podcast, we caught up to chat about the future of coaching in light of the current disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Exponential change is our new reality. The pace, scale, reach, and the potential impacts of the underlying drivers of change are extraordinary and represent both challenge and opportunity to individuals and organisations of all shapes and sizes. So I am introducing the concept and example content for a series of interview based short podcasts on different aspects of the future.

Look out for the first episode coming soon!