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Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers

Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers

By: Steve Fisher
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About this listen

Welcome to the Think Forward podcast where we have conversations with futurists, innovators and big thinkers about what lies ahead. We explore emerging trends on the horizon and what it means to be a futurist.

© 2025 Think Forward: Conversations with Futurists, Innovators and Big Thinkers
Economics Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Think Forward EP 139: Crafting Story Worlds with Peter Von Stackelburg
    Oct 6 2025

    We talk with Peter von Stackelberg about humility in consulting, why timeframes matter, and how narrative foresight turns data into action. We trace his path from journalism to futures, explore exploratory forecasts, and unpack story worlds, transmedia, and cycles.

    • building trust through listening and humility
    • why clear timeframes beat vague “someday” futures
    • exploratory forecasts with indicators and course corrections
    • using story to turn data into lived context
    • transmedia and story universes for sustained engagement
    • the layered timeline of trends, STEEP, and K-waves
    • what tracked in war, religion, and social change
    • a global platform for co-creating future stories
    • where to access Peter’s research and timelines

    For you to like and subscribe if you're watching this on YouTube, or to subscribe and leave a review on your favorite podcast player


    Order your copy of SuperShifts: www.bit.ly/supershifts

    ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts

    🎧 Listen Now On:

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

    Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

    Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

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    57 mins
  • Think Forward EP 138 - Building Future Thinkers with Peter Hayward
    Sep 30 2025

    Peter Hayward shares his journey from a problem-solving tax professional to becoming one of the most influential futures educators, training hundreds of futurists and co-creating the renowned FuturePod podcast series.

    • Finding foresight in mid-career after experiencing existential questioning about purpose
    • Joining Richard Slaughter's first Master of Foresight class before eventually succeeding him
    • Understanding foresight as developmental - evolving as human consciousness evolves
    • Discovering that people seek futures thinking when they can't yet articulate what they want to become
    • Recognizing that organizations don't have futures - only people have futures
    • Building organizational foresight by aligning personal purpose with organizational purpose
    • Creating a "dance" between delivering immediate value and creating space for longer-term thinking
    • Using AI as a tool while maintaining human responsibility for context and moral judgment
    • Working with frontline employees who bring sophisticated real-world thinking to futures work
    • Grounding all futures work in a clear moral foundation, as Wendell Bell advocated

    Reach out if you're interested in being featured on FuturePod - Peter welcomes hearing from people who believe they have something valuable to contribute to futures conversations.

    FuturePod: www.futurepod.com

    Order your copy of SuperShifts: www.bit.ly/supershifts

    The Folium Diary Wants You! (to listen and have fun ;-)
    101 Nights of Storytelling! (Scheherazade on a budget). A show that will change the whirl.

    Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

    ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts

    🎧 Listen Now On:

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

    Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

    Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Think Forward EP 137: Mapping Tomorrows Terrain with Derek Woodgate
    Jun 23 2025

    What if the key to understanding tomorrow lies not in boardroom predictions but in the rhythms of a DJ's turntable? Derek Woodgate, with his 30+ years as an experimental futurist, takes us on a fascinating journey through his unique approach to futures thinking that blends underground arts with rigorous analysis.

    Derek reveals how his background in music management (working with bands like Swans and Sonic Youth) and his immersion in early digital communities shaped his distinctive methodology. "Think like a DJ," he explains, involves deconstructing concepts completely before rebuilding them into something revolutionary. This process requires skills beyond traditional analysis – demanding intuition, comfort with paradox, and the ability to see connections where others don't.

    • Bringing music, art, and cultural experiences into futures work through "think like a DJ" methodology
    • Breaking concepts down to their elements and reconstructing them with fresh perspectives
    • Finding "colors that are missing" and identifying rhythms between the beats when analyzing trends
    • Leveraging intuition and creativity alongside analytical skills for deeper futures insights
    • Balancing professional futurism work with real-world immersion in emerging cultural movements
    • Developing new educational approaches that break down silos for complex problem-solving
    • Working with AI as a collaborative tool while preserving uniquely human foresight abilities
    • Understanding "rebel laboratories" and underground innovation that signals future directions
    • Living the future rather than just studying it to better anticipate coming challenges

    If you'd like to connect with Derek, you can reach him at dwoodgate@futures-lab.com where he welcomes conversations about futures thinking.


    Order your copy of SuperShifts: www.bit.ly/supershifts

    The Folium Diary Wants You! (to listen and have fun ;-)
    101 Nights of Storytelling! (Scheherazade on a budget). A show that will change the whirl.

    Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

    ORDER SUPERSHIFTS! bit.ly/supershifts

    🎧 Listen Now On:

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/think-forward-conversations-with-futurists-innovators-and-big-thinkers/id1736144515

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IOn8PZCMMC04uixlATqoO

    Web: https://thinkforward.buzzsprout.com/

    Thank you for joining me on this ongoing journey into the future. Until next time, stay curious, and always think forward.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 29 mins
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