Impossible is Temporary
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Futures Index is a global Research & Development initiative exploring tomorrow before it gets here. We focus on long term change and what hasn't happened (yet). ​​
Futures Index asks big questions about what takes things from nascent to normal -- Because change is inevitable, but it doesn't happen in a vacuum. We fondly flex our "Mad Scientist" skills, suspending belief and questioning what we think we know. Our goal is to cultivate extra-ordinary concepts that require us to bend our brains a bit.
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What's the point?
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Visionary thinking is not common. Between our short attention spans and preference for instant gratification, long term thinking is rare. But even rarer? Seeing the world outside of its current construction. The Index exists to invest in paradigm - busting thought. To do that, we connect with and activate visionary thinking across broad individuals and organizations. And then, we leverage that brilliance into paradigm - busting projects.​
Our origin story
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The Index began as a thought experiment in 2020, then morphed into a series of consultative research projects beginning in 2021. Then, in early 2024, The Index decided to suspend its consultation - based model and slowly shift into a partnership model. Why? We found that delivering consulting projects was interesting, but didn't have much ongoing affect. Throughout our iterative strategic planning and relationship cultivation process, The Index is now curating a broad coalition of partners, including individual Advisors, student groups, and organizations.
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What's next?
In the short - term...
We're focused on asking questions, re-imagining assumptions, and probing topics that are considered weird, fringe, or taboo. Why do we do this? Is it to be provocative? Not at all. It's because everything that eventually seems "normal" originally started as an alien idea.
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In the medium - term...
We're focused on exploring, experimenting with and piloting new concepts, methods, and tools. We hope all of our experiments will be in partnership with others.
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At the same time, we're building educational opportunities to help people learn Visionary Thinking skills. Unlike standard academia, we aim to help people think "unreasonably." To us, unreasonable thinking = stretching beyond confines and conventions. Through collaborations, our courses and certifications will be available for credit, or simply as a resource for anyone who wants to develop their skills.
In the long - term...
We're focused on leveraging our research and pilots into compelling media and policy. Why? Stories are one of the primary ways that humans create meaning, so we see media as integral to history-shaping conversations. Policies are only as potent as the resources that back them up so we're less concerned with what regulations say and more concerned with crafting ethics-backed governance models. Here's our summary:​​
1) Media - Narrative and stories impact human thinking and behavior
2) Policy - Governance forms organizational ethics and behavior
3) Education - Visionary Skills are central to thinking profoundly
Who's doing all of this?
A new Cohort of Advisors is onboarding this year, along with selected interns, student groups, partners, and sponsors. We prioritize relationships over online platforms, but we'll do our best to keep you posted on who's involved.
If you or your organization is interested in diving in, check out our Get Involved page for the latest opportunities. And if you're interested in collaborating in a way you don't see on this site yet, just drop us a note on the Contacts page.
