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IN CLEAR FOCUS: Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith of strategic foresight consultancy Changeist are co-authors of "Future Cultures: How To Build A Future-Ready Organization Through Leadership." Scott and Susan explain the practice of strategic foresight and how to be better prepared for a range of potential futures by embracing creative thinking and innovative methodologies. Listeners receive a 25 percent discount on "Future Cultures" at KoganPage.com by using the promo code BIGEYE25 at checkout.
It's not every day that a patient-doctor relationship turns into a Techstars-Funded medical innovation startup. In this episode I sit down with Dr. Onyinye Balogun and Eve McDavid, the co-founders of Mission-Driven Tech, a women's health venture in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine dedicated to the transformation of cervical cancer care with modern technology. Onyi, as her friends call her, is the CMO of Mission Driven Tech and also an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Weill Cornell Medicine specializing in the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies and does research into improving cancer care in low and middle income countries. Eve, the CEO, is a former Google executive who is also a Stage IIB Cervical Cancer survivor. Eve and Onyi met during the pandemic, when Eve was undergoing cancer treatment under Onyi's care. I heard Eve and Onyi's presentation at the 2023 Techstars Demo day in New York and was stunned by the fundamental disparities in historical improvement in gynecological cancer outcomes - as they point out in this conversation, in recent years, Prostate cancer treatment has achieved a nearly 100% five year survival rate. In the same period, cervical and uterine cancer mortality has gotten worse, while cancer treatment for all other cancers has improved exponentially. Their company exists to change that story. Co-Founder Communication Insights This conversation is one of a series on co-founder communication. Check out my interviews with the co-founders of online gaming start-up Artie on Pivoting while staying sane (the secret - have a coach and a therapist!), a conversation with Carolyn Gregoire and Scott Barry Kaufman, the co-authors of the 2015 bestseller, Wired to Create, on navigating Paired Creativity, and this interview with the co-founders of collaboration tool Range, Jennifer Dennard and Dan Pupius, on the keys to healthy conflict. One key that Beth Bayouth and Mario Fedelin, the COO and CEO (respectively) of Changeist, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth empowerment, discussed was the importance of co-founders sharing how they are really doing so that they can be sure to not fall apart at the same time, a sentiment that Eve and Onyi echoed. I also discussed the idea of “prototyping partnerships” with Jane Portman and Benedikt Deicke, co-founders of Userlist - and they helped me see that the healthiest companies have partners that have worked together in some capacity - and indeed, in this interview, Onyi and Eve called Eve's cancer treatment their “first collaboration”. Know yourself and each other The start of a startup journey can be optimistic, so we explore what they have learned about each other that has helped them to better communicate and collaborate together since they started the project. Accelerators can't do it all for you Eve and Onyi share how the accelerators can help with structure, mentorship, capital and community, but that ultimately you need to have something worth accelerating - a key customer insight or a core technology - both of which Mission-Driven Tech has! Have multiple modes and frequencies of communication Eve and Onyi have a weekly meeting just focused on their flagship product, the Blossom device, and another meeting weekly for other issues, and to simply connect. Meanwhile, they have a Whatsapp thread that enables them to constantly stay connected and in touch with each other. Balancing always-on connectivity and scheduled connectivity is key. A partnership is a marriage and reflective listening is key! Onyi shared their perspective that being in a co-founder relationship is like marriage, and that communication is key for any marriage to work. As she says, “The future of this company rests partly in how well we're able to communicate. So we tell each other the good, the bad and the ugly.” She shared their simple and effective approach to communication - making specific time for it, and using active listening intentionally: “I hear what you're saying, I reflect it back to you. You hear what I'm saying and you reflect it back to me.” Know who your real audience is We discuss user-driven product development, which Eve and Onyi, as a former patient and doctor, are a unique example of…but we also discuss how in their current stage, investors are their actual “buyers”. Onyi discussed how she's developed a keen sense of “push vs pull” when they are making their investment pitch - some investors just get the commitment required to make a startup like this successful, and those people are their real audience. It's not about convincing the wrong people, it's about finding the right people. Balance Now and Next Every startup needs to balance managing their current challenges and opportunities with putting energy into strategic vision and planning. Eve points out that this is a particular challenge for medical and device companies - the rate of change can be slow, due to fundamentals of the problem space. So, there needs to be more patience and intention put into planning and hypothesis testing. As Eve pointed out, There is immense pressure to achieve immediate results, but real impact takes time. Head over to theconversationfactory.com/listen for full episode transcripts, links, show notes and more key quotes and ideas. You can also head over there and become a monthly supporter of the show for as little as $8 a month. You'll get complimentary access to exclusive workshops and resources that I only share with this circle of facilitators and leaders. Links https://missiondriventech.com/ LinkedIn: Onyi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onyinye-balogun-md-ms-22b57283/ Eve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evemcdavid/
In this conversation, I sat down with Beth Bayouth and Mario Fedelin, the COO and CEO (respectively) of Changeist, a non-profit organization dedicated to youth empowerment. They are building a community of young people that utilize their personal agency to create a more just society. Changeist's programs help 11-26 year olds learn a common civic language, engage in dialogue, and build community to investigate local and global social justice issues. Participants also work with other local community-based organizations to implement local solutions to local problems. Together, Mario and Beth explore how they met, built a relationship and decided to work on this project together…and how they continue to manage themselves and each other in the entrepreneurship journey. A few insights we'll unpack about conscious co-founder relationships: The key to a great co-founder relationship is that both of you do not fall apart at the same time! Fighting Well and how Cofounder Intimacy can help: With cofounder intimacy, there is an understanding that often there's something else behind a conflict or a mood. Because when you're close, you tend to know about what's going on or that it's safe to ask. Knowing yourself and your skills The Power of working with someone with a Different Skill Set but Similar Values On Knowing yourself and your skills, and finding compliments on your core team: A great leadership team requires Comfort with yourself and your skills and Respect for the skills of others... and it takes Balance - but Balance of what?! On a leadership team you need: + Architects and Visionaries + Multipliers - someone who brings something you do not have to the table, who is also committed to the vision and the journey Another way to think about this is that you need: + A Balance of Openers and Closers on the team. This is the essence of conscious collaboration - knowing if you are more comfortable in a generative or divergent mode, ie, opening, or are more natural in the “Synthesizer” role - organizing, closing, or planning towards action. Mario owns his limitations as a “closer” and intentionally chose Beth as a COO for her natural “shark” skills - her ability to move things forward with clarity. Mario and Beth also talked about their balanced styles in “Speeding up” and “Slowing Down” creative conversations - Beth will pump the brakes and ground ideas in reality when the time is right. Feeling that balance between creativity and clarity, speed and thoughtfully slowing things down, is the essence of conscious creativity and conscious collaboration…being comfortable with both opening and closing modes is critical, but collaborating with others who complement your natural approaches is powerful. Be sure to check out my other co-founder conversations. I discussed building an Integrity Culture with the co-founders of Huddle, Michale Saloio and Stephanie Golik, and investigated prototyping partnerships with Jane Portman and Benedikt Deicke, co-founders of Userlist. (Which Mario and Beth absolutely did, as well!) I also sat down with Jennifer Dennard and Dan Pupius, the co-founders of Range to unpack Healthy Conflict in Cofounder relationships. Conflict and collisions will inevitably happen in relationships, so you might as well learn to lean into it! You may also enjoy my interview with Carolyn Gregoire and Scott Barry Kaufman, the co-authors of the 2015 bestseller, Wired to Create, where we unpack how they managed their working relationship and discuss Paired creativity, which is totally a thing! And if you really want to dive deep into the idea of being a conscious co-founder, make sure to check out my conversation with my friend Doug Erwin, the Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurial Development at EDAWN, the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada. Head over to theconversationfactory.com/listen for full episode transcripts, links, show notes and more key quotes and ideas. You can also head over there and become a monthly supporter of the show for as little as $8 a month. You'll get complimentary access to exclusive workshops and resources that I only share with this circle of facilitators and leaders. Links Changeist On Healthy Conflict: https://theconversationfactory.com/podcast/managing-healthy-conflict-co-founder-conversations
In this episode, Francis is joined by Susan Cox-Smith, a highly experienced futurist and partner at Changeist. Founded in 2007, Changeist is a team of strategists who collaborate with companies and governments alike, to “envision preferable futures for all.” During her time with the company, Susan has consulted on some sizeable projects, including with Comcast, the National Lottery Fund UK, the International Federation of Red Cross, and a number of Silicon Valley companies. Born in the US but now doing most of her futurist work in the Netherlands, Susan's previous role was also as a partner - for Anaglyph. Susan discusses the impact of Covid-19 on society, how futurism is changing, and what determines whether someone is optimistic or pessimistic about the future.
Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer, futurist, speaker, teacher, and immigrant living in Toronto. She is represented by Cooke McDermid, and UTA. Her fiction has appeared in Nature, Tesseracts, Escape Pod, FLURB, the Shine Anthology, and elsewhere. Her essays have appeared at BoingBoing, io9, WorldChanging, and The Atlantic. Her fiction has appeared in Slate, MIT Technology Review, Clarkesworld, and multiple anthologies. Madeline has worked with Intel Labs, the World Health Organization, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Nesta, Data & Society, The Atlantic Council, Changeist, and others. She has spoken at SXSW, FutureEverything, MozFest, and other events. I'm currently reading her and Scott Smith's book ‘How to Future' and they help people understand how to think and what to do. You can read more about Madeline at - https://madelineashby.com/ See more of Nikolas' writing at www.nikolasbadminton.com
October 2, 2020 Thomas Homer-Dixon, the bestselling author of The Upside of Down and other books exploring pathways through complexity, joins Sustain What host Andy Revkin and two special guests in a bracing discussion of the themes of his latest work: "Commanding Hope: The Power We Have to Renew a World in Peril." (https://commandinghope.com/) The guests are: - Susan Cox-Smith, a partner and futurist at Changeist, a consultancy and training organization that curates and creates "experiences that stretch strategic thinking, materialize the new, and connect with people about what comes next." She's a contributing editor of the new book "How to Future: Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange." Learn more at http://changeist.com - Michael Garfield, a philosopher, musician, painter and writer who blogs for Long Now Foundation and hosts the Future Fossil podcast. His Long Now posts: https://blog.longnow.org/0author/michaelgarfield/ Future Fossils: https://shows.acast.com/futurefossils/episodes Homer-DIxon sees three paths to bending humanity's curve away from a long descent after the last century of zooming progress. As he writes" "At this crucial moment in humanity's history, I argue, three changes are essential to keep us from descending into intractable, savage violence. First, we need individually to better understand how and why we see the world the way we do and what makes other people's views sometimes so different from ours. Second, instead of passively accepting a dystopian image of what will come tomorrow, we need to actively create together from our diverse perspectives a shared story of a positive future — including a shared identity as “we” — that will help us address our common problems and thrive. And, finally, we need to fully mobilize our extraordinary human agency to produce that future." More on the book and his research and other output: http://homerdixon.com
Madeline Ashby is a science fiction writer, futurist, speaker, teacher, and immigrant living in Toronto. Madeline Ashby has worked with Intel Labs, the World Health Organization, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Nesta, Data & Society, The Atlantic Council, Changeist, and others. She has spoken at SXSW, FutureEverything, MozFest, and other events. Her essays have appeared at BoingBoing, io9, WorldChanging, The Atlantic, MISC Magazine, and FutureNow. Her fiction has appeared in Slate, MIT Technology Review, Clarkesworld, and multiple anthologies. She is a member of the XPRIZE Science Fiction Advisory Council and the AI Policy Futures Group at the ASU Center for Science and the Imagination. She is the author of the Machine Dynasty novels. Her novel Company Town was a Canada Reads finalist. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shobhana-viswanathan/support
In this episode of the Evolving Leader podcast, Jean and Scott talk to futurist, strategist, and author Scott Smith. Scott flips some of the notions of prediction, pushing back at the idea of the future that we can describe as some shiny idea, to how we think about, eliminate and quantify risk. He gives us many fascinating takeaways about how to rethink how we plan for and prepare for what comes next – as he puts it – he shows us how to future.Scott Smith is the founder and managing partner of Changeist, a futures research and consulting partnership and co-wrote How to Future, Leading and sense-making in an age of hyperchange, published by Kogan Page in 2020.Also mentioned during this episode: If Then: How One Data Company Invented the Future by Jill Lepore Social: Instagram @evolvingleader LinkedIn The Evolving Leader Podcast Twitter @Evolving_Leader
This episode is a conversation with Scott Smtih, also known as Changeist on the social medias. Scott runs a boutique consultancy called Changeist and is a fellow futurist who is also exploring developing visual stories, TV shows and the like, about the future as part of his practice. He also just came out with an book in the midst of the pandemic which you should get — it’s called How To Future Leading and Sense-Making In An Age of Hyperchange. In this chat with Scott, we cover most all of that territory. We talk about what makes Design Fiction Design Fiction and not Science Fiction or Literary Fiction. We discuss David Kirby, who will be featured in a forthcoming episode, and the diegetic prototype. And a big discussion about ‘what Design Fiction is good for.’ Help support the Podcast by becoming a Patron. The Near Future Laboratory podcast, a series of discussions and chats in and around the topics of Design, Design Fiction, Design Strategy and Research. Your patronage helps us maintain our digital presence and, most importantly, lets us know you care about the value of this work and the time and effort that goes into its production operation.
Scott Smith, founder and managing partner of the Netherlands-based futures consultancy Changeist and author of the new book “How to Future: Leading and Sense-Making in an Age of Hyperchange,” talks with us about why President Trump is a covert futurist, the problems with taking a passive approach toward tomorrow, and why the next generation of leaders will be people who use pragmatic, real-life experiences, not necessarily advanced educations, to make change in the world.
In this session I will be joined by Scott Smith, Futurist, Author, Managing Partner at Changeist to explore how you look into the future and sense change that might be coming. We now live in a world where change is faster than ever, and where strategic foresight is a business imperative. We will look at practical tips that will enable anyone to better envision possible futures before we discuss some of today’s biggest future trends.
After 15 years of working with Fortune 500 companies, governments and start-ups, Scott Smith says anyone can make sense of this age of uncertainty and act. Host Kelsey Warner speaks to the futurist, founder of Changeist and author of How to Future: Leading and Sense-making in an Age of Hyperchange about how he maps the future. To future is a verb, not a noun. And in a year like 2020, futuring has never been more important. If futuring is something we can all do, all the time, what does that look like and how can it help us in an epochal year? In this episode: What does a futurist do? (1m 20s) Where does future obsession come from? (2m 36s) Tools to mapping a future? (3m 40s) How does Scott Smith filter information? (19m 19s) "Bring a post it to a database fight". AI and big data (11m 40s) The best ways to communicate the results (14m 40s) Read more on our website: • Zoom’s Q2 net profit eclipses 2019 earnings as revenue surges (https://www.thenational.ae/business/technology/zoom-s-q2-net-profit-eclipses-2019-earnings-as-revenue-surges-1.1071171) • Global air cargo demand in July stable but below 2019 levels, Iata says (https://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/global-air-cargo-demand-in-july-stable-but-below-2019-levels-iata-says-1.1071127) • Rising odds of a Donald Trump win: investors should prepare, says JPMorgan (https://www.thenational.ae/business/markets/rising-odds-of-a-donald-trump-win-investors-should-prepare-says-jpmorgan-1.1071129) • Facebook threatens to block people and publishers in Australia from sharing news (https://www.thenational.ae/business/technology/facebook-threatens-to-block-people-and-publishers-in-australia-from-sharing-news-1.1071066)
Change comes from strong relationships. Changeist's mission is to develop a community of young people who are passionate about creating a more just society based in Los Angeles and Stockton, California. For more information, visit https://changeist.org.
Power of Ten is a podcast about design operating at many levels. Zooming out from the thoughtful detail through to organisational transformation and onto changes in society in the world hosted by designer, writer and educator, Andy Polaine. What better way to start the new year but with a look into the future? Our guest in this episode is Scott Smith, founder and managing partner of Changeist discusses his work as a futurist, guiding large organisations towards better futures by blending foresight, narrative design, and strategic thinking. Show Links Scott Smith on Twitter Scott Smith on Medium Changeist Pre-order Scott's book, How to Future Paleo Future The Limits to Growth by Donnella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and Dennis Meadows Andy Polaine on Twitter Polaine.com Andy's newsletter, Doctor's Note This is HCD This is HCD newsletter Support the show.
Power of Ten is a podcast about design operating at many levels. Zooming out from the thoughtful detail through to organisational transformation and onto changes in society in the world hosted by designer, writer and educator, Andy Polaine. What better way to start the new year but with a look into the future? Our guest in this episode is Scott Smith, founder and managing partner of Changeist discusses his work as a futurist, guiding large organisations towards better futures by blending foresight, narrative design, and strategic thinking. Show Links Scott Smith on Twitter Scott Smith on Medium Changeist Pre-order Scott's book, How to Future Paleo Future The Limits to Growth by Donnella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and Dennis Meadows Andy Polaine on Twitter Polaine.com Andy's newsletter, Doctor's Note This is HCD This is HCD newsletter Support the show.
How do you enable a rising generation to be futurists? How do you build the future while leading in the present? Head of Changeist, foresight expert Scott Smith, will share the challenges and opportunities of equipping young leaders in a unique and turbulent part of the world—the Gulf—to use experiential futures as a tool to prepare a society for critical transitions ahead.
Episode 27. This conversation between Greg Lindsay and futurist Scott Smith was recorded on location in Masdar City, UAE. Scott and Greg chat about the famous closed-loop zero-carbon city, which Scott refers to as "a fragment of the Gulf future's 1.0 dream", and about building the next vision of the future. Scott, Founder and Managing Director of Amsterdam-based consulting group Changeist, talks about how mobility cultures differ from city to city, and highlights the need to think about sustainable transportation as part of a much more complex system.
Episode 27. This conversation between Greg Lindsay and futurist Scott Smith was recorded on location in Masdar City, UAE. Scott and Greg chat about the famous closed-loop zero-carbon city, which Scott refers to as "a fragment of the Gulf future's 1.0 dream", and about building the next vision of the future. Scott, Founder and Managing Director of Amsterdam-based consulting group Changeist, talks about how mobility cultures differ from city to city, and highlights the need to think about sustainable transportation as part of a much more complex system.
In time for awards season, the Changeist team is joined by writer Joanne McNeil to talk about the future now in films and tv. Liner notes: https://link.medium.com/zFup4eyqXT
PATREON SUPPORT NOW STANDING AT 437 – LAST WEEK 437 HELP US GET TO 500 PATREON SUPPORTERS.Main Fiction: "Domestic Violence"Originally published in Slate.comMadeline Ashby is a futurist and science fiction writer living in Toronto. Her work has been published in Slate, MIT Technology Review, BoingBoing, McSweeney’s, Clarkesworld, and elsewhere. Her novel COMPANY TOWN was a finalist in the CBC Books Canada Reads competition, and won the Copper Cylinder Award. She has worked with organizations like Intel Labs, the Institute for the Future, SciFutures, Data & Society, Nesta, Changeist, and others. You can find her at madelineashby.com.Narrated by: Tatiana GreyTatiana is a critically acclaimed actress of stage, screen, and the audio booth. She has been nominated for dozens of fancy awards but hasn’t won a single damned thing. She went to NYU and lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can find her at tatianagrey.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
A preview of things to come, from the Changeist team.
Our guest this week is Scott Smith. Scott is a critical futurist and founder of Changeist, where he leads strategy and research. His work taps over 20 years’ experience tracking social, tech and economic trends. He works with brands and organizations to find new futures. He’s also a writer and frequent speaker, and on Twitter @changeist. For show notes visit: http://kk.org/cooltools/scott-smith-founder-of-changeist
Natalie Kane, C&P officer at FutureEverything and researcher at Changeist, co-founder of Haunted Machines, a project which reflects on narratives of magic pervading technology.In this second talk of the session Making Sense of Technology at Lift16, Natalie Kane looks into the ghosts that live at the intersection between the digital and physical worlds and how technology can haunt us when sufficiently badly designed.Dive into the ethereal world of technology!Recorded on February 12, 2016, in Geneva. See timecodes and reference hyperlinks here.