The Femme Futurists Society Podcast

In this episode, we sit down with Sun (Kagami) Brown for a wide-ranging conversation on the art of Deep Self Design — exploring everything from the Doodle Revolution and gamestorming to collaboration literacy, inner engineering, juicy messiness, and the practice of becoming your own best friend. One of our favorite ideas Sunni shares is shoshaku jushaku — a Zen Buddhist concept often translated as “one continuous mistake.” While it might sound negative, Sunni reframes it as a philosophy of joyful trust in productive discomfort — a mindset that can transform how we approach both our inner and outer worlds. Named one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” and “10 Most Creative People on Twitter” by Fast Company, Sunni has sparked a global movement around visual thinking and is widely credited with popularizing doodling as a tool for deeper inquiry. Her TED Talk has been viewed more than 1.6 million times, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, WIRED, Entrepreneur, and more. She’s been featured on CBS Sunday Morning (twice!) and The TODAY Show, and now leads as CEO of the Center for Deep Self Design. Listen in for a rich, inspiring conversation about the intersection of our inner and outer worlds — and why, as Sunni reminds us, “a good life is an inside job.” Listen to Our Previous Conversations:   🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-femme-futurists-society-podcast/id1680532882   🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xr5S27ZG3DzoHkNsOtxFN Learn more about Femme Futurists Society at https://femmefuturists.com/ Learn more about Sun at http://nothingintheway.substack.com/ Music from Uppbeat: uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/transcend  License code: D5M95QR3OT6UNHQY #femmefuturists

Most of us are likely very familiar with the ideas of dystopia and utopia as framing for what the future might look like, but Monika Bielskyte would submit they are still two sides of the same coin. Instead, she wants us to consider the in-between space that embodies all of the living world and consciousness—nature and human—where a different narrative takes place; a Protopian future that embodies livable & inclusive visions and is ever evolving. As a positive world builder, speculative designer and futurist, Monika has traveled and engaged with unfolding futures in more than 100+ countries - having left her homeland that no longer exists to explore the world that does. Being blessed (and cursed) with what she describes as “pathological curiosity”, her fascinating journey spans academia (CCA, CSM, Lund to name a few), to Hollywood (helping world-build the vision for Wakanda & working with directors like Ridley Scott), to time in Silicon Valley, where she experienced and witnessed dysfunctional and exploitative behaviors over and over again and realized the huge knowledge gaps among those shaping our current futures. Believing that there is a better way, she founded Protopia Futures, a platform for showcasing how transcultural, interdisciplinary and life-centric design approaches alongside disability and neurodivergence inclusion, can help us design a better world for most of humanity, and foster regenerative economies of the future.  Monika is not only fascinating, but in spending time with her you quickly realize that her vision of a Protopian future is one we all need; and in our case, want. Love what you hear? Please consider sharing, liking, commenting and subscribing to our podcast. 👩‍⚕️Learn more about Monika: https://za.linkedin.com/in/monikabielskyte👩🏻‍💻 Our Website: www.FemmeFuturists.com Music from Uppbeat: uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/transcend License code: D5M95QR3OT6UNHQY

How do we lead, live, and learn—when nothing feels certain, but everything is possible? In this deeply insightful conversation, we sit down with Ewa Pasternak, systems thinker and transformation guide, working at the intersection of systems thinking, quantum perspectives and emergent leadership to help individuals and organizations navigate liminal spaces where the old no longer fits and the new is still taking shape. She holds a clear and grounded vision: that leaders must co-create with the emerging future guided by curiosity, courage and a deep sense of purpose. Her philosophy is rooted in beautifully powerful beliefs: * That the questions we ask shape the realities we build * That new vocabularies are essential for imagining new worlds * That authenticity, fun, and essentialism are non-negotiables for flow and connection * That ancient wisdom can illuminate our most modern dilemmas * And that leadership is, at its heart, the art of energetic alignment and awareness By inviting us to shift our gaze from the obvious to the unobserved, Ewa shows us that we can learn how to lead in harmony with what’s unfolding.  Ewa Pasternak: https://ewapasternak.com/ [https://ewapasternak.com/] ▶️ Watch here: https://youtu.be/2i8RtmqcGr8?si=iyK9natIj7o0h_kr [https://youtu.be/2i8RtmqcGr8?si=iyK9natIj7o0h_kr]

Kenyan-born storyteller and global thought leader Wakanyi Hoffman explores the role of ubuntu, indigenous wisdom, and inner development in shaping a future that is more connected and compassionate - the embodiment of what it is to be human.

Erica Orange is EVP and COO of The Future Hunters, who in her new book AI + the New Human Frontier, is reimagining the future of time, trust, and truth in the Femme Futurists extraordinary women podcast series.