Dot Connector Studio

We're starting to really feel the momentum of the foresight and future-making work we've been doing in philanthropy, media and the arts over the past few years... Many thanks to our myriad clients and collaborators! Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Lori Melichar, Ph.D, Jody Struve, Trista Harris, Democracy Fund, Tom Glaisyer, Elizabeth Ruedy, Kehinde Togun, Kamal Sinclair, Robert Sinclair, Farai Chideya, Sharon Chang, Suzette Brooks Masters, Madebo Fatunde, David T. Hsu, Eshanthi Ranasinghe, Tracy Van Slyke, Sarah Lutman Bristol Baughan Christie George and others. We could not do this intense and eye-opening work without you. And h/t to our team Katie Donnelly Evan Walsh Jenna Rines for coming along for this wild ride. See some of you in Austin tomorrow! https://lnkd.in/em2BnbdD

Don't miss this new piece by our own Katie Donnelly and Jenna Rines for RWJF on how practices in open science have been evolving, and why that matters for health equity! https://lnkd.in/efa_zTiV

Want to see Jessica Clark, Lori Melichar, Ph.D and Trista Harris in Austin next year talking about hopeful, inclusive futures and why hunches matter? Then we need your votes by August 18. Thanks! https://lnkd.in/ev5Ztt6D

Don't miss our recent report produced by Katie Donnelly and Jenna Rines on behalf of Media Impact Funders and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Titled A Snapshot of Global Journalism Funding in 2024, it provides deeper insights into the strategies funders are using to support journalism, and includes complementary research on how 25 of the top journalism funders are funding news. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eZxmY-jS The journalism field is currently facing intersecting crises—including the rise of authoritarianism and democratic backsliding, the breakdown of traditional news business models, the disruption of social media due to a surge in AI-generated content, and the increasing trend of news fatigue and avoidance among readers. While we don’t have the answers to these crises, our research illuminates how journalism funders are thinking about them. We designed our report to be a conversation starter, and a recent discussion at the Media Impact Forum focused on one key finding: the lack of focus on keeping journalists safe among surveyed funders. As part of this research, we interviewed journalists in Nigeria and Ukraine who highlighted the need for attention to this issue. They expressed how difficult it is to perform their jobs amid risks to personal safety and inadequate infrastructure. Despite these challenges, they stressed the importance of their work in bringing significant stories to light. As a Ukrainian journalist from The Kyiv Independent told us: “If we stop, we die.” Our goal is for this report to draw funders’ attention to this key issue, and contribute to reversing these troubling trends. On the plus side: funders are overwhelmingly optimistic about philanthropy’s opportunity to make a difference in the field of journalism. Let’s hope they are right.

Could your organization benefit from having a resident #futurist?🪐 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) thinks so, and during their session at #SXSW, Lori Melichar, Ph.D, Jessica Clark of Dot Connector Studio, and Trista Harris of FutureGood made a compelling case for why that futurist could (and probably should) be you. Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project) also recognizes that our country’s critical problems require long-term solutions, which is why we recently launched three #Innovation #Fellowships with 29 young state #legislators passionate about shaping a better future through innovative, future-focused policy-making. Our goal?… Preparing them to be the resident #futurists in their state legislatures. 🚀 We kicked off the fellowships in January with a “Futures Thinking Forum,” where fellows learned the basics of #strategicforesight—a skill used by both Fortune 500 CEOs and the military to make decisions when the future is uncertain. Over the next 9-months, these #bipartisan cohorts of legislators will ideate and craft durable policy solutions in three key areas: #Democracy, #Energy and #Environment, and Maternal #Healthcare. To learn more and to meet our fellows, visit: https://lnkd.in/ec7vbyg3

I highly recommend this essay by Jessica Clark, reflecting on her time as a futurist in residence at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Jessica has been a key colleague of mine and an early mentor since I began to explore how #futures and #foresight could inform and expand upon the #democracy work I was engaged in. That journey has opened up a new lane of inquiry and investment for me and others — democracy futures. The resources she includes and the concrete applications of futures thinking are worth bookmarking and exploring when you have some time. Much of what Jessica writes echoes the themes in my recent report, Imagining Better Futures for American Democracy (https://lnkd.in/e9rTpFKR), including the importance of seeding narratives of abundance and hope, the role of speculative fiction and games, and the appeal of solar punk and hope punk literature. "Futures literacy" is indeed a core capacity for individuals and organizational leaders to have in the 21st century. #futures #foresight #futuresliteracy #democracy #games #speculativefiction #culturechange #narrativechange Institute for the Future School of International Futures (SOIF) Guild of Future Architects ASU Center for Science and the Imagination Cat Tully Karthick Ramakrishnan Jake Dunagan Stuart Candy Sohail Inayatullah Adam Sharpe, APF john a. sweeney Cynthia Selin Lisa Kay Solomon Ed Finn Lonny J Avi Brooks Tom Glaisyer Elizabeth R. David T. Hsu Robert Ricigliano Michelle Barsa

Heading to Austin for @SXSW? Join our exec director Jessica Clark, Lori Melichar, Ph.D from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trista Harris from FutureGood on March 9 at 4:00 for our panel, Why Your Organization Needs a Futurist in Residence! We’ll explore trends related to health equity, reflect on lessons learned from grantees and obstacles along the way, and convince you to adopt futures thinking in your own work.    https://lnkd.in/eP-cU34r 

Greetings, friends, colleagues and clients! As per our tradition here at Dot Connector Studio, we reached out on the shortest day of the year to share news of what we’ve been up to, and invite you to join us in setting an intention for the year to come. Check out our latest newsletter to learn more about: * Why "deeper" is our word of the year * Slowing down and taking care * Finding hope in a dark election year * Newsletters galore! * For your listening pleasure… https://lnkd.in/e7uWFpkd