Insights
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April 1st, 2021
This archive futurist.com article was written by Glen Hiemstra, Futurist Emeritus.
Glen Hiemstra founded Futurist.com in the 1990’s and is now Futurist Emeritus in the Think Tank. An internationally respected expert on creating preferred futures, long-range planning and assessing future trends, Glen has advised professional, business, community, and government organizations for three decades. He is available to work with incredible clients on futurist keynotes and foresight consulting projects.
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Futurist.com began in 1993, when I was working on a project in the greater Seattle area to be called “Smart Seattle.” From a project team member, Jan Greylorn, I learned about Mosaic, the first web browser that was going to launch that very year, at which point the Internet would start to become the World Wide Web. I also learned that there was an international registry for what would become Home Pages or Domains on this new World Wide Web. I was primed to hear such news because I had literally been studying the future of communication on the Internet since 1980, publishing some of the early academic work on that topic while in academia. And, I’d been using the early Internet in my futurist consulting business for years via AOL. So I immediately inquired about registering the domain Futurist.com and was surprised to learn that neither the World Future Society nor Alvin Toffler nor anyone else had registered Futurist.com. So I did.
And now, 27 years later, as so well expressed by the poet David Whyte, “I turned my face for a moment, and it became my life.”
By 1995 with the help of Brenda Cooper (now an award winning science fiction writer and member of the Futurist.com Think Tank, but then an IT manager for a small city who was experimenting in writing HTML code) I had a website up, and by 1998 it was well established. You can find a version of that early Futurist.com on the Wayback Machine – this is about the oldest version that you can access.
We have always offered free information to the public, written by me and by guest writers, while also acting as a marketing tool for my futurist business of consulting, research, and keynote speaking. At various times I tried to make it more of a team operation, most recently with the creation of the Futurist.com Think Tank in 2013.
You can learn more about the history of Futurist.com on the history page.
Today I have an exciting announcement about Futurist.com
Starting a couple of years ago I began thinking about the transition that Futurist.com needed in order to take the next step to a more influential and exciting future, and one that might enable me to maintain a presence while stepping away from day-to-day site management and consulting work. I had the hope of finding someone as dedicated as I have been to promoting a better understanding of the future as well as the building of better futures. Today I want to let you know that this search has been a success, and we are announcing the transition of operation and ownership of Futurist.com to Nikolas Badminton.
Nikolas is a highly successful British-Canandian futurist who works in Canada, United States and globally, and I am pleased to announce this transition to his ownership. With Nikolas leading the charge as Chief Futurist I will remain connected to make a contribution to the work of Futurist.com, as Founder, Futurist Emeritus and member of the Think Tank.
Meet Nikolas Badminton FRSA, Futurist
Over the past couple of years I have had the pleasure to connect and work with Glen and the Think Tank members in creating content and advising clients.
Over the past 25 years I have benefited from the wisdom gained from studying artificial intelligence and linguistics to delivering large scale data analytics solutions to advancing digital strategy and consumer engagement through advertising and sharing economy platforms. This experience is the bedrock for the futures practice I have built over the past 10 years.
In that time I have worked as a futurist speaker and consultant to keynote and advise over 300 companies, established national TV and radio conversations on the future, published research into the implications of artificial intelligence and technologies’ effect on mental health, and advised A-list Hollywood in producing documentaries. In addition I’ve shared over 750 articles on my website – www.nikolasbadminton.com – in addition to speaking around the world, working with the most impactful companies, and curating events like Cyborg Camp YVR, Dark Futures and Future Camp.
The parallels between the futures practice I’ve built and what Glen has been delivering for decades are hugely complementary so we’ve decided for me to take the reins on running Futurist.com for the next 27 years, and beyond.
So, what will change? In short, nothing. The site will continue to showcase new thinking, offer speaking and consultancy – provided by myself and the Think Tank members – and Glen’s counsel will be sought and he’ll still be involved.
In the next few months we will reveal a new look and feel. I have started to work with my design team to redesign the site and refresh it’s look and feel and Glen will provide counsel in that process.
In the meantime, you may like to subscribe to my new Substack weekly ‘CEO Futures Briefing’ – do that here.
Ongoing communications
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Also, if you’re looking for amazing insights about the future, planning an event or projects where myself and/or a Think Tank member can contribute, or have any questions please contact me.
Here’s to the future!
Glen and Nikolas
