Monika Bielskyte, a seasoned explorer and visionary, offers a unique perspective forged through years of globetrotting and deep research. Her journey has unveiled the intricate dance between social and political ideologies and the course of innovation.
Inclusive Innovation: Monika champions “protopian futurism,” a viewpoint that reimagines the future by embracing marginalized perspectives, from disability and neurodivergence to indigenousness and queerness. Her vision places technology as a culturally informed tool, shaping not only human progress but also planetary well-being.
Foresight Pioneer: Monika’s career began in XR and science fiction, where she confronted bias and techno-solutionism long before they entered the mainstream. Today, her focus lies in leveraging disabled and neurodivergent insights to redesign content, architecture, and technology for inclusivity and sensory comfort.
Agent of Positive Change: Monika doesn’t passively predict the future; she actively engineers it. Her talks provide actionable paths to innovation and transformative outlooks, benefiting organizations and the world at large.
Beyond the Podium: Monika offers futurist consulting and foresight strategy workshops. She collaborates with media giants, guiding them in future-focused projects like Marvel’s Black Panther. Monika also partners with R&D teams to infuse their innovations with cultural depth.
Global Influence: With six continents as her stage, Monika has addressed diverse audiences, from tech conferences to exclusive executive gatherings. Her visually rich keynotes demystify complex topics, from science fiction’s role in shaping priorities to regenerative future cities.
Monika Bielskyte, a beacon of foresight and inclusivity, empowers individuals and organizations to navigate an evolving world with compassion and vision. Her visionary approach enriches the dialogue on technology, culture, and the future, fostering positive global change.
Talking Points
Protopian Futures Design Framework as an Alternative to Techno-Utopianism
Protopian Futures Design Framework as an Alternative to Techno-Utopianism
Science Fiction Bias in Technological Development & Scientific Research
Science Fiction Bias in Technological Development & Scientific Research
Future of Inclusive Cities & Regenerative Urbanism
Future of Inclusive Cities & Regenerative Urbanism
Life-Centric vs Human-Centric Design
Life-Centric vs Human-Centric Design
Generative AI Tools for Future Readiness
Generative AI Tools for Future Readiness
AI Futures & its Ideological Foundations
AI Futures & its Ideological Foundations
Futures Literacy in the Age of Disinformation Warfare
Futures Literacy in the Age of Disinformation Warfare
Beyond the Metaverse Hype: Future of XR/UX/UI
Beyond the Metaverse Hype: Future of XR/UX/UI
The Potential of Edutainment (Education+Entertainment)
The Potential of Edutainment (Education+Entertainment)
Disability & Neurodivergence Led Innovation
Disability & Neurodivergence Led Innovation
Video
Monika Bielskyte - Protopia vs TESCREAL Visions of Tech Rapture | The Conference 2023
In what kind of future would you like to live? Blade Runner or Black Panther? For too long, our futures have been determined by immature science fiction imaginaries still stuck in the mid to late 20th century. Their utopian and dystopian binaries now provide fertile inspiration for police-state-aesthetic VC pitch decks and a cluster of ideologies known as TESCREAL: Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism. Moreover, many of these past narratives have not recognised the richness and diversity of knowledge, experiences and worldviews. "Those who control the fantasy, control the future." Monika Bielskyte identifies the cost of such grand visions, whose utopianism has historically had its roots in exclusionary and eugenic principles. For a more positive and productive way of seeing the future, Monika’s vision of Protopia is radically hopeful and inclusive. Protopia is grounded in plurality, interdependence, embodiment, biosphere regeneration, creative flourishment, spiritual fulfillment, and evolved values. By including the voices of those that have been purposefully previously erased, Protopia changes the nature of leadership and creates the possibility for interesting things to happen. Monika ends on a hopeful note: “Different worlds have existed, and they could exist again”Ada Lovelace Festival 2022: Monika Bielskyte - The Metaverse: Extending realities
In her keynote at this year's Ada Lovelace Festival 2022 in Berlin Monika Bielskyte, futurist and founder of Protopia Futures, talked about how the concept of the Metaverse is deeply grounded in dystopian fiction and what needs to change about its narrative of the future in order to contribute to a more inclusive, more sustainable future of technology – marked by interaction and a life-centric design.Meta Festival: How to remain human with Monika Bielskyte, PROTOPIA FUTURES
Meta Festival 2022 included hundreds of talks from global brands and metaverse experts, six mesmerizing festival areas, attendees' own avatars, and much more. Over 12,500 attendees had the opportunity to hear from leading brands, Web3 innovators, and technologists, while connecting with each other in a 24-hour, virtual playground. The festival was centered around five themes: Web3; Immersive Experiences; Diehard Tech; Pop Culture, and the Betterverse. In addition to these five stages of ongoing sessions, the event featured live programming tailored to each region, taking place between 2 p.m.-5 p.m. local time in Singapore, Amsterdam, and New York.Monika Bielskyte has a rare capacity to cross correlate and unify design thinking across diverse media forms and platforms. Old "transmedia" paradigms have been faltering and falling away fo ... keep reading LucasFilm
Monika recently spoke at a Global Leadership Gathering my company held with our top 300 leaders. She has inspired a sense of pride in knowing that we can innovate and create a future for ourselves rather than looking outside and to the West for inspiration. She was rated as one of our top speakers and many of our 22 country colleagues have already engaged her to invite her to speak more specifically to their local teams. She is a true agent for change, playing a vital role in the world today in order to create a better future for all of us that is more representative of who we actually are and what we really need.
Visionary, innovative and a clear voice. What amazes me most is Monika's world view of technology, its place in our lives and her vision to use emerging tech to bring cultures together. Hers is a truly unique voice, a leader in her generation.
Monika’s energy, experience, vision, creativity, soul and impact made her week of meetings, speeches and panels across the BBC one of the highlights of my time driving innovation there. She challenged, guided, inspired, entertained and educated a huge range of people from different teams. We see the world differently as a result. Our storytelling and world building will have more magik as a result. An immense achievement.
