The best way to unstick the present is to think further into the future.

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon sits down with Aditi Juneja, Executive Director of Democracy 2076, to explore how thinking 50 years ahead can break down current obstacles and make seemingly unrealistic hopes feel very possible. Democracy 2076 helps us plan democracy not for the next election cycle, but for the next 50 years.

The conversation reveals how the media we consume shapes our perception of what democracy looks like. From Scandal normalizing election fraud to The West Wing making some viewers think our government is running smoothly, Aditi's research uncovers how TV shows and movies are quietly teaching us civics.

You'll also hear:

• Why a 50-year timeline makes change feel possible instead of impossible
• What happens when people sit down to design constitutional amendments together
• Why we need to give people a menu of possibilities, not just ask them to imagine the future

The episode closes with practical advice for staying resilient in noisy political times. Thank you, Aditi, for joining How We Future!

Links from the episode:

• Democracy 2076
• Report co-authored with Harmony Labs on how media shapes people’s attitudes about the problems facing democracy
• The Long-Term Futures Work of Building a Better Democracy
• A Constitution for 2076
• Pro-Democracy Political Coalitions for 2076

Can graphic design be a force for good?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa sits down with Franzi Sessler, the co-founder of global design agency Kreatives, to explore how design, storytelling, and creativity can shape better futures.

Recently, Franzi, and her team have made stunning sports explainers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Their collaboration with Allianz and the International Paralympic Committee started in 2024, when her team created animated explainers for all 22 Paralympic sports, helping millions of viewers understand and enjoy the amazing athletes and games.

The conversation also touches on projects like All Vote No Play and Futures Happening, revealing how design can activate civic imagination, build momentum, and turn uncertainty into possibility. Throughout, Franzi shows what’s possible when constraints are treated as creative fuel and when imagination is taken seriously.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How design can close the gap between confusion and connection
• Why constraints often unlock the best ideas
• What it takes to design with trust, empathy, and impact

Links from the episode:

• Kreatives
• Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Sports Explainer Videos
• Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Sports Explainer Videos
• Franzi’s favorite Paralympic Disciplines to Design for: Boccia and Swimming
• Paris 2024 Paralympic Sports Explainer Videos
• Franzi’s All Vote No Play designs
• The Team

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

For our first-ever live audience recording of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon sat down with architect and author Chad Oppenheim at Book Passage in San Francisco.

The conversation centers around Chad’s book RIDE: The Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen and the vehicles that became emotional anchors in film history. From the Back to the Future DeLorean to Ferris Bueller’s Ferrari, these cars were modes of transportation, meaning, and possibility.

Chad shares how childhood Matchbox cars sparked a lifelong fascination with design and storytelling, and how those early influences still shape his architecture today. This live episode explores the importance of imagination and why the things that once made us feel limitless can still guide how we build the future.

You’ll hear:

• Why movie cars function as emotional characters
• How nostalgia shapes creative vision
• Chad’s favorite movie car

This week, take Ferris Bueller’s advice and slow down. Revisit a movie that meant something to you as a kid.

Ask yourself:

• What did this story, or this machine, make me feel back then?
• What part of that feeling do I want more of in my future?

And if you’re up for it, share with us: What was the iconic ride that changed how you saw the world?

Links from the show:

• Oppenheim Architecture
• LAIR: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains
• RIDE: Most Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen
• Watch 1 minute Trailer: RIDE