On May 27, The San Diego Foundation Center for Civic Engagement kicked off the Future40 Event Series with San Diego’s nationally-renowned scientist, futurist and author David Brin.
The event and subsequent series comes at an exciting time, as The Foundation celebrates its 40th Anniversary by recognizing past successes and embarking on the next 40 years of accelerating change and increasing opportunity in San Diego.
“The tsunami of change is coming, and the people that are able to deal with it are those that learn to surf,” quipped Brin during his presentation at the USD Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice.
As Foundation CEO Kathlyn Mead recently highlighted, that “tsunami of change” is at the core of all Center for Civic Engagement Future40 Series conversations.
“Like many other organizations, we often think about the future as an extension of the present. But if we are going to fulfill our mission, we must think critically and daily about what the future might bring, with all of its uncertainties and possibilities,” Mead urged.
No one person can predict San Diego’s future or prepare for the impending challenges. But by facilitating meaningful conversations among community leaders, the Future40 series is building a giant surfboard that we can all steer and ride together.
View KPBS’ Peggy Pico’s interview with Brin here.
View Audience Q&A with Brin here.
“Imagine what you would tell your younger self about the future if you could go back 30 or 40 years in time,” added Brin (view his entire keynote in the video above). “Some things haven’t changed a bit, while others were unimaginable just decades ago.”
This hypothetical question is exactly what The Foundation is posing to all San Diegans as Future40 speakers like Brin ask us to look ahead five, 10 and even 40 years.
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During the Q&A portion of the program, moderated by Peggy Pico, award-winning journalist and KPBS anchor, Brin planted seeds with the 200 attendees as he theorized how the region could be different within one generation. From enhanced mobile phone capabilities during times of emergency, such as the 2007 fires, to instant facial recognition that breaks down social barriers, Brin challenged the audience to imagine the opportunities ahead for San Diego.
Brin added that he believes the San Diego region’s rich diversity and resiliency will propel us into the next 40 years.
Did you miss the event but want to join the ongoing Future40 conversation?
