#79 Imagining the Future - Where Sci-Fi Meets Curiosity with Ari Popper (Founder & CEO, SciFutures)

Jun 11, 2025

Ari Popper, Founder & CEO of SciFutures, shares his transformative journey from midlife crisis to innovating for the future through storytelling. He discusses how science fiction can inspire creativity and prepare organizations for change. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of leadership in an AI-driven world and emphasizes the need for curiosity, adaptability, and ethical awareness. Ari also reflects on the challenges of emerging technologies and the importance of integrating emotional intelligence into leadership.

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ANECDOTE

SciFutures Born From Midlife Crisis

Ari Popper started SciFutures after a midlife crisis led him to a science fiction writing class at UCLA.
Writing sci-fi stories sparked his epiphany to use storytelling for envisioning the future in business contexts.

INSIGHT

Epiphanies Spark Present Change

To inspire meaningful action today, SciFutures combines research with storytelling to create epiphanies that change leadership and innovation.
They focus on preferred futures three to five years ahead and then work backward to make present change.

ADVICE

Use Sci-Fi Writers For Futures

Use storytelling to help people process emerging technologies and make futures personal with relatable characters.
Hire talented science fiction writers to craft compelling future visions that clients can act upon.

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In this episode of The Curious Advantage podcast, Simon Brown and Paul Ashcroft speak with Ari Popper, Founder & CEO of SciFutures, to explore the intersection of science fiction, innovation, and leadership.

Ari shares his journey from experiencing a midlife crisis to founding SciFutures, where he helps organizations envision and prepare for the future through storytelling and strategic foresight. The conversation delves into the role of narrative in shaping our understanding of emerging technologies, the evolving nature of leadership in an AI-driven world, and the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and ethical awareness.

Together, they explore how science fiction can serve as a powerful tool for sparking innovation, cultivating future-ready mindsets, and navigating the challenges of rapid technological advancement.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to SciFutures and Ari Popper's Journey
03:10 Understanding the Future: Methodologies and Insights
06:01 The Role of Storytelling in Shaping Futures
08:57 Predicting the Future: Successes and Misses
11:57 Emerging Technologies and Their Impacts
15:10 Preparing for the Future: Education and Leadership
17:58 Human Skills in an AI-Driven World
20:59 The Future of Leadership and Organizational Change
26:42 The Art of Time Travel on a Budget
28:04 Mindsets for Future Thinking
29:50 Distilling Challenges in Innovation
30:58 Minding the Gap in Leadership
32:59 Curiosity and Information Synthesis
38:06 Optimism in the Age of AI
40:58 Exploring Emerging Technologies
45:06 The Skill of Future Thinking

About the Curious Advantage Podcast Series
Join the authors of The Curious Advantage in an exploration of how individuals and organizations can harness the power of curiosity to drive success in our new digital reality. In each episode, they engage in enlightening conversations with world-leading experts from a diversity of disciplines to bring to life the latest understanding of curiosity in a way that’s useful to anyone looking to embark on a journey of discovery, navigate challenges, and unlock opportunities.

About The Curious Advantage Book
The Curious Advantage is an exploration of the idea of Curiosity and its increasing importance for thriving in the digital age. Taking the widest possible exploration of things Curious – historical, contemporary, neuro-scientific, anthropological, behavioural, semantic and business-focused. At the heart of the book is our model of Curiosity, called ’Sailing the 7C’s of Curiosity’. This model provides individuals with a practical framework for how to be successfully Curious and use Curiosity as a power skill to unlock their own potential. To find out more visit: curiousadvantage.com

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The Curious Advantage Podcast is executive produced by Jessica Wickham, Pasha Adam and Aliki Paolinelis. Audio editing is expertly by Danny Cross. Video editing is done by Jessica Wickham & Helena Gonzalez.