

FUTUREPROOF.
Jeremy Goldman
Welcome to FUTUREPROOF. We're the podcast that delves into the future. From Augmented Reality to Artificial Intelligence to Smart Cities to Internet of Things to Virtual Reality, we speak with some of the sharpest minds to better help you understand what the next few years may look like.Brought to you by author Jeremy Goldman (Going Social, Getting to Like).For booking inquiries: vie@futureproofshow.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 3, 2026 • 25min
The ROI of Not Being a Robot (ft. author & VaynerX exec Claude Silver)
Send us a textWhat if the most undervalued leadership skill in the AI era isn’t technical fluency—but emotional presence?This episode of FUTUREPROOF. features Claude Silver, the world’s first Chief Heart Officer and the No. 2 executive at VaynerX, joining the show to unpack why authenticity, empathy, and belonging are no longer “nice-to-haves,” but strategic advantages.Claude’s 2025 book, Be Yourself at Work, challenges the long-standing belief that professionalism requires emotional distance. Instead, she argues that in a world defined by AI, automation, and burnout, the leaders who win are the ones who lead with heart—intentionally, skillfully, and without performative fluff.We explore:Why “authenticity” has been misunderstood—and how to practice it without oversharing or losing authorityWhat leading with heart actually looks like inside a 2,000-person global organizationHow emotional skills become power skills as AI absorbs more technical workThe difference between fitting in and true belonging—and why that gap is costing companies talent and trustHow leaders can balance emotional bravery with emotional efficiency in an always-on, high-pressure worldThis is a conversation about leadership after the old playbook breaks—and what replaces it when humanity becomes the edge.

Jan 27, 2026 • 26min
Designing AI You Can Trust & the Future of Human-Centered Healthcare (ft. Peter Skillman, Philips' global head of design)
Send us a textHealthcare is entering its most consequential design moment in decades.As AI moves from the background into the core of clinical decision-making, diagnostics, and patient experience, the real question isn’t what AI can do—it’s whether people can trust it.This week on FUTUREPROOF., I’m joined by Peter Skillman, Global Head of Design at Philips, and one of the few leaders shaping what responsible, human-centered AI looks like in healthcare at scale.Peter has spent three decades designing products and systems at the intersection of hardware, software, and services—across Palm, Nokia, Microsoft, AWS, and now Philips. Today, he’s helping reimagine healthcare not as a hierarchy of authority, but as an experience built around patients, clinicians, and trust.We talk about:Why AI in healthcare must be designed with people, not just for themWhat happens when teenagers—future patients and clinicians—help design care systemsHow healthcare design is shifting from “what looks impressive” to “what feels humane”Why speed, clarity, and emotional context now matter as much as clinical accuracyThe long timelines of healthcare innovation—and why today’s design choices shape the next decadeWhat it really means to make AI visible, explainable, and trustworthy in life-and-death environmentsThis conversation isn’t about futuristic demos or abstract ethics. It’s about how design decisions today will determine whether AI improves healthcare—or quietly erodes trust in it.

Jan 6, 2026 • 23min
AI Is Scaling Fast—Accessibility Isn’t. Here’s How We Fix That.
Send us a textGuest: Joe Devon Title: Chair, GAAD Foundation | Co-founder, Global Accessibility Awareness DayAI is reshaping how we design software—but accessibility still too often shows up as an afterthought. In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Joe Devon joins us to unpack what it actually means to build technology that works for everyone, especially as generative AI becomes embedded across products, platforms, and workflows.Joe explains why accessibility isn’t a niche concern—it affects more than 1.3 billion people globally—and why AI represents both the biggest risk and the biggest opportunity the accessibility movement has ever seen. We dig into the early findings from the AI Model Accessibility Checker (AIMAC), what most AI models still get wrong about accessible code, and why “AI will fix it later” is a dangerous assumption.We also explore how front-end tools like AI-generated captions, voice interfaces, and image descriptions are changing daily life for users with disabilities—and where back-end AI systems can finally close the gap between automated testing and real-world usability. Throughout the conversation, Joe makes a compelling case that accessibility is not just a moral imperative, but a design discipline that will separate future-proof products from legacy ones.Topics covered:Why most digital products still fail basic accessibility standardsHow AI can dramatically expand—or quietly restrict—accessWhat AIMAC reveals about how accessible today’s AI models really areFront-end vs. back-end accessibility breakthroughsThe ethical stakes of deploying inaccessible AI at scaleWhy inclusive design must be a core requirement, not a patch

Dec 23, 2025 • 20min
Could Crowdfunding Solar Could Do What Governments Can’t? (ft. Lassor Feasley, renewables.org)
Send us a textClimate change is a global problem—but climate capital doesn’t flow globally.In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy sits down with Lassor Feasley, co-founder and CEO of Renewables.org, to unpack why some of the highest-impact climate solutions on Earth remain dramatically underfunded.Renewables.org applies a Kiva-style crowdfunding model to distributed solar projects across the Global South. Individuals can invest as little as $25 into no-interest loans that fund solar installations—and are repaid monthly over five years, allowing capital to be recycled again and again.Lassor explains why:A dollar invested in Global South solar can deliver up to 5x the carbon impact of a comparable U.S. projectTraditional climate fintech and ESG models break down in frontier marketsRepayment isn’t just financial—it’s proof of impactDesign, not just technology, determines whether climate solutions scaleThis conversation goes beyond solar panels to explore systems, incentives, trust, and the future of climate finance—and why everyday individuals may be better positioned than institutions to fund the energy transition where it matters most.If climate change is a race against time, this episode asks a harder question: are we deploying capital where it actually counts?

Dec 9, 2025 • 23min
What Marketers Need to Know About AI Search Optimization (ft. Aja Frost, HubSpot)
Send us a textWhen Google’s algorithm changes caused HubSpot’s traffic to plummet 80%, most companies would have panicked.Aja Frost saw an opportunity.As Senior Director of Global Growth at HubSpot, Aja led the transformation that helped HubSpot not only recover—but become the most-cited CRM in generative AI results.In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy Goldman sits down with Aja to talk about how the rules of discovery, demand, and digital visibility are being rewritten in real time—and why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) may be the next big discipline marketers can’t afford to ignore.They discuss: 🔍 What happens when users trust ChatGPT more than Google 🧠 How HubSpot rebuilt its content strategy around AI answers 💬 The formula for getting cited by AI models—and what most brands get wrong 📈 Why visibility beats clicks in an LLM-driven world 🌐 The new off-site frontier: Reddit, YouTube, and the “dark funnel” of discovery ⚙️ How to measure success when your customer journey starts with a chatbotIf you work in marketing, SEO, or content—and you’ve felt the ground shifting under your feet—this episode will help you understand how to thrive in the AI search era.

Nov 25, 2025 • 24min
Can Journalism Be Fixed by One Email a Day? (ft. Tim Huelskamp, 1440)
Send us a textIn a world where algorithms amplify outrage and newsfeeds reward noise, 1440 Media has quietly built something radical — a daily newsletter that promises “all your news, none of the bias.”This week on FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy Goldman talks with Tim Huelskamp, CEO and cofounder of 1440, about how a 15-person team grew to reach over 4 million subscribers without chasing clicks, outrage, or political extremes.Tim shares what he’s learned about:- How 1440 found “white space” in a crowded media market- Why being unbiased is both a superpower and a branding challenge- How 1440’s ad model bucks media’s obsession with vanity metrics- Why curiosity—not content—is the new currency for growth- And what The Free Press sale reveals about the shifting trust economyIf you’re tired of doomscrolling and looking for what’s next in digital publishing, this conversation offers a blueprint for rebuilding trust, curiosity, and connection—one inbox at a time.

Nov 19, 2025 • 26min
AI Won’t Replace Us. But It Might Reveal Who We Really Are. (ft. Jeff Burningham, author & entrepreneur)
Send us a textAs AI reshapes the world faster than most of us can process, we’re left with an uncomfortable question: What does it really mean to be human now?This week on FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy sits down with Jeff Burningham — tech entrepreneur, investor, and author of The Last Book Written by a Human — to explore how we can cultivate wisdom, purpose, and empathy in an age obsessed with speed, scale, and artificial intelligence.Jeff’s story is as surprising as it is inspiring: from Mormon missionary to real estate mogul, from political candidate to spiritual seeker. After years of building billion-dollar companies, he found himself confronting a deeper question — not how to make more, but how to matter more.In this episode, Jeff and Jeremy discuss: Why becoming wiser, not just smarter, is the next competitive advantage How technology mirrors our consciousness — including our biases and blind spots Why the future of leadership depends on emotional and moral intelligence What it means to design an economy — and a life — centered on meaning, not metrics And how AI’s reflection of us can become humanity’s greatest teacherWhether you’re a founder navigating AI disruption or a curious human trying to stay grounded in a digital age, this conversation will remind you that wisdom — not code — may be the ultimate frontier.

Nov 13, 2025 • 22min
Vaccines, Nationalism, and the Future of Global Health (ft. Dr. Seth Berkley, author & epidemiologist)
Send us a textSeth Berkley, MD has been at the front lines of the world’s biggest battles against infectious disease. As the longtime CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the cofounder of COVAX, and the founder of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, Berkley has helped bring lifesaving vaccines to billions of people.In his new book, FAIR DOSES: An Insider’s Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity, Berkley lays out the hard truths of what went wrong during COVID—and how we can do better next time. From the rise of vaccine nationalism and political roadblocks to the explosion of misinformation, Berkley explains why inequitable vaccine access cost millions of lives and weakened global stability.On this episode of FUTUREPROOF., we discuss:Why the next pandemic is not a question of if, but whenWhat COVID-19 revealed about the politics of global healthHow vaccine nationalism and misinformation threaten our collective safetyLessons from COVAX and how to design faster, fairer systems in the futureWhy global cooperation isn’t just moral—it’s economic and existentialThis is a candid conversation about science, trust, and survival in a world that will inevitably face future pandemics.

Nov 11, 2025 • 27min
The Introvert’s Playbook for Personal Branding (ft. Goldie Chan, author)
Send us a textIn a world obsessed with hustle, noise, and nonstop self-promotion, what if the most powerful way to stand out… is to stay true to your quieter side?This week on FUTUREPROOF., Jeremy talks with Goldie Chan, once dubbed the “Oprah of LinkedIn” and author of Personal Branding for Introverts, about how to build visibility and influence without faking extroversion — or burning out.Goldie is the founder of Warm Robots, a personal branding agency that’s helped executives, creators, and companies sharpen their stories. A LinkedIn Top Voice and keynote speaker, she’s also one of the platform’s earliest viral creators — though she still calls herself an introvert at heart.In this episode, Goldie and Jeremy explore: 💡 Why authenticity beats volume in the new era of personal branding 🧠 How introverts can leverage empathy, observation, and storytelling as their edge 🌐 How to build digital presence without performing online 24/7 🚀 Why quiet consistency often outlasts viral moments ❤️ How to create meaningful visibility that aligns with your valuesWhether you’re a leader who hates self-promotion, or a creator struggling to balance visibility with authenticity, this episode is your guide to building a brand that resonates deeply — not just loudly.

Oct 28, 2025 • 24min
Who Really Gets Ahead? The Hidden Economics of Opportunity (ft. Judd Kessler, author & Wharton professor)
Send us a textWhat if luck isn’t random — but designed?In this episode of FUTUREPROOF., we sit down with Judd Kessler, Wharton economist and author of Lucky by Design, to explore how hidden markets quietly decide who gets what — from job interviews and college spots to concert tickets, dating matches, and even organ transplants.Kessler argues that what looks like “good fortune” is often the result of understanding — and leveraging — the invisible systems that govern access to opportunity. Whether it’s the algorithms behind dating apps, the psychology of lotteries and waitlists, or the structure of modern hiring, he reveals how we can all become more intentional “designers of luck.”We discuss: How hidden markets shape everything from careers to healthcare Why “fairness” isn’t as equal as it looks — and how to spot the trade-offs The economics of lotteries, rankings, and “first come, first served” systems Why second choices sometimes lead to the best outcomes How behavioral design can make opportunity more equitable — or more rigged What it means to be “lucky by design” in an algorithmic worldWhether you’re a leader trying to create fairer systems, or an individual looking to navigate them more wisely, this episode reveals the unseen structures that quietly shape your chances — and how to work with them instead of against them.


