MOST FAMOUS FUTURISTS IN HISTORY: WHO ARE THEY?

Some of the most famous and influential futurists over the past century include:

• Alvin Toffler – Author of influential books like Future Shock and The Third Wave exploring how social change and technology reshape society. He coined terms like “information overload.”
• Ray Kurzweil – Renowned inventor and modern futurist who makes highly specific technological predictions. He popularized the concept of “the singularity” when artificial intelligence exceeds human intelligence.
• Buckminster Fuller – Architect and systems theorist who pioneered ideas like the geodesic dome and Spaceship Earth thinking about sustainability. He examined how design and science can empower humanity.
• Faith Popcorn – Pioneering trend forecaster who founded marketing consultancy BrainReserve. She focuses on how consumer behavior and cultural movements evolve in counterintuitive ways.
• Jacque Fresco – Co-founder of The Venus Project, which envisions restructuring civilization towards sustainability, automation and shared prosperity. His futurist visions integrate urban planning, science and innovation.
• Peter Schwartz – Co-founder of scenario planning consultancy Global Business Network. He helped develop Shell’s archetypal scenario planning methodology used within organizations to envision alternate futures.
• Juan Enriquez – Thinks deeply about the ethical impacts of synthetic biology, genomics and biotech on humanity’s future as explored in books like Evolving Ourselves.
• Shingy – Digital prophet at Anheuser-Busch examining how emerging technologies like the metaverse may reshape marketing and consumer experiences.
• Cindy Frewen Wuellner – Award-winning futurist exploring how we can build future resilience, adaptability and transformation skills to thrive through exponential change.

The most compelling futurists blend insights from research and interdisciplinary perspectives to shift mindsets and cultures in more expansive, empowering directions.