Garry Golden

At futurethink I'm responsible for…

Keeping an eye on the future. In addition to building general future-focused knowledge for futurethink, I also co-write our Futurist Reports and develop and lead the firm’s Foresight training courses as well as facilitate our "Future Of" Scenario Planning workshops.

I am a Board member of the Association of Professional Futurists and a co-author, with Rohit Talwar, on Designing Your Future (2008) a Fast Futures / ASAE publication. I'm also the Founding Editor of The Energy Roadmap.com - a futures-focused blog exploring the cross sections where energy meets industry, transportation, design and society.

What’s your story? What brought you to futurethink?

I came to futurethink after holding positions within boutique futures consultancy firms which helped to set direction for major corporations, and a strategic think tank that worked with business-civic leaders on long term regional issues.

What are your areas of expertise?

My areas of expertise include the application of foresight (and futures studies) to innovation in business settings. I’ve consulted on the future of: Portable Power, Social Media, Food Safety and Health, Mobility and Trade Infrastructure, the 21st Century Organization, Retail, Sustainable Packaging, and Financial Services.

I’ve worked in the following industries… Consumer Packaged Goods, Financial Services, Materials and Manufacturing, Energy and Transportation infrastructure, and also within Education and Professional Associations.

What companies have you worked with in the past?

I’ve consulted on projects for IBM, US Army, Harlequin Romance Enterprises, Tyson Chicken, Texas Department of Transportation, Citigroup, and PTIS/DuPont.

Where did you earn your degree?

I completed my studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Political Science / South Asian Studies), and received my Masters degree in Futures Studies from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

When it comes to innovation, I believe…

That the most important first step is to understand our own assumptions about how we see the world changing, before we leap into trying to innovate based on past successes.

My web browser homepage is set to…

I vary between Twitter or PopURLs. Twitter allows me to see what my colleagues are thinking and doing, and PopURLs is a web aggregator that provides a quick list of headlines from a number of my favorite sites.

What’s the last book your read?

I recently read Great Powers (2009) by Thomas Barnett, one of the world’s leading thinkers of the future of globalization and geopolitics (best known for his first book The Pentagon’s New Map).

What do you do for inspiration?

When I'm looking for inspiration, I make sure that I have a pen and sketch pad handy before I wander the streets of New York, but eventually find myself in a quiet park where I am able to just… think.