Day One: Tuesday, October 29

1 – 1:50 pm ET

Welcome & Keynote Speaker,
Rob Hopkins

How to Fall in Love with the Future, and How Museums Can Help Us Do That

Rob Hopkins, a renowned author and activist, will explore how museums can play a vital role in rekindling our collective imagination to foster a future that has addressed our current climate and ecological emergency. Hopkins will draw on his extensive work on the power of imagination to discuss how cultural institutions can inspire visitors to envision and work toward a more sustainable, vibrant, and hopeful world that meets the UN sustainability goals for 2030.

Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes and the author of several books, including ‘The Transition Handbook‘ and, most recently, ‘From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want.’ He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and several TEDx events, and appeared in the French film phenomenon ‘Demain‘. He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth and 2 Honoris Causas, and is a Director of Totnes Community Development Society. He hosted the podcast ‘From What If to What Next‘, runs ‘Imagination Catalyst’ trainings for a wide range of organisations, and has collaborated with musician Mr Kit on a project called ‘Field Recordings from the Future‘, due out in 2025. In November 2022, he was made an Honorary Citizen of Liège in Belgium by the city’s mayor.

2 – 3 pm ET

Concurrent Sessions

Four concurrent sessions covering:

• AI Adolescence
• Culture Wars 2.0
• Decarbonizing the Future
• Combating the Loneliness Crisis

3:10 – 4:10 pm ET

Concurrent Sessions

Four concurrent sessions covering:

• AI Adolescence
• Culture Wars 2.0
• Decarbonizing the Future
• Combating the Loneliness Crisis

4:20 – 5:00 pm ET

Play or Practice Breakouts

Join us for engaging and interactive sessions where attendees will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities designed to spark creativity, collaboration, and innovative thinking. Connect with peers in a dynamic environment. These sessions promise to be both enlightening and fun. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to recharge and reimagine the future of museums together!

Day Two: Wednesday, October 30

12 – 1 pm ET

Network in the Social Lounge

Jump start day two with some networking time before diving back into sessions. Join the Social Lounge to connect with fellow museum professionals around virtual tables. Whether you’re looking to exchange ideas, discuss industry trends, or simply meet new colleagues, the Social Lounge offers a flexible and welcoming space to do so. You can join moderated tables or even create your own, making it easy to foster meaningful connections. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to widen your professional circle and collaborate with peers in an engaging, virtual setting.

1 – 1:30 pm ET

Welcome Back & Recap

1:35 – 2:20 pm ET

Big Idea Sessions

Each of the Future of Museums Summit session tracks includes a Big Idea session with expert speakers. Choose which session you’ll join live:

AI Adolescence

AI & Museums: Beyond the Hype and the Backlash

with Sree Sreenivasan

AI can help museums in everything from marketing to audience engagement to collections management, but we don’t talk enough about the pitfalls and challenges of AI in the cultural space. Join a fun and fast-paced talk filled with big-picture ideas and practical tips.

Sree Sreenivasan is NYC-based CEO and co-founder of Digimentors, a social/digital/AI training and consulting company. For the past year, he’s been teaching his “Non-scary Guide to AI” workshops and working with clients on AI policy, strategy and scenario planning. He has served as Chief Digital Officer of New York City, Columbia University and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has been a consultant for cultural institutions including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, West Kowloon Cultural District, National Ballet of Canada and Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center. In 2015, Fast Company named him one of the 100 most creative people in business. In 2004, Newsweek named him one of the 20 most influential “young” South Asians in America, along with Kamala Harris, M. Night Shyamalan and Norah Jones. In 2020, the President of Italy awarded Sree the knighthood of the Order of the Star of Italy for his role in promoting US-Italian relations.

Culture Wars 2.0

Are We Really That Polarized?

with Mathieu Lefevre

At a time when we appear more divided than ever, Mathieu Lefevre, CEO and Co-founder of More in Common, will present evidence to show that part of this is an illusion, albeit a dangerous one. Join Mathieu as he explains the factors contributing to the polarization illusion, including the role of the media, social media, and the ‘polarization industrial complex.’ He’ll share what we can all do to stem the tide of polarization and the critical role museums can play as convening places and community spaces.

Mathieu Lefevre is the CEO and Co-Founder of More in Common. More in Common is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and bring people together to tackle shared challenges. More in Common conducts detailed opinion research using behavioral science to map the identities and values of populations in Europe, the United States, and Brazil. They use this evidence base to work with more than 200 partners in philanthropy, civil society, politics, the media, unions, and business on initiatives that bridge divides. More in Common has a team of 50 people working in national offices in the U.K., Germany, France, Poland, Spain, the U.S., and Brazil. Mathieu lives in Paris with his family.

Decarbonizing the Future

The Psychological Impacts of Climate Change

with Dr. Susan Clayton

Climate change can significantly impact our psychological well-being, including threats to identity and grief over environmental losses. This session will focus on these effects and the potential for informal learning centers like museums to effectively communicate information and inspire action.

Susan Clayton, Ph.D., is the Whitmore-Williams Professor and Chair of Psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio. Dr. Clayton’s research examines people’s relationship with the natural environment, how it is socially constructed, and how climate change affects mental health and well-being. She is author or editor of six books, including Identity and the Natural Environment, Conservation Psychology, and Psychology and Climate Change, and is currently the editor of the Cambridge Elements series in Applied Social Psychology. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology, she was a lead author on the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Combating the Loneliness Crisis

Museums and Loneliness: Opportunities for Immediate Action

with Dr. Jeremy Nobel

Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, will unpack and demystify loneliness as an urgent public health crisis, drawing on key principles from his recently published book, Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection. He will offer insights and strategies— including programming for social interaction and creativity—that can uniquely position museums as leaders in fostering meaningful connections among their patrons, visitors, and the broader community.

Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, is a primary-care physician, public health practitioner, and award-winning poet with faculty appointments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School. He is the founder and president of The Foundation for Art & Healing, whose signature initiative, Project UnLonely, addressing the personal and public health challenges of loneliness and social isolation, has gained national visibility. His book, “Project UnLonely: Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection” explores what it means to be lonely and how creativity can be the catalyst for connection.

2:35 – 3:35 pm ET

Concurrent Sessions

Four concurrent sessions covering:

• AI Adolescence
• Culture Wars 2.0
• Decarbonizing the Future
• Combating the Loneliness Crisis

3:50 – 4:50 pm ET

Concurrent Sessions

Four concurrent sessions covering:

• AI Adolescence
• Culture Wars 2.0
• Decarbonizing the Future
• Combating the Loneliness Crisis

4:50 – 5:00 pm ET

Closing

Social Lounge Networking Tables

Jump start day two with some networking time before diving back into sessions. Join the Social Lounge to connect with fellow museum professionals around these virtual tables, or create your own!