Thought provoking. Actionable. Hopeful.
Professional futurist Stephen J. Dupont delivers powerful, insightful, thought-provoking programs that inspire organizations to start building bridges toward quality futures.
Programs that inspire, change thinking, and lead to action.
Mind-Bending Insights
As an internationally recognized futurist, I deliver thought-provoking insights that invite leaders to open their minds, challenge their assumptions, and start making sense of the changes taking place now and in the future.
Pragmatic Action Steps
As a seasoned communicator who’s worked with some of America’s most well-known organizations, I offer practical steps that leaders can take today to start navigating a world of disruption to become better prepared for tomorrow.
Fueling Strategy
I deliver insights about the future that inform and fuel an organization’s strategic planning.
Future-Ready Organizations
I explain the value of foresight and how it can help organizations become more ready to navigate future disruptions.
What they’re saying about my programs:
“I enjoyed your presentation immensely. So much so, I’ve been sharing it with my colleagues at work all day today.”
“I loved Stephen’s candor and honesty. Straight forward advice I can apply immediately to my work.”
“Great presentation! You gave me some great ideas to bring back to my nonprofit!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Stephen Dupont’s presentation. Please invite him to come back!”
“Stephen Dupont presented our Public Affairs Workgroup with valuable, actionable insights on how communicators can offer support during a crisis situation.
Featured Programs
The Crossing: Building Bridges to Quality Futures
Change and disruption are happening at a rapid pace. Organizations are struggling to keep up. Some are in denial. Others feel left behind. And some have just given up.
Underlying it all is a fear of the future.
Stephen J. Dupont leverages his expertise as a professional futurist and communications leader to help organizations better unpack their fears of the future and what it may bring to start making smarter decisions that will help them bridge to futures defined by quality.
Eleven generations ago, Stephen Dupont's ancestors left everything they knew — in France, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Austria-Hungary — to start new lives in a new world. They had no GPS, no guarantee, and no map for what lay ahead. What they had was something more powerful: the courage to act on an imagined future they could not verify.
They were not reckless. They were purposeful and intentional in the face of radical uncertainty.
In this signature program, Stephen draws a direct line between the bold moves his ancestors made across oceans and the bold moves today's leaders must make across an uncertain future. Using his Quality Futures framework, he shows audiences how the instinct for foresight – the willingness to look ahead, imagine what's possible, and act before you have to – is not a new skill. It is the oldest human skill. And it is exactly what this moment demands.
This program is about courage, legacy, and the responsibility every person carries to their organizations, and to future generations, depending on their decisions.
Audiences will:
Understand what foresight is and why it is the defining leadership skill of our time.
Learn the Quality Futures framework and how to apply it to their work and their organizations.
Gain insight into leading trends that may disrupt their organizations in the near and long-term future.
Leave with a renewed sense of personal and organizational agency over the future.
Future Shifts: Disruptive Trends Reshaping Our World and What Smart Leaders Are Doing About It
AI. Robot workers. The loneliness epidemic. Climate chaos and 1,000-year storms. The largest wealth transfer in human history. Economic decoupling. Medical breakthroughs that will extend human life and reshape healthcare as we know it.
These are not distant possibilities. They are already arriving, and most organizations are not ready.
In this high-energy program, professional futurist Stephen Dupont cuts through the noise to present the signals of change that matter most, explains what they mean for your industry and your organization, and offers a clear, practical path forward. He doesn't just describe the future – he helps organizations make sense of it and start acting on it with clarity and confidence.
Using his Quality Futures framework, Stephen helps audiences move from awareness to action, identifying the disruptions that deserve their attention now and the decisions that will position their organization well regardless of which future arrives. He helps organizations navigate change and build bridges toward futures that are worth crossing to.
Industry-specific versions available: Trucking and Transportation · Healthcare · Outdoor recreation · Nonprofits · State and Local Government · Financial Services · Manufacturing · Professional Associations
Audiences will:
Learn about major trends and disruptions most likely to affect their organization in the years to come.
Understand how change happens and how they can get ahead of it.
Apply the Quality Futures framework to their organizations and their day-to-day work.
Take practical steps to reduce risk and capture opportunity in an uncertain future.
Looking Beyond the Horizon: How to Think (and Act) like a Futurist
The leaders who will thrive in the coming decades are not the ones with the most data.
They are the ones who have learned to think differently about time – scanning for signals others miss to anticipate and imagine futures others haven't considered and start to act on that thinking with both boldness and discipline.
In other words: they think (and act) like futurists. Not the next quarter or year ahead. Not even the next three years. They think 5, 10 and 20 years ahead, anticipating different futures while identifying their options today that will lead them to a future most desirable for their organizations tomorrow – a quality future.
In this practical and energizing program, global futurist Stephen J. Dupont opens the lid on the professional futurist's toolkit, the same methods used by strategic foresight teams at leading corporations, governments, and international organizations, and makes them immediately accessible to people who work at every level of an organization. This is not theory. It is a practical, working mindset, built for the real life conditions.
Stephen explains how today's events are already shaping tomorrow, how established and emerging leaders of any type of organization, big or small, can train themselves to see the signals of change hiding in plain sight, and how futures thinking can transform not just strategy but organizational culture. Stephen helps people learn how to inspire teams that are more resilient, more innovative, and more confident in the face of uncertainty.
Audiences will:
Develop a futures-ready mindset they can apply immediately.
Understand how professional foresight methodology translates into practical leadership action.
Learn how to spot signals of change before they become crises.
Build a foundation for integrating futures thinking into their organization's planning and culture.
How to Build a Crisis Communications Plan like a Futurist
The Covid pandemic was not a black swan event. I know. In 2006, I worked at a major financial services company, where I participated on a special task force that explored how a pandemic might affect the ability Americans in paying their home and car loans.
All the signals were there. It was just a matter of when — not if. As any communications professional knows, leaders hate being blindsided. They don’t like surprises. Some don’t even like good surprises.
Most crisis communications plans are built to respond to the crises of the past. But, in a world of accelerating disruption, where 1,000-year storms are becoming the norm, where social media can transform a local incident into a global reputational crisis overnight, and where the next pandemic, cyberattack, or supply chain collapse is not a question of if but when — that is no longer good enough.
In this practical program, Stephen draws upon more than 30 years of experience as a Silver Anvil-award winning public relations professional with crisis communications experiences that have included mass layoffs, activist protests, identity theft incidents, and product defect events, to show communications professionals how foresight can transform their crisis planning from reactive to genuinely anticipatory. Based on his Quality Futures framework, Stephen shares the specific tools futurists use to identify emerging risks, stress-test scenarios, and build communications strategies that hold up under pressure.
From the highly probable, such as major storms, regulatory changes, workforce disruptions, to the genuine wild cards — a viral moment, a geopolitical shock, a technology failure — Stephen helps communicators see around the corners that matter most.
Audiences will:
Understand how foresight methodology strengthens crisis communications
planning.
Learn to identify and monitor emerging risks before they become active crises.
Build scenario-based crisis plans that anticipate a wider range of disruptions.
Take practical steps today to make their organization more crisis-resilient.
Frequently asked questions about my speaking and facilitation programs:
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Speaking (keynotes, workshops, webinars, moderating panels) is one of the most important ways I can have an impact on the future. By sharing what I know about futures thinking, I hope to inspire people to face forward, consider the implications and options ahead, and start taking action toward a quality future.
It's part of my mission as a futurist: to bring out the futurist within all of us, and to be a trusted voice as we cross into uncertain times together.
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Many audiences arrive feeling stuck — overwhelmed by constant disruption, working from a strategic plan that no longer fits the world, or worried about being blindsided by what they didn't see coming. I call this Present-paralysis. My programs help people move past it: to see the signals of change, make sense of what they mean, imagine possible futures, and leave with practical steps to start building a bridge to a better one.
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First and foremost, I get to know your group and what it needs. Then you can expect a program that inspires and brings hope while challenging your audience's thinking — especially their assumptions — and opens up a world of possibilities they may not have considered.
Most of all, you can expect a program that's practical. I've given more than 100 presentations — keynotes, breakout sessions, webinars, in-person workshops, and moderated panels — and at the end of every one, people just want to know:" Now what do I do?" I approach the future from an everyday point-of-view and give people action items they can use as soon as they get back to their desks, both on their own and collaboratively within their organization.
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Futures thinking is about exploring many possible futures, not advocating for a single agenda. I start by learning about your audience and any sensitivities, and I look for common ground — like the Brazilian lunch, the metaphor that connected people across Brazil during my UNDP work. My goal is to open a constructive conversation about the future your audience shares, not to divide the room.
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Storytelling has been part of my life since sixth grade, when I was the co-editor of my school newspaper, The Windjammer, and it has been at the heart of my 30-year communications career.
Stories are how people have always approached the future. My ancestors who crossed the Atlantic had no map of what awaited them — only stories of what might be. In my framework, "Speaking to the future" means creating and sharing stories and scenarios so people can explore what each future might mean and decide which one they prefer.
In every program, I look for the one story or metaphor that connects everyone in the room — the bridge, the road trip, or, in Brazil, the Brazilian lunch. Stories make the future personal, and making it personal is what moves people to act.
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I tailor programs to each client's needs: one-hour and 90-minute presentations, as well as two-hour, half-day, and full-day workshops and retreats, in person or virtual. I offer programs for every level of an organization, from people just entering the workforce to senior leaders and boards. Whether it's a quarterly board meeting, a department retreat, or an all-hands meeting, I see each engagement as a chance to help people apply futures thinking in their day-to-day work.
The difference is in the outcome, not just the length. A keynote inspires, challenges assumptions, and gives your audience practical first steps. Longer workshops and retreats let us work together, in a participatory way, on a real problem — which leads to more practical solutions your group can put to work.
I've presented to groups of all sizes, but I especially enjoy groups of 20 to 50 people, where I can connect at a deeper level with them.
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I customize every program, no matter how long. I ask for at least a one-hour call to learn about your needs and what you'd love me to share with your audience. I'm also happy to let you preview my presentation beforehand so we can tailor it further.
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Practical tips, advice and insights they can put to use right away. After more than 30 years in PR agencies, professional service firms, and corporations, I understand the value of steps people can build into their work immediately — so they can start building their own bridge to a better future.
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I speak about my framework, Quality Futures, what is futures thinking/futures literacy, future trends, communications and futures thinking, and the intersection between futures thinking and leadership and management.
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For all of my programs, I state the learning objectives. The common threads throughout all of my programs are: learning what futures thinking is and isn’t, thinking about the implications of our decisions today, anticipating change and disruption, and the action steps you can take now to shape the future.
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I've spoken to a wide range of groups, including public relations professionals, nutrition and dietetics professionals, organ donation organizations, and faith organizations, as well as corporate, association, and government audiences.
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Yes. I can provide video of an entire presentation on request. I also can provide links to webinars that have been recorded and are available online.
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Whether I present in person or virtually, I consistently receive high marks from audiences (as measured by Talkadot), with comments such as "thought-provoking," "insightful," and "just what we needed to hear." And yes, I'm happy to share references.
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Fees depend on the program format and length, the level of customization, and whether the program is in person or virtual. Travel expenses (flight, hotel, etc.) are extra.
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In addition to a one-hour meeting to talk about the proposed program, I also encourage conducting a survey of audience members in advance to learn a little bit more about their concerns and what they would like to get out of the program.
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Yes. I provide a downloadable PDF of my presentation that you can share with attendees, along with a handout. If you'd like to go deeper, I can add a breakout session to your conference or lead a follow-up workshop.
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Yes. I may also ask to have my program recorded (video’ed) to post it on my YouTube channel or to use on my speaker reel.
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My programs can be useful at any point in an agenda. For a keynote, I would suggest just before a lunch break in a day-long event, because my programs generate a lot of conversation afterwards. For smaller groups, I recommend either a 90 minute to 2 hour window in which I speak first for about 45 minutes and then we do a breakout session where audience members participate in idea generation or responding to scenarios.
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It depends upon the time we have together. I love to interact with my audiences — get their responses to some of the challenging things I have to share in the moment. But I especially love the opportunity where we can involve the audience in responding to scenarios and generating ideas.
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Almost all of my programs involve Q&A toward the end. I do receive tough questions, some of which I may not have a ready answer for. I always bring back my audience to futures thinking - I’m trying to equip them, even give them license, to think like a futurist.
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I do use AI for research. I am a writer and like to write my own words.