A global futurist who has advised major organizations on navigating technological and social change will speak Wednesday as part of the 13D Annual Lecture Series, offering residents a chance to explore how emerging trends could shape the territory’s future.
The free event will begin with a reception at 4:30 p.m. at the UVI 13D Innovation Center, followed by the lecture at 5:30 p.m. A livestream will be available through the University of the Virgin Islands’ Facebook and YouTube platforms, and a watch party will be held simultaneously on St. Croix at the UVI RTPark headquarters. RSVP links for the St. Thomas event and the St. Croix watch party, along with additional information, are available on the UVI RTPark Facebook page.
Nikolas Badminton will headline the event, where leaders, students and community members are invited to engage in conversations about innovation, uncertainty and long-term change.
Badminton, a bestselling author and self-described “hope engineer,” has advised more than 450 organizations, including NASA, Google, Microsoft and the United Nations. His work focuses on helping leaders anticipate disruption, navigate uncertainty and design resilient strategies for the future.
The lecture series, now in its fourth year, is designed to bring global perspectives to the territory.
“We intentionally bring speakers who will challenge the way that we think about the world and where it’s going,” said Tamra James, general manager and senior research analyst for 13D’s U.S. Virgin Islands region. “I like to tell people it’s not just a lecture, but an experience and a spark for new ideas.”
James said the goal is to foster forward-looking conversations in the Virgin Islands.
“This is really about exposing the territory to cutting-edge thinking and future-focused conversations,” she said.
She added that Badminton’s focus on optimism and future-building fits the tone of the series.
“With the volatile times that we are facing in the world, we’re not only bringing someone to share knowledge, but someone who can help infuse hope,” she said.
Following the lecture, attendees will participate in a 45-minute, fireside-style question-and-answer session, allowing for direct dialogue with Badminton.
“He’s really coming here not just to tell us what he knows, but also to learn from us, understand our challenges and even offer ways that we could think about them differently — and maybe spark an idea we may not have come across yet,” James said.
“These are the types of future-focused conversations that we like to bring on island,” she added, “and hopefully get conversations going.”
James said the event also highlights the importance of access to global ideas in a small territory.
“We have a lot of great talent here, and for a place like the Virgin Islands, where we sometimes don’t have these speakers come here as often, it’s wonderful when we have someone who is able to have these conversations with us that allow us to dream even bigger and really encourage people to think differently.”
