Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy Presents:
“21st Century Thought and Trends with David Houle”
January 22, 29 and February 5
David Houle is one of the world’s most prominent futurists. His three-part workshop series offers a roadmap to the future for area CEOs, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, professionals—and anyone with a curious mind.
(Sarasota-Manatee) The world as we know it will be transformed beyond recognition over the decades ahead. To help people in our community prepare, Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy (RCLLA) has tapped David Houle, the college’s “Futurist in Residence.” The prominent futurist and best-selling author of “The Shift Age” will share his extrapolative insights in RCLLA’s new “21st Century Thought and Trends” workshop series. Houle’s three-part series will provide a roadmap to the changes ahead for area CEOs, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, professionals—and anyone with a curious mind. The sessions take place January 22, January 29, and February 5, 7-9:30 p.m., at Temple Beth Sholom, 1050 S. Tuttle Ave., Sarasota. The fee is $250 per person for all sessions; $225 per person for two or more participants for all sessions; $200 per person for four or more participants for all sessions. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 941-309-5111, or visit www.rclla.org.
How did Houle become an expert in the future in the first place? By thinking about tomorrow today and building a track record of successful predictions that paid off for some of the nation’s top businesses. He earned the nickname of “the CEO’s futurist” as a result.
Over the last decade, Houle has enlightened more than 3,500 CEOs and business owners. His insights flow from a deep background in the global village of media connectivity. Houle spent time in the high-pressure fields of media and entertainment for more than 20 years. During that heady time, Houle worked at NBC and CBS in an era of ceaseless transformation. He was part of the senior executive team that created and launched MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and CNN Headline News. The media industry recognized Houle’s visionary achievements with two Emmys for “Energy Express,” a game-changing children’s program; a George Foster Peabody Award for “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream,” a Heartland Award, and an Academy Award nomination.
Applause can be distracting for some. But through it all, Houle kept his eye on the big picture—the big blue marble we all live on. The fragile planet famously dubbed “Spaceship Earth” by R. Buckminster Fuller in 1969. Houle set his sights on researching and exploring the future of our planet.
“Think of Earth as a spaceship. Spaceships don’t get resupplied. We have to operate this Spaceship Earth with the resources we have onboard,” says Houle.
In 2015 Houle co-authored “This Spaceship Earth,” his seventh book, with Tim Rumage, head of Environmental Studies at Ringling College of Art and Design. Then, in 2016, Houle launched a global non-profit (thisspaceshipearth.org) to fight climate change by creating “Crew Consciousness.” He was invited to present “This Spaceship Earth” to scientists at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in 2016 as a result.
Spaceship Earth has passengers in our area, as well. Houle, now a full-time Sarasota resident, will happily provide Earth’s local “crewmembers” with a toolbox for tomorrow at this RCLLA workshop series.
Who should attend?
According to Houle, he designed the workshops for “CEOs, businesspeople, managers, entrepreneurs, professionals—and anyone with a curious mind. If you want to be ready for the future, if you want your kids and grandkids to be ready, this series has something for you.”
Houle’s thinking offers a refreshingly rational alternative to apocalyptic prophets of doom. “The future is coming, and it’s nothing to be afraid of,” he says. “If you’re ready for the changes, you can stay successful, happy, and relevant for the next 20 years. That’s what the workshops are all about.”
Houle was careful to schedule his sessions after business hours. That way, professionals can attend without taking time away from work. Each workshop is a mix of presentation and application. His first two sessions are approximately 75 percent presentation and 25 percent interaction and networking. The third session will be at least 50 to 75 percent interactive. The interactive parts are designed to help participants relate the material to their specific businesses and lives while networking with other leaders in the community.
Session One: Jan. 22: “2000-2018: The Trends, Forces, and Technologies That Have Changed Humanity This Century.” Participants will learn about all the major trends and forces that have reshaped the 21st century to date—leaving the “Information Age” and entering the “Shift Age.” Houle explains contexts and concepts to help understand both the transformations going on and the unsettling speed at which they are occurring.
Session Two: Jan. 29: “2017-2037: One of the Most Historically Important Transits in Human History.” What will happen in the next 20 years and why? The emphasis will be on the marketplace, political, economic, medical, and social changes that lie ahead. Reality, as we know it today, will change in almost every aspect of our lives. This class offers a roadmap to the future that will help participants plan, work, and thrive in the years and decades ahead.
Session Three: Feb. 5: “When Reality Changes, Meaning Changes. How Can We Prepare for a World Where What Reality Is Today No Longer Exists In 2037?” For this final session, participants should bring their most thoughtful questions to class. Houle will lead an interactive audience discussion about the massive changes to most belief systems that will happen by 2037. How can we anticipate these changes and how must we alter our thinking to be happy, relevant, and successful? To get the most from this class, participants should have attended one or both of the previous sessions. The goal is to collectively forge new ways to think.
For more information about David Houle, visit www.davidhoule.com.
About Ringling Lifelong Learning Academy
As private, not-for-profits, both the Lifelong Learning Academy and Pierian Spring Academy served the Sarasota-Manatee region for almost 20 years growing lifelong learning program offerings in number and variety as the demand for services grew. Now they have combined forces with Ringling College of Art and Design to become Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy, offering educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives. Courses cover a wide range of stimulating topics and are taught by scholars, retired faculty members, and professional practitioners. Courses are taught in an engaging, collaborative manner where learning results in the development of civic awareness, ongoing learning communities of peers, and intellectual and cultural connections to our communities. Visit www.rclla.org.
About Ringling College of Art and Design
For 85 years, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 11 disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive, first-year program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. www.ringling.edu.
