Christopher Wylie
Cambridge Analytica Whistleblower | Time 100 & Forbes 30 Under 30 | Head of Insight & Emerging Technologies, H&M | PhD, University of the Arts London | Author, Mindf*ck
Monika Bielskyte
Visionary Futurist & Founder of Protopia Futures | Speculative Designer | Futurist Consultant for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Inclusive Design Advocate
Few futurists combine creative imagination with ethical rigor the way Monika Bielskyte does. The founder of Protopia Futures and futurist consultant for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she helps leaders see beyond hype cycles toward technologies built for real human needs. Senior audiences gain a framework for future literacy that turns speculative thinking into strategic clarity, and a vision of innovation grounded in inclusion.
Want to book Monika Bielskyte as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Monika Bielskyte biography
Speaker Monika Bielskyte is a futurist and speculative designer whose work connects innovation, culture, and humanity. As the founder of Protopia Futures, she challenges one-size-fits-all techno-solutionism and the short-lived excitement of hype cycles, focusing instead on technologies and systems that are contextually aware, ethically grounded, and built for long-term societal resilience.
Her expertise spans generative AI, immersive media, spatial computing, VR/XR, and user experience design. She examines both the promise and the peril of emerging technologies, showing how the increasingly blurred boundary between digital and physical worlds shapes our collective futures through hybrid warfare, media influence, and cultural narratives.
Monika’s perspective is unusually global. Born in Soviet-era Lithuania and now based in Johannesburg, she has traveled through more than 100 countries, an experience that informs her insistence on futures imagined beyond the Global North.
Protopia Futures: A Framework for Hopeful, Inclusive Futures
Through Protopia Futures, Monika prototypes culturally expansive and socially engaged visions of what lies ahead. The framework rejects the false binary of dystopia and utopia, centering perspectives at the intersection of Indigeneity, Queerness, and Disability. A passionate advocate for inclusive design, she brings visibility to invisible disabilities and neurodivergence, making the case for technological, political, and architectural systems built on compassion.
Her cross-disciplinary career spans strategic foresight, design, and entertainment. In Hollywood, she served as futurist consultant for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Disney/Marvel), and she has collaborated with the BBC, Google, IDEO, L’Oréal, McKinsey, Meta, Microsoft, Nike, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum. Her lectures have inspired audiences at CERN, the Royal Society, the Royal College of Art, the Indian Institute of Technology, and OCAD University.
As a speaker, Monika Bielskyte stands apart among futurist speakers for turning the narrative richness of science fiction into practical tools for future literacy. Audiences leave with a sharper understanding of where technology is heading and a framework for imagining, and building, more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable futures.
Monika Bielskyte Speaking Videos
Monika Bielskyte - Protopia: Antidoteto the Politics of Fear
Monika Bielskyte - A new vision of our future
Monika Bielskyte Keynote Topics
In this signature keynote, Monika Bielskyte presents Protopia, a framework for envisioning futures that escape the dead end of both dystopian dread and utopian fantasy. She shows how creativity, empathy, and inclusion can counter fear-driven narratives and polarization, and gives audiences concrete ways to design societies that are hopeful without losing touch with reality.
Monika questions the dominant Western futurist narratives and offers in their place a pluralistic, globally inclusive picture of what lies ahead. Drawing on her work across technology, culture, and ethics in more than 100 countries, she demonstrates how diverse cultural perspectives and human-centered innovation can shape a shared future that is more equitable and more inspiring.
This keynote examines where emerging technologies such as AI, XR, and spatial computing meet questions of accessibility, neurodiversity, and belonging. Monika shows how inclusive design can redefine what innovation means, turning technology into an instrument of empathy, creativity, and collective progress rather than exclusion.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Monika Bielskyte
Why Monika Bielskyte?
Monika Bielskyte is one of the few futurists who has shaped both Hollywood blockbusters and global policy conversations, from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to the World Economic Forum. Her Protopia framework gives audiences a practical alternative to dystopian fear and techno-utopian hype, grounded in firsthand research across more than 100 countries. On stage she is provocative, visually compelling, and deeply substantive, leaving executives with concrete tools for future literacy rather than vague predictions. Book Monika Bielskyte through Aurum Speakers Bureau for your next event.
What is Protopia and how does it differ from utopia?
Protopia is a futures framework developed by Monika Bielskyte that rejects the binary of dystopia and utopia. Rather than describing a perfect destination, Protopia treats the future as a continuous, iterative process of improvement, centering perspectives often left out of mainstream futurism, including Indigeneity, Queerness, and Disability. The framework helps organizations prototype hopeful, livable visions of the future instead of defaulting to fear-driven narratives.
What was Monika Bielskyte's role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Monika served as a futurist consultant for Disney/Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, helping shape the film's vision of technologically advanced, culturally rooted futures. Her broader entertainment work applies the narrative power of science fiction to real-world strategic foresight, making complex future scenarios tangible for global audiences.
What topics does futurist speaker Monika Bielskyte cover in her keynotes?
Her keynotes explore protopian futures, generative AI and emerging technologies, immersive media and spatial computing, inclusive design, and the cultural narratives shaping the digital-physical frontier. Each talk is tailored to the audience and industry. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Monika Bielskyte to your stage.
How to book Monika Bielskyte as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Monika Bielskyte as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Monika Bielskyte's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Monika Bielskyte or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Monika Bielskyte speaking fee?
Monika Bielskyte speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Monika Bielskyte to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Monika Bielskyte.
How can I contact Monika Bielskyte?
We only work with Monika Bielskyte on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Monika Bielskyte and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Monika Bielskyte speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Monika Bielskyte for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Monika Bielskyte for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Monika Bielskyte is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Monika Bielskyte for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
