Monika Bielskyte is a futurist, speculative designer, founder of @protopiafutures & partner at @africanlifecentricdesign. Her work is firmly anchored in contextual, complex realities on the ground, rather than one-size-fits-all techno-solutionism, prone to short-term hype cycles and rapid obsolescence. With expertise in information technologies and immersive media (generative AI, spatial computation, VR/XR, UI, UX), Monika examines both the promises and perils of innovation as the blurring boundaries between the digital and physical worlds become increasingly weaponized through strategies of hybrid warfare. Monika is passionate about the value of embodiment inquiry within innovation processes & “invisible” disability & neurodivergence inclusion in all future considerations: from tech, to policy, to built environment, in order to design a more compassionate world for most of humanity. As a speculative designer, Monika prototypes culturally expansive, socially and environmentally engaged future world designs that take lessons from visually and narratively captivating Science Fiction entertainment and apply them to make real-world future literacy more compelling. Her career in Hollywood includes futurist consultancy for Disney / Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Monika has done speaking and advisory work for BBC, Disney, DreamWorks, Google, Huawei, L’Oreal, McKinsey, Mexico City, Microsoft, MTN Group, Nike, SKY, TATA ,Technicolor, UAE, Unesco, Universal, Warner Media, World Economic Forum, among others.