The Missing Layer: inclusion, collective wisdom & imagination for futures

Whose voices shape the future?

When we facilitate, design, or plan for the future, it’s easy to focus on how well we do it. But what if the most important question isn’t about skill — it’s about who is in the room?

Who gets to speak?

Who gets listened to?

Whose lives are we impacting?

And… who is still missing?

Even the strongest foresight, design, and facilitation processes can overlook voices, knowledge, and ideas that could change everything.

What would happen if we layered in:

• Inclusion — so every person affected has a path to participate.
• Collective wisdom — so decisions draw on the breadth of lived experience.
• Imagination — so our visions of the future are richer, bolder, and more just.

In this one-hour interactive conversation, we’ll explore how to add this “missing layer” on top of the work you already do — and why it’s essential if we want equitable futures.

We’ll close with a real-world example from Trinidad & Tobago and Empact’s collaboration with the Association of Caribbean States, where this approach shifted who was in the room, whose perspectives shaped the outcome, and what futures became possible.

Bring your curiosity.

Bring your questions.

And be ready to see your own work in a new light.

Michelle is an experienced service designer who wants to make both digital and physical society more equitable, so it serves us all. She is a senior service designer at Gofore and the co-founder of Empact, a company dedicated to creating impactful, inclusive solutions and societies. With 15 years of experience spanning NGOs, the United Nations, academia, and IT consulting, Michelle has honed a diverse skillset that bridges strategic thinking, human-centered design, strategic foresight and advocacy and communications. She combines service design expertise with experience in public health and advocating for equity - skills she applies to translate complex societal challenges into practical, equitable outcomes.

Anna is a service designer who helps organisations understand how to respond to the needs of a changing world. She is a senior service designer at Gofore and the co-founder of Empact, a company dedicated to creating impactful, inclusive solutions and societies. Anna specializes in strategic planning, service design and change management. She is passionate about working with social innovation and sustainable futures. Her dream project would be to participate in a future visioning project that empowers marginalized groups, helping organisations to adapt their activities to better meet the needs of everyone. Anna wants to use her design skills to promote a sustainable future and inclusion.