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What if the internet as we know it is quietly ruled by one company?

Ari Paparo, ad tech insider and author of Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance, joins FUTUREPROOF. to expose how Google quietly cornered the online ad market—and what that means for journalism, business, and democracy.

We dig into auction rigging, publisher exploitation, antitrust litigation, and whether anyone can really compete with Google in digital advertising. If you care about the business model of the internet, this episode is essential listening.

Topics Discussed:

• How Google consolidated power in digital advertising
• The myth of platform neutrality
• What publishers lost—and what they’re trying to win back
• Key moments that shaped Google’s ad empire
• Why the DOJ’s antitrust case matters more than you think
• How Google’s dominance affects the future of journalism

Resources:

• Yield by Ari Paparo (Amplify, 2025)
• Follow Ari at marketecture.tv

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In a world driven by data, Kevin Perlmutter argues that the most powerful force in marketing isn’t logic—it’s emotion. Kevin is the founder of Limbic Brand Evolution and author of Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights, a guide to building emotionally intelligent brand strategies that connect, convert, and last.

We explore why emotional intelligence is the most underused tool in a marketer’s toolkit, how neuroscience is reshaping brand research, and what leaders must do to future-proof their relevance in a noisy world.

Topics Discussed:

• Why emotional intelligence drives brand relevance
• The Limbic Sparks® method for identifying emotional drivers
• How brands can differentiate through feeling—not just function
• Common mistakes that kill brand desire
• The neuroscience behind consumer behavior and loyalty
• How to evolve your brand without losing your soul
• Lessons from emotionally smart brands
• Why “making people care” is the most future-proof strategy of all

Resources:

• Brand Desire by Kevin Perlmutter
• Learn more about Kevin's work

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Even the most experienced leaders have one thing in common: they’re not seeing the full picture. In this episode, psychologist, executive coach, and former CEO Martin Dubin joins FUTUREPROOF. to talk about the hidden habits and patterns that quietly derail careers and businesses.

Drawing from his new book Blindspotting, Martin reveals the six types of leadership blindspots, why your greatest strength might be your biggest liability, and how to stop projecting old patterns onto new problems. Whether you’re leading a Fortune 500 team or trying to level up personally, this conversation is about developing the awareness you didn’t know you needed.

Topics Discussed:

• The six most common leadership blindspots—and how to identify them
• Why high performers often stumble at the top
• The danger of “overused strengths” and unchecked habits
• How your identity and internal stories shape your leadership lens
• What leaders can learn from therapists (and vice versa)
• How to create a feedback loop that doesn’t sugarcoat reality
• What only CEOs can—and should—do
• Practical tools for improving self-awareness without getting stuck in self-doubt

Resources:

• Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader
• MartinDubin.com

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In a time when shouting often drowns out speaking, Emily Kasriel wants us to rediscover a fading superpower: the ability to truly listen. Drawing on her experience as a longtime BBC journalist, mediator, and executive coach, Emily joins FUTUREPROOF. to discuss her new book Deep Listening, a transformative guide for better conversations, stronger relationships, and healthier communities.

We explore her eight-step method for listening with intention, how to defuse conflict without giving up your values, and why silence, curiosity, and discomfort are the keys to unlocking connection. Whether you're navigating workplace dynamics, political disagreements, or parenting in the digital age, this episode is a roadmap for showing up—and tuning in—more fully.

Topics Discussed:

• How to listen to someone you fundamentally disagree with
• What deep listening looks like in a leadership or corporate setting
• The role of silence and curiosity in difficult conversations
• How deep listening builds trust, reduces burnout, and strengthens teams
• Tactics for navigating polarized environments with empathy

Resources:

• Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes by Emily Kasriel
• Learn more at EmilyKasriel.com
• Follow Emily on LinkedIn

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How do you build a business that thrives because of AI—not in spite of it?

In this episode, we’re joined by Adam Brotman, former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks, and Andy Sack, serial entrepreneur and longtime advisor to Microsoft, to talk about their new book: AI FIRST. Drawing insights from conversations with leaders like Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, and Bill Gates, Adam and Andy argue that being “AI-aware” isn’t enough—leaders must put AI at the center of how they operate.

They break down their AI First Playbook—from building an AI council to running internal prompt competitions—and offer practical advice for making your team more adaptive, creative, and resilient in the face of rapid change.

If you're leading a team, scaling a company, or just trying to keep up with the pace of innovation, this is your cheat code for the AI-powered era.

Topics Discussed:

• Why “AI First” is a mindset, not just a tech stack
• What Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, and Bill Gates taught them about the future of work
• Offense vs. defense: how to think about AI strategy
• The centaur vs. cyborg model of human-AI collaboration
• Real-world case studies from Moderna, Suzy, and more
• Why you need an internal AI council—and how to launch one
• The cost of sitting still while your competitors experiment with genAI
• What every C-suite leader should be asking themselves in 2025

Resources:

• AI FIRST: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand (Harvard Business Review Press)
• Forum3 website
• Follow Adam Brotman and Andy Sack on LinkedIn

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What does it mean to lead in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms? In this episode, Jeremy Williams, certified emotional intelligence practitioner and expert on collective intelligence, argues that how we work together is becoming even more critical than what we do. As generative AI automates more functions, Williams says emotional intelligence will define the teams—and leaders—that remain relevant.

We dig into the dangers of toxic positivity, the difference between cyborg leadership and “copy-paste” management, and how to operationalize emotional intelligence at scale. Jeremy also unpacks the idea of collective intelligence, why psychological safety is a business imperative, and how to future-proof your team’s humanity.

Topics Discussed:

• What emotional intelligence really means—and why AI can't replicate it
• The rise of collective intelligence and its strategic value
• How to spot toxic positivity and why it erodes trust
• Emotional reasoning vs. rational leadership
• “Copy-paste” management: the hidden risk in fast-moving orgs
• How to scale emotional intelligence without making it performative
• Preparing teams for ambiguity, volatility, and change
• How EQ is the new “why” in an AI-powered world

Resources:

• Follow Jeremy Williams on LinkedIn
• The Fluent Executive

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Is the financial system broken—or just misunderstood? Economist and author Matt Sekerke joins FUTUREPROOF. to challenge conventional wisdom on money, banking, and policy. In his new book Making Money Work (co-authored with Steve Hanke), he argues that fiat money is still king, the Fed doesn’t have as much power as we think, and the obsession with decentralization is distracting us from deeper issues. This episode dives into the real causes of inflation, how trade deficits actually work, and what it would take to restore trust in our economic institutions.

Topics Discussed:

• Why the Global Financial Crisis broke the system
• What monetary neutrality means—and why we’ve forgotten it
• The role of broad money supply in predicting recessions
• The myth of crypto’s superiority over fiat
• The misunderstood mechanics of trade deficits
• How Trump-era tariffs reshaped global finance
• Why China can’t yet lead a global financial system
• The future of central banking and financial trust

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Today's guest is Phanish Puranam, INSEAD Professor and author of Re-Humanize: How to Build Human-Centric Organizations in the Age of Algorithms. He's the perfect guest to discuss how AI is transforming—not just tasks—but the very DNA of how organizations operate.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why the future of AI in business isn’t about job replacement, but organizational redesign
• How AI is turning from tool to teammate, and what that means for leadership and decision-making
• What "bionic organizations" are—and how companies can blend algorithms and humans without crushing autonomy or purpose
• Why algorithmic bureaucracy might quietly become the most dangerous workplace trend
• How poor implementation of AI threatens to destroy learning cultures and employee agency
• The four pitfalls of AI adoption most companies fall into—and how to avoid them
• A framework for designing AI systems that enhance human competence, not erode it
• Why employees—not just executives—should shape the future of AI-powered work

About our guest:
Phanish Puranam is the Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Strategy & Organization Design at INSEAD, where he also leads the Organizations & Algorithms research initiative. With a career focused on the science of how organizations work—and how they change—he brings a deeply research-backed, globally informed perspective on the next phase of AI’s workplace evolution.