RADAR is a global community of curious humans thinking about and building better futures together, in multiplayer mode. here's the thing though: we're not exactly what you might expect. we're not traditional researchers or strategists or consultants (though you'll find plenty of those skills in our community). we're something different.
the future belongs to those who think about it. not as a catchy slogan, but as a radical belief about who gets to shape tomorrow. our mission is to help bring about a world where more individuals, communities, and organizations see themselves as active citizens of the future.
at the heart of RADAR's work is our ever-growing Signal Garden - where our community of curious humans tracks how futures are emerging (or unraveling) in the world. it's not just a collection of hopeful signals; it's a clear-eyed practice of noticing what's actually happening, both the futures we want to nurture and the ones we need to prevent.
through thousands of signals and countless connections, we:
track how change actually happens (and what blocks it)
spot where possibility gets stuck (and where it breaks through)
find unexpected patterns (both promising and concerning)
map futures we want to build (and ones we need to avoid)
build our collective intelligence about what's really going on
this practice of noticing and connecting isn't about toxic positivity or blind optimism. It's about understanding the full picture of how futures emerge - the good, the bad, and the complicated. this grounded understanding is what helps us build both the deep infrastructure and cultural transmission that makes RADAR unique.
stick with us, but our favorite metaphor for how this happens in RADAR is... collective digestion. (just check out this clip from one of 2024's campfire sessions, you'll see!)
it's a clever way of thinking about, well, thinking...in multiplayer mode.
taking time to properly metabolize what we're learning together, making space for patterns to emerge through community discussion, and creating feedback loops between our signal spotting and our building. together.
this thoughtful approach helps ensure we're not just gathering signals or creating tools, but actually developing deeper understanding about how change happens and what makes it stick.
and as we digest together, we start to uncover what we call Better Futures: collective visions that emerge from our community's discussion and discovery. they're not just predictions or possibilities - they're jumping-off points for deeper exploration, speculation, and building. they're the questions we want to answer, the seeds we want to nurture, the worlds we want to build.
we're not oblivious: not every constellation of signals will point toward a better future. many will do just the opposite (and those are important to track too). but some... some you'll believe in with your whole soul. you'll see with clarity how they might yield a better world, if only they were nurtured.
those are the ones we choose to cultivate together. by building these visions in community and distributing ownership across our collective, the futures we choose to nurture reflect exactly the kind of world we want to see: one that's beautiful, inclusive, and positive for people and planet. one that isn't built in walled gardens to serve the few.
as assata shakur reminds us: "part of being a revolutionary is creating a vision that is more humane. that is more fun, too. that is more loving. it's really working to create something beautiful."
through our collective observation (and the behaviors of our own community), we've noticed something important: there are two pieces that need to connect before real change happens:
people need visions of better futures they can actually wrap their arms around - futures that feel tangible, touchable, possible
people need to feel like they have the agency to help build those futures
in other words: they need to be able to yearn for better futures, and build them.
to bridge this gap, we build toward two outcomes:
building tools and practices that help people move from yearning to building
creating contexts where transformation feels possible
developing ownership models that give people real stake in the futures they help create
facilitating the capacity to turn imagination into action
making futures thinking feel as natural as sharing a meme
using everyday touchpoints to spread possibility (think pub coasters and radio shows)
creating cultural artifacts that travel organically through communities
meeting people where they are through formats they already trust
here's another way we're different: we're not building a network — we're cultivating a community that practices what we call multiplayer maximalism. it's our ethos of and invitation to abundance. it's about creating spaces rich with possibilities — where connections multiply, ideas cross-pollinate, and dreams grow bolder through collective imagination.
in practice, that means:
connections multiply rather than radiate from a center
value flows between community members, not just to and from RADAR
every member brings their unique magic to our collective capacity
success looks like people finding unexpected collaborators, not just connecting with us
we grow through genuine relationships, not strategic networking
think of it like your favorite late-night conversations where ideas build on ideas and everyone leaves feeling more capable than they came — but at community scale. this multiplayer approach isn't just nice to have; it's core to how better futures actually emerge.
in a world where the future often feels like it belongs to the powerful few, we're betting on collective imagination. we believe that when more people can see themselves in better futures - and feel equipped to help build them - extraordinary things become possible.
it's about making futures work feel less like reading a white paper and more like tuning into your favorite station or joining a movement — while ensuring there's real infrastructure underneath to support actual transformation.
last updated by keels on Feb 3, 2025