Shows
Cohere PodcastThe Transformative Power of Rituals in Modern Communities with Betty RayIn this episode of the Cohere Podcast, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk with community expert Betty Ray about the profound impact of rituals on personal and community well-being. Betty shares her extensive experience and research on the role of rituals in fostering belonging, purpose, and navigating transitions. The conversation delves into practical applications of ritual in both online and offline communities, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to create meaningful and supportive community spaces. Summary and Key Topics: 00:00:00 - Introduction Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas introduce the episode and guest, Betty Ray, highlighting her extensive background...2024-06-1833 min
Cohere PodcastShaping Tomorrow Together: Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith on the Dynamics of Futuring In the Cohere podcast episode, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas, along with guests Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith, delve into the shift from traditional forecasting to the dynamic practice of futuring, as explored in their works How to Future and Future Cultures. They discuss the importance of evolving strategic frameworks to foster anticipation and adaptability, particularly in navigating complex crises. The conversation highlights the role of online communities in driving innovation and building future resilience. Through insights and case studies like the UNDP Future Trends and Signals System, they advocate for viewing "future" as an active process and e...2024-04-0238 min
Cohere PodcastHow the Humanistic Values in Organizational Development Can Guide Communities with Dr Sharon Varney and John HovellIn the latest thought-provoking episode of Cohere, hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome two distinguished and returning guests. First up, we have Dr. Sharon Varney, a dynamic force in the realm of leadership and organizational development. With a rich background spanning complex organizations across manufacturing, utilities, travel, banking, oil and gas, Sharon's encounter with complexity theory in the early 2000s sparked a profound shift in her approach to leadership and change practice. Her academic journey, combined with her hands-on experience, has led to groundbreaking work in leadership and organizational development across various sectors. Sharon is also closely associated w...2024-03-1346 min
Cohere PodcastArt School Every Day with Dave Gray: Insights from School of the PossibleOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Dave Gray, Chief Possibilitarian at School of the Possible. They delve into being a "possibilitarian," exploring how this mindset fosters innovation and openness to new ideas. Dave shares the School of the Possible founding story, an experimental learning community that challenges conventional education models. The discussion covers how critical thinking and creativity are encouraged and the practical application of knowledge to solve real-world problems. Listeners will discover how embracing possibility can transform learning and personal growth. "Art school is very different than a lot of o...2024-02-1730 min
GTM UnfilteredApproach Vectors & Understanding Futurism - Lauren Vargas - GTM Unfiltered - Episode # 017Special guest Lauren Vargas, a Digital Dragon wrangler and Principal at Your Digital Tattoo, joins Host Craig Rosenberg in the first half of this episode for an enlightening conversation on the ways organizations should think about the future, how the place of communities in the B2B world has evolved, and the "new" growth of influencers in B2B. Lauren became a significant figure in the era of social media's emergence and over her career, has worked at firms like Radiant Six, Aetna, and Fidelity.In the second half of this episode, Craig is...2024-02-021h 15
Cohere PodcastDecoding Crypto Adoption with Reneé Barton: A CRADL Report Deep DiveIn the last episode of 2023 for the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Reneé Barton, Manager of Impact Research at the Crypto Council for Innovation. They delve into the CRADL report, the crypto industry's first in-depth ethnographic study, which illuminates the varied motivations behind crypto adoption and highlights opportunities for industry refinement. Barton elaborates on the meticulous research methodology that captures diverse user experiences, revealing overlooked use cases and challenging assumptions about crypto's role in equitable wealth distribution. The conversation also touches on the hurdles of user experience in crypto adoption, potential risks, and the practical a...2024-01-0529 min
Cohere PodcastImagining Tomorrow with Rob Hopkins: Cultivating Community and Shaping the Future In this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas interview Rob Hopkins, Ph.D., co-founder of Transition Network and author, on the power of community imagination in shaping our future. Dubbed a "guest from the future," Rob shares his insights on creating spaces for collective dreaming and the journey towards a healthier relationship with the internet. They discuss the ingredients for successful community initiatives, the role of imagination activists, and overcoming barriers to our creative potential. With storytelling as a pivotal theme, Rob also touches on the concept of 'embodied futuring.' The conversation concludes w...2023-11-3041 min
Cohere PodcastNavigating the AI Surge: A Conversation with Jeremiah OwyangOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas sit down with Silicon Valley veteran Jeremiah Owyang to discuss the evolution of digital technology and the rise of AI. Owyang traces his career back to community leadership roles in tech, emphasizing the importance of transferable skills acquired over decades-long technology cycles. He attributes his pivot to AI as a natural progression in tech, noting that we are amid a surge of interest in AI technologies. Owyang shares how he stays updated in the field, cultivates space for him and others to explore exponential technologies through...2023-09-2242 min
Cohere PodcastThe History and Future of the Maker Movement with Dale DoughertyIn this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Dale Dougherty, the founder of Make: Magazine and Maker Faire, and a person who played a key and critical role in the launch of the Maker Movement. Dougherty shares his career journey and his belief that everyone is inherently a maker. The conversation takes a deep dive into the history and future of the Maker Movement, discussing the importance of community in both digital and real-life maker experiences. Dougherty also outlines plans for the return of the Bay Area Maker Faire, revealing a new location...2023-08-3143 min
Cohere PodcastResponsible AI: Appropriate Trust and LLM Fabrication with Mihaela Vorvoreanu, PhDOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas dive deep into AI ethics with Mihaela Vorvoreanu, Director of UX Research and RAI Education for Microsoft's Aether. The conversation primarily focuses on "appropriate trust" in AI, emphasizing the need for accountability in AI systems. Vorvoreanu boldly challenges listeners to rethink Large Language Models (LLMs) not merely as information retrieval systems but as systems of fabrication. She further confronts the exaggerated notion of AI as super capable and superhuman, shedding light on the common errors made by LLM-based systems and the implications for users. This episode...2023-07-1034 min
Cohere PodcastEvolution of Learning: Moving Beyond Communities of Practice with the Wenger-TraynersEpisode Summary: In the latest episode of the Cohere podcast, social learning theorists Etienne and Beverly Wenger-Trayner delve into an engaging discussion with co-hosts Dr. Lauren Vargas and Bill Johnston. The guests explore the evolution of communities of practice, their forthcoming CoP Guidebook, and their unique workshops and retreats. They provide insights into their ongoing research project, a tripartite book series designed to update and expand their social learning theory. The inaugural volume, published in 2020, focuses on value creation within social learning spaces. The subsequent volumes, currently in development, will concentrate on expanding social learning across temporal and spatial dimensions...2023-06-1342 min
Cohere PodcastHow Hopeful Stories Can Shape a Better Future with Ed FinnOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, co-hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with Ed Finn, the founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. As an associate professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Arts, Media, and Engineering, Finn provides fascinating insights into the Center's endeavors, the collaborative imagination and writing project 'Hieroglyph,' and the pioneering Imaginative Collaboration Framework. Throughout the discussion, Finn emphasizes the influential role of hopeful stories in shaping collective visions for the future and shares examples demonstrating how...2023-05-1951 min
Cohere PodcastExamining Our Collective Relationship With AI - a Conversation With Venessa PaechVenessa Paech is an internationally regarded online community strategist with over 25 years of experience building community online. Venessa is also a PhD candidate studying the intersection of AI and community, and a global authority on communities and community management. In the first Cohere episode of 2023, Venessa joins Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas to discuss the quickly evolving role of AI in our digital experiences, how AI is currently playing a role in online communities, and what the future may hold regarding our collective relationship with AI. Key Quote: "It's still a relationship business. It's just we now have relationships...2023-02-0647 min
Cohere PodcastThe Role of Friendship in Enhancing Virtual Experiences with Joi PodgornyJoi Podgorny returns to the Cohere podcast to discuss her unique perspective on the state of the Metaverse with hosts Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas. In season 1, in the early stages of the pandemic, Joi and Bill explored the part communities, and in particular VR-based communities, might play during the lockdown and socially-distanced period of the pandemic. On this episode, Joi returns to revisit the conversation in Season 1, talk about her new role with Together Labs, and discuss how kids have weathered the pandemic in virtual worlds and in real life. Of particular note is Joi's perspective on the s...2022-12-0939 minCohere PodcastOur Intention is Not to Obsess Over TwitterOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas talk about the state of social media generally and twitter in particular. Discussing twitter as one of the canaries in the social media coal mine, Bill and Lauren look back to the dawn of social media and discuss the concerns that early community leaders expressed when "social media" sucked all of the oxygen out of the room in the mid 00's. We look at the longstanding and uneasy relationship between social media and community and discuss the ways our current circumstances might be an opportunity to evolve...2022-11-1840 minCohere PodcastExploring Immersion with Ed RodleyOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas chat with cultural professional Ed Rodley about innovative experience design. Ed shares how his experience as a museum technologist has prepared him to explore and challenge the concept of ‘immersion’. This season, we are identifying the critical mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets community professionals need to hone for the next iteration of the Internet. Ed introduces the concepts of the ‘magic circle’ and ‘story worlds’ to illustrate ‘immersion’ is not a one-size-fits-all experience. 2022-10-281h 01Cohere PodcastDesigning Comfortable Digital Spaces with Melanie KahlOn this post-Summer break episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome design and strategy leader Melanie Kahl to discuss how we might design more comfortable shared digital spaces. Using Melanie's recent article "" as a jumping off point, Bill and Lauren speak with Melanie about her career, her design and strategy practice, and how we might translate real-world customs, design patterns and affordances into the digital world to create more comfortable shared spaces.2022-09-2147 minCohere PodcastExploring the Open Metaverse with Vincent BoonCommunity pioneer Vincent Boon returns to the Cohere podcast to discuss his latest project with Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas - the OpenMeta DAO. The OpenMeta DAO is gathering a community to ensure the future of the metaverse is human-centered, fair, and interoperable. Both the overall mission of the OpenMeta DAO, as well as the OpenMeta DAO itself are fascinating. In this episode, Vincent discusses the connection between online communities and the metaverse, the basics of DAOs, how the OpenMeta DAO operates, and what the future holds for community leaders in the Metaverse. Resources from this episode:2022-06-2447 min
Cohere PodcastDo DAOs Hold the Secret of Orchestrating Collaboration?In this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas discuss the early promise (and obvious issues) with DAOs (Distributed Autonomous Organizations). Bill and Lauren have an in-depth discussion to try and separate the value and future utility of the DAO model vs. the current hype. DAOs have been described as "digital flash mobs with money" by Raihan Anwar, manager of the Friends with Benefits DAO, and a "virtual entity that has a certain set of members or shareholders who have the right to spend the entity's funds and modify its code" by Vitalik Buterin, Founder of E...2022-03-2845 min
Cohere PodcastExploring a BetterverseThe current Metaverse is a mirage. The pursuit of the Metaverse vision could lead us to a better Internet. On the first episode of Season 3 of the Cohere podcast, we (Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas) frame of this season’s topic: the Metaverse. As they did with “community”, Facebook’s announcement of the company’s move to focus on the Metaverse, and rebranding to “Meta”, , speculation, and investment. Made in a move remarkably similar to their 2017 announcement that Facebook was a “community” company, it remains to be seen if Meta follows through with creating their version of the Metaverse. It is interesting...2022-02-0733 minCohere PodcastAnnouncing Season 3 of the Cohere Podcast - metaverseSeason 3 of the Cohere podcast is just around the corner. In Season 2, Dr. Lauren Vargas and Bill Johnston explored the role networks play in our lives - from the obvious to the subtle. In Season 3, Lauren and Bill focus on the topic dominating the discussion of our collective digital future: the Metaverse. The discussion will go beyond the hyperbolic (and eye roll-inducing) to have a forward-looking yet practical discussion of what our connected future looks like in a world of ambiently available digital networks - and what this means for us as individuals, citizens, societies, and as part of globally...2022-01-2704 minCohere PodcastHow the Pandemic Forced Online Collaboration to Mature with Nancy WhiteIn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas welcome Nancy White back to the show. Nancy is a true polymath, involved in shaping the early online community and collaboration movement and also deeply versed in group facilitation. Nancy is the Founder of Full Circle Associates and has a long history of working with global NGOs and non-profits on large-scale collaboration and community initiatives.In the episode we talk to Nancy about her personal experiences during the pandemic, what changes she’s observed in her communities and in her work, and explore how we might take wh...2021-10-1346 minCohere PodcastThe Role of Communities in Navigating Disruption With Charlene LiIn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas discuss the future of communities with digital transformation and disruptive leadership expert Charlene Li. We speak with Charlene about her new book “The Disruption Mindset”, the evolving role of social technologies, and the pitfalls and opportunities of leading during periods of disruption (for instance, during a global pandemic.)2021-09-0143 minCohere PodcastNetworks and Transformational Communities - With Bill Johnston and Dr Lauren VargasOn this episode of the Cohere Podcast, Bill and Lauren review highlights from Season 2 guests, look back on formative roles in their respective careers and dig into the topic of transformational communities. From Bill: The plan for this season of the Cohere podcast is for Lauren and me to use the podcast as a means to learn and make meaning in public. Our plan is to do a series of 3 interviews, followed by an interstitial episode to review and discuss the preceding series. This is our first interstitial session, and is a long-form conversation between myself and Lauren - and w...2021-08-1343 minCohere PodcastBuilding Communities with Purpose and Integrity with Carrie Melissa JonesOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Lauren and Bill welcome author and community strategist Carrie Melissa Jones. Carrie has been managing online communities since the early 2000s. Over the course of her career, she has trained, advised, and coached leaders of thousands of online communities. Carrie is the coauthor of Building Brand Communities. She helps brands create new communities, select technology, envision community roadmaps, and think strategically. Prior to founding her own business, Carrie was the Founding Partner and COO for CMX Media, the ‘community for community builders' providing training, events, and programs for community builders around the world. In...2021-06-1337 minCohere PodcastThe Golden Age of Online Communities at the WELL with Gail WilliamsOn this episode of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas are joined by pioneering community strategist and manager Gail Ann Williams. Gail watched the dawn of online communities through her participation and eventual leadership position at the WELL - one of the first successful large-scale online communities. Prior to any research studies, consultants or books about online communities Gail was navigating the challenges of community strategy, development, policy, and exploring the business models of community - more or less in real-time. Gail's journey at the WELL started as a conference manager in 1991, and she helped guide the...2021-06-0141 minCohere PodcastWhy Community Leaders Need to Understand Networks with Bill Johnston and Dr Lauren VArgasIn the first episode of Season 2 of the Cohere podcast, Bill Johnston and Dr. Lauren Vargas explore the concept of "network" as it relates to online and real-life communities. In the episode they cover: The many definitions of “Network” The technical infrastructure linking people and things The implicit and dynamic connections between people in a group (aka social graph) The activity of actively seeking connections Special places vs special people How a network relates to a community "The difference between a community and a network is that you belong to a community, but a network belongs to you." Zygmund Bauman - as...2021-05-1237 min
Cohere PodcastAnnouncing Season 2 of the Cohere Podcast!We are thrilled to announce Season 2 of the Cohere podcast! I say "we", because I'm joined this season by Dr. Lauren Vargas. Together, we will explore the role networks play in our lives, and the range of disciplines and range of research focused on the emerging field of network science. The reason for the focus on networks? Complex human networks are springing up everywhere, driven in large part by exponential technologies such as AI, automation, and ubiquitous internet. Imagine what will happen when three billion more people come online in the next five years! For organizations, a planet-wide network of...2021-04-1901 minCohere PodcastA Human-Centered Approach to Digital Leadership with Lauren Vargas, PhDToo often the deployment of digital strategies and tools begins humans conforming to technology limitations instead of technology being deployed intentionally in the service of human needs and opportunities - a human-centered approach. Dr. Lauren Vargas joins me on the Cohere podcast to discuss bringing humans back into the center of the "digital transformation" conversation and provides the CALM framework and specific examples for leaders to draw from. Lauren is particularly well suited to give guidance here, as she is one of the most experienced and widely practiced digital strategists I know. She's had an impressive range of experiences in...2020-04-2931 min