Leveraging Future Festival NYC Insights

You’ve just spent two days immersed in new ideas — hearing from executives at General Motors and Yum! Brands, participating in workshops that challenged long-held assumptions about innovation, and filling your notebook with insights worth exploring further.

Now comes the difficult part: translating that inspiration into meaningful change.

The difference between leaders who make an impact and those who return to the status quo isn’t a perfect strategy. It’s the ability to ask the right questions.

1. What’s the one trend that could make our current approach irrelevant?

Stop trying to tackle everything. Choose the single insight that made your stomach drop or your pulse quicken. That visceral reaction? It’s telling you something important. Build your next 90 days around understanding it.

2. What’s the smallest AI experiment we could run tomorrow?

Forget the grand transformation. What could you test this week with existing resources? Sometimes the most powerful changes start with the tiniest shifts.

3. Which sacred belief about our customers just got shattered?

The best insights hurt a little. They force you to admit you’ve been wrong. Find that uncomfortable truth and lean into it. Your competitors probably believe the same lie you used to.

4. Who did I connect with that I actually want to work with?

Networking events are filled with business card exchanges. Real relationships are rare. Pick two people whose thinking genuinely excited you and figure out how to stay connected.

5. If we could only change one thing, what would unlock everything else?

Resources are finite. Energy is precious. What’s the single lever that moves all the others? That’s where you start.

The real test isn’t what you learned — it’s what you’re willing to do with it.

For those looking to continue the conversation, the Future Festival Toronto World Summit returns September 23–25, offering another opportunity to explore new ideas and approaches to innovation.