Tessa Cramer
Tessa Cramer (PhD) is a sociologist and futurist. She currently holds the position of Professor of Designing the Future at Fontys University of Applied Sciences. In boardrooms and government halls, Tessa assists leaders in setting thoughtful agendas for the future.
Her mantra? “Things can be done differently, and that takes courage.” Tessa Cramer firmly believes that solving the grand problems of our time requires thinking beyond current systems and mindsets. Each day brings us a new opportunity to see the world from a fresh perspective.
“Now that we are in the middle of this uncomfortable sci-fi scenario, I realize how important imagination is. We blink our eyes and we don’t travel by airplane anymore, we don’t pay attention and all bars and restaurants are closed. Who thought this would be possible at the beginning of this year? No one. This unprecedented situation in which we as a society come to a standstill invites us to reflect. The delay also gives us time to look the discomfort in the eye and ask: what really matters? What can we let go of now that we have the chance, and what can we let grow right now?” (March 31, 2020)
She is part of a new generation of futurists, who use imagination and analytical skills to facilitate in-depth conversation about the future. Her current work is about the importance of the undercurrent, of long-term thinking. In doing so, she relies on the distinction Eisenhouwer made: what is important and what is urgent? Because urgent things are not important and important things are not urgent. Nevertheless, our agendas are often full of urgent tasks, which makes it difficult to keep track of the long term.
In her presentations, Tessa takes you into the mindset of the futurist. She offers her audience specific tools to get started with the future. She does not sketch elusive images of the future, but emphasizes the wisdom of those present, with the aim of broadening their thinking about what is technologically and socially possible.
Tessa was the perfect keynote for our opening session! Her presentation content and delivery was top notch, from the feedback on social media it sounds like the attendees enjoyed her presentation too. Thank you also to Kiki for all the help and support provided before the event. It was a pleasure to work with you.
— Elena Plugaru – Event programme producer, March 2024 (Birmingham)