What is Conscious Futures Collaborative?

What futures have we yet to imagine? And what might it look like to design it with care?

Conscious Futures Collaborative (CFC) is an independent studio led by Kate Barranco. Born from years of work at the intersections of imagination, systems change, and care, CFC exists to design pathways toward futures that are both more just and more human.

Cliff Notes of CFC

  • Rooted in Consciousness: Transformation begins with awareness — of history, of relationships, of belonging.

    Imagination at Work: We bring care into strategy and imagination into systems work. Our approach helps people and organizations move through complexity with clarity and creativity.

    We believe in imagining futures with conscious care and intentionality — where attention and intention join to become imagination. This is imagination practiced with empathy, grounded in history, and open to possibility.

  • Our work has spanned (but is not limited to):

    • Research, Insight Development, & Analysis

    • Organizational Strategy

    • Narrative Strategy

    • Participatory Design

    • Curriculum Development

    • Foresight Practices

    Sometimes that looks like designing frameworks for intergenerational dialogue. Sometimes it’s co-creating tools with community partners. Other times it’s helping organizations reimagine their role in systems change.

  • CFC is grounded in Kate Barranco’s independent practice, but it is also an evolving space. We partner with organizations, artists, and change agents across disciplines and geographies — always relationally, always with curiosity.

  • At its heart, CFC is about expanding what feels possible. We don’t just generate ideas — we co-create pathways, frameworks, and strategies that help people and organizations act with clarity and imagination.

    We hold space for questions that spark new perspectives, and we translate those insights into grounded practices and actionable change.