About Kate Barranco

Hi, I’m Kate. At my core, I’m curious about how we make meaning together — and how we can design futures that feel more humane, connected, and alive with possibility. My work often sits at the intersection of imagination, healing, and systems transformation.

I’ve worn many hats: narrative strategist, researcher, designer, and sometimes a “futurist-in-training.” Across each of these roles, what ties everything together is a belief in the power of storytelling and imagination, participatory design, and intergenerational dialogue to help us navigate complexity and reimagine what’s possible.

I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with organizations and initiatives across youth mental health, ecological belonging, and social impact leadership. Along the way, I’ve co-authored publications on intergenerational trauma, ecological belonging, and social change — all grounded in a commitment to care and relational ways of working.

Conscious Futures Collaborative (CFC) is the natural evolution of this journey. It’s the studio I founded to bring together imagination and practice — a space to create tools, frameworks, and spaces that help us sense, design, and build futures rooted in belonging, care, and collective agency. CFC is both an anchor for what I’ve done and an opening for what comes next.

Outside of projects, I come alive in movement, music, and discovery. Boxing gives me a rhythm of focus and release, music fuels my creativity, and solo travel opens me to wonder and perspective. I feel most at home when I’m exploring new places, finding unexpected connections, and leaning into moments that spark both joy and curiosity.