In reference to her book, The Afrofuturist Evolution, this conversation explores Afrofuturism as an active world-building practice rather than a distant or purely speculative future. Womack reflects on living inside futures once imagined by thinkers like Octavia Butler, the role of imagination in shaping present realities, and how ancient cosmologies, rhythm, and storytelling can inform more humane technological systems.

Who will own the future of gig work? In this month’s episode of Looks Like New, MEDlab Associate Director Júlia Martins speaks with Minsun Ji, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center, about empowering workers to reclaim control over their economic futures. Minsun and her team are pioneering efforts to democratize work ownership, including the launch of Colorado’s first driver-owned ride-share cooperative. Together, they examine the unique challenges of competing in the ride-share market, the innovative strategies behind worker cooperatives, and why these models are essential for building resilient local economies.

Who gets to participate in society—and how do we build systems that serve everyone, not just the privileged few?

In this episode of Looks Like New, MEDLab’s Júlia Martins Rodrigues speaks with Dr. Nicol Turner Lee, a leading expert at the intersection of technology and social justice, about what happens when entire communities are left behind in our rapidly digitizing world. As Director of the Center for Technology Innovation and founder of the AI Equity Lab, Turner Lee has dedicated her work to making AI and internet access more inclusive, ethical, and equitable—from the U.S. to the Global South. We explore insights from her groundbreaking book Digitally Invisible and discuss how we can rethink AI governance to create a more just digital future.