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Dr. Gigi Johnson | Inspiring Futurist, Educator, Founder of Rethink Next

Futurist. Educator. Creative technologist. Systems thinker.

Dr. Gigi Johnson, futurist and educator at Rethink Next

Dr. Gigi Johnson helps people and organizations explore how we live, work, create, and imagine in an AI-enmeshed, rapidly changing world.

As founder of Rethink Next, Gigi leads programs like FuturesJam, Discovery Salons, Future Detectives, and GoldKey Archives — blending futures thinking, narrative exploration, and playful collaboration to help individuals, teams, and communities navigate what comes next.

A Journey Across Industries and Ideas

At the Maremel Institute, now named Rethink Next, Gigi designing programs on the futures of media, creativity, and community systems. She co-created global initiatives like Amplify Music, a 25-hour virtual summit amplifying local music communities’ resilience through the pandemic.

For over 20 years, Gigi shaped futures-focused learning at UCLA, where she founded and ran the Center for Music Innovation, taught music industry transformation and marketing at the Herb Alpert School of Music, and led digital media programs at UCLA Anderson. Her teaching and speaking took her worldwide — from Spain to Abu Dhabi — working with executives, creatives, students, and civic leaders.

Earlier, Gigi built a career bridging finance, media, and technology:

  • As SVP/Managing Director at Bank of America, she financed M&A for major entertainment, media, and telecom companies, identifying and funding mergers and risks in early cellular and radio, while steering risks in the transforming radio, theater, cable, and independent film businesses.

  • As SVP at Studio 4 Networks, she helped manage early video-on-demand channels.

  • She’s advised nonprofits, startups, and global companies on strategy, innovation, and transformation.

 

Creative & Collaborative Work

Beyond her corporate and academic work, Gigi has:

  • Produced and hosted podcasts, web series, kids’ concerts, and online courses

  • Released original music

  • Organized thought-leadership events across sectors and continents

Education

  • Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Change (Fielding Graduate University) — media, organizational change, technologies

  • MBA in Finance and Accounting (UCLA Anderson)

  • BA in Cinema-Television Production (University of Southern California)

Why She Does This Work

Gigi Johnson’s work matters now more than ever. In a time of accelerating AI, social disruption, and cultural change, her mission is to help people and organizations build agency, resilience, and creative power. She believes we are all futurists — and we all deserve the tools to rethink what’s possible.

At the heart of everything Gigi does is this belief:

We all carry futures within us — and by making those visible, playful, and collective, we can shape better paths forward.

Speaking Highlights

Gigi Johnson has spoken at global tech, creative, academic, and public sector events on the intersections of AI, creativity, systems design, and the futures of work and culture. Whether moderating panels or leading keynotes, she brings insight, humor, and deep cross-sector experience.

Selected speaking engagements and workshops include:

Global Conferences & Summits

  • SXSW (multiple years: Music, Interactive, EDU)
  • Web Summit
  • Collision Conference
  • EPIC International SUmmit
  • Amplify Music Conference (Founder + Host, global virtual summits)
  • Augmented World Expo (AWE)

Academic & Research Events

  • Academy of Management
  • UC CyberSecurity Summit
  • UCLA Mobile Experience Conference
  • UCLA Anderson School of Management (Executive programs, MBAs, alumni)

Policy & Public Sector Engagements

  • U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

  • Public music and digital inclusion initiatives (Library systems, cities, education)

Creative & Industry Gatherings

  • Music Biz Conference
  • NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers)
  • Digital Hollywood
  • Transforming Hollywood

    Podcasting & Media

    In addition to speaking on global stages, Gigi has created and hosted three podcasts focused on innovation, creative futures, and rethinking how we work and live. Through hundreds of interviews and episodes, she has explored how individuals and industries navigate rapid change — from media and music to civic resilience and creative leadership.

    Her podcasting experience includes:

    • Amplify Music Conversations — exploring the future of local music ecosystems

    • Innovating Music — interviews with global innovators reshaping music and media

    • Creative Innovators — personal stories of people building bold creative careers

    Gigi also appears as a guest on other podcasts and media channels, offering insights on AI, creative futures, and cultural transformation. She has been interviewed on BBC, NPR Marketplace and Morning Edition, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Variety, Business Week, Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Reuters, and Le Monde.

    Connect with Gigi

    If you’d like to invite Gigi Johnson to speak or collaborate, visit the Contact Page.
    If you are a reporter on deadline, DM through LinkedIn or Instagram to get a hold of Dr. Johnson sooner.

    Connect with Gigi on LinkedIn or follow her insights on Instagram.