From Vision to Reality: The Art of Futuring | Annette Diggs | TEDxBellevueWomen

Annette illustrates how limited resources and challenging circumstances shaped her early life and perspective. Through the lens of her experience—where imagination was stifled by lack of exposure—the concept of "futuring" is introduced as the missing piece that empowers individuals to envision new possibilities. The narrative emphasizes that futuring is not just about dreaming, but about actively designing and pursuing a path toward a better reality. By learning to future, anyone can transform hopes into concrete steps, making their own vision achievable and attainable. Annette Diggs is a scientist, certified ski instructor, mountaineer, and humanitarian whose work lives at the intersection of equity, adventure, and transformation. She is the founder of EDGE Outdoors, a Black woman-led organization redefining who belongs in mountain spaces by creating pathways for Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color to access snow sports, outdoor leadership, and wellness. Annette’s early life was shaped by invisible boundaries and systemic barriers—and rare moments of access that shattered them. These experiences seeded her unwavering belief that exposure is a catalyst for change. Annette is a 2024–2025 WISE Seattle Woman of Inspiration and serves on Ski California DEI Task Force, Snowsports Industries America’s Inclusion Committee, and USHPA Women’s Committee. With over a decade of experience uplifting marginalized communities and leading humanitarian work in Cuba and Tanzania, she is reshaping the narrative of who leads, who belongs, and who thrives in the wild. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx