Join us May 8th for Future Lab, where we will imagine the future of public media.
This first-of-its-kind event brings together industry experts, media professionals, students, and community leaders to rethink the future of publicly supported media in an era of technological disruption and institutional challenges.
We’ll look 15 years ahead to speculate and design new models, policies, and technologies that can sustain public media as essential civic infrastructure for generations to come.
Come be part of the reinvention!
The Challenge: Public media is at a critical inflection point. Traditional funding models, distribution systems, and audience behaviors are shifting, signaling the end of an era.
This is not a time for mourning, but for reinvention. It’s time to ask: What are our core needs for public information in a healthy democracy? And how do we ensure it remains free, trusted, and accessible to everyone?
Andrea Zeller
UX Content Design Leader
Andrea Zeller is a seasoned UX leader with over 20 years experience leading content design in emerging spaces. From leading UX design on Expedia’s first mobile and family-friendly experiences, to content design for VR and AR glasses experiences at Meta, Andrea has become an expert at turning ambiguity into actionable product outcomes. She earned a B.F.A. from NYU in Film and Television and an MA from University of Washington in Digital Media. As a member of the UW Comm Lead Advisory Board, she has been building workshops to help students and alumni lead through ambiguity and leverage futures thinking.
Laura Porto Stockwell
CEO + Chief Strategy Officer, tmrw + tmrw
Laura Porto Stockwell is the founder and Chief Strategy Officer at tmrw + tmrw, a futures consultancy helping clients navigate change and uncover opportunities. With 20+ years of experience, she excels at crafting strategies that merge cultural insights, emerging trends, and data-driven foresight. She’s held executive roles at Razorfish, Publicis, and VML, leading innovation for clients including Microsoft, Lenovo, T-Mobile, and Toyota. Laura holds a master’s in media studies from The New School and a certificate in Futures Studies and Speculative Design from Parsons. Laura is an Affiliate Faculty member in the Comm Lead program.
If you require any accessibility accommodations to participate in this event (e.g., ASL interpretation, captioning, accessible seating), please contact commlead@uw.edu by April 28th. We are committed to making our events accessible to all attendees.
Please contact us if you have any other questions about the event.
University of Washington
Department of Communication