As storytellers, we have a great privilege and responsibility to share stories that are meaningful and that take us closer to a shared vision of the world we wish to live in. What futures are we imagining individually and collectively and what stories help us arrive there? How can storytelling be a conduit for healing, land/water protection, and regeneration? The 2022 Future of Storytelling Summit brought storytellers and change-makers from around the world together to explore these questions.

This curated, virtual event was held on Sunday, March 27 and featured visionaries at the forefront of storytelling including Shayla Oulette Stonechild, Tomàs Karmelo Amaya, Ami Vitale, Josué Rivas, Larissa Crawford, and many others.

Together, nearly 200 participants across the globe - including the United States, Canada, South and Meso-America, Africa, Europe, Polynesia and Asia—imagined the world we wish to live in. We had conversations that broadened our minds, shared solutions that are worth turning our attention to and offered tools to amplify impact.

This collective sharing of discussions and creativity was made possible by our title sponsors, Adobe and Adobe Lightroom.

As a result of the Summit PWB:

Created a unique space for our global community to gather and share ideas.
Raised over $5000 to support scholarships for equity-seeking storytellers to access training and paid assignments. All funds raised will go to support the creation of storytelling grants and scholarships for BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, Disabled, and Youth community members to enable accessibility.
Hosted 19 storytellers to share knowledge in 9 panels, workshops and discussions.
Was open to 1000+ members.
Announced 5 Revolutionary Storyteller Grantees.
Provided paid work to over 15 people.
Provided exclusive giveaways:
- Two PWB Prize Packs, including a spot in one Storytelling School Online Workshop, One Year Free PWB Membership .
- 3 all-access Adobe Creative Cloud Subscriptions for a year.

Speakers from the panels and discussions included:

Healing Through Stories

Tomás Karmelo Amaya

Tomás, born of the Ashiwi, Rarámuri, and Yoeme tribes, is a creative director, film director, writer, visual artist, Indigenous Futurist, and wellness educator born, raised, and currently based in the traditional homelands of the O’odham in Phoenix, AZ. His work focuses on creating opportunities for healing by embracing Indigenous teachings and knowledge systems in his expressions and collaborations.

Future Ancestors

Larissa Crawford

Larissa is a restorative circle keeper, published Indigenous and anti-racism researcher, award-winning ribbon skirt artist, and proudly passes on Métis and Jamaican ancestry to her daughter, Zyra. She is the Founder of Future Ancestors Services, a youth-led professional services social enterprise that advances equity and climate justice through lenses of ancestral accountability and anti-racism.

Black Women Photographers on the Future of Storytelling

Sianeh A. Kpukuyou, Brittany Franklin & Polly Irungu

Sianeh is a young Liberian Ivorian photographer, creative storyteller and creative director based in Accra, Ghana. She is a multi-talented creative, who uses her talents to celebrate her African roots through visuals.

Brittany is a socially driven Director, Photographer and Producer based in New York with a diverse arts background in theatre and film. Brittany experienced hearing loss as a vocal major in HS and has since used filmmaking and storytelling to advocate for social equity for disabled women in film.

Polly is a multimedia journalist and the founder of Black Women Photographers, a global community and directory of 1,000+ Black photographers: https://blackwomenphotographers.com/.

Gathering Imaginings

Kiran Rai, Erin Sullivan & Dani Khan Da Silva

Kiran, also known by her creator name KayRay, is an actor and creative director based out of Toronto.

From bridging the gap between children of immigrants and their parents to bringing light on dating violence to combating the stigma of mental health and sexual harassment - she has been able to create meaningful dialogue through her work.

Erin is a photographer with a deep love for nature, imagination, travel, and meaningful stories from all over the world. She believes that powerful images can change us, and make the world a more connected place.

Dani is a queer South-Asian/Portuguese woman residing in Northern Ontario, Canada where she enjoys life in the forest on the mighty Magnetewan River. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Photographers Without Borders, a non-profit organization that supports grassroots community initiatives with storytelling media.

The Healing Power of Collaborative Portraiture

Josué Rivas

Josué is an Indigenous Futurist, creative director, visual storyteller and educator working at the intersection of art, technology, journalism, and decolonization. His work aims to challenge the mainstream narrative about Indigenous peoples, co-create with the community, and serve as a vehicle for collective healing.

Becoming the New People

Felipe Duarte

Felipe is Muisca Indigenous of the land of the Fox and the Nest of the Condor in the Andean Mountains. His efforts are focused on invigorating and reevaluating the wisdom of ancient traditions about body, mind and spirit through arts and ancient-new rituals.

Editing for Impact

Brian Hodges

A seasoned collaborator and worldwide traveller, Brian is a travel and editorial photographer known for capturing authentic moments and images with a powerful connection to place. In love with travel and the lure of the road, he has followed the winds of adventure around the globe and across 60 countries. His award-winning work is featured in such distinguished publications as Conde Nast Traveler, Photo District News, National Geographic Traveler, GEO Magazine, and many others.

Wild Hope

Ami Vitale

Ami is an Ambassador for Nikon, a Photographer and Filmmaker with National Geographic and Executive Officer of Vital Impacts, a non-profit she started that supports artists, storytellers and grassroots organizations working to protect the environment.

Reflections & comments from participants:

“Thank you Blu. Your words always resonate, ground me and inspire me to go a step further on the path of storytelling.” - Anne Houang

“These teachings have been so healing this morning- maarsii Elder Blu.” - Larissa Crawford

“Every gift comes with a responsibility, and if we have the privilege to be part of this beautiful planet and the gift of storytelling we must honor it to help and give back.” - Mariana Rivera-Uribe

“I remain curious regarding distorting images in the editing from an ethical perspective.” - Pamela Robinson

“I love the emphasis of amplifying voices (versus giving voice) and collaborating together instead of competing against one another.” - Talitha Brauer

“I loved the idea that Tomas shared about us creating images in our minds that tell a story that can be healing before we even pick up a camera.” - DeeDee Morris