Rike Pätzold (born 1982) is passionately concerned with the topics of uncertainty and complexity and prefers to think about the future. Born in Munich, she shows others how to create security in uncertainty. She writes, speaks and coaches. As a blue-water sailor, she has just crossed the Atlantic with her family for the second time and is currently living in Munich again. Rike has an academic background in Sinology, Japanese Studies and Philosophy of Language and is just starting her PhD in Philosophy.

She likes to read (and watch) science fiction, speculative fiction and magic realism. Her latest project is about the role storytelling plays in shaping the future and how it can be used in politics, organisations and for the individual: navigatebyfiction.com.

What drives you, Rike?

I want people to come into the common creation. Away from fear of the future and control mania, towards openness of results, creativity and community. If anything can happen, anything can happen – and that’s not only bad, but actually quite good! But for this, you need tolerance for uncertainty, the ability to keep uncertainty (out). And cooperation – because it can’t happen alone.

We are all earthy among earthy. (Bruno Latour)

That’s what it’s all about for me. Everything is connected to everything. The future is not set in stone, and every change, every action influences what happens and will happen. The future is always the next moment. I’m a firm believer in cooperation and design, that’s what I’m going for. For that and for people to ask themselves the question again: “How do we want to live? The current crisis is an opportunity to seriously (but also playfully) deal with this question again. What can go away, what should stay? A door has now opened – we should use this opportunity before it closes again.