What happens when you stop accepting the rules you’ve been handed and start redesigning the game itself?

Cassidy Lichtman is a former U.S. National Team volleyball player, gender equity advocate, and the leader of professional volleyball at Athletes Unlimited. In this episode, Cassidy and Lisa explore what it takes to build futures that don’t yet exist, even when the system seems rigid.

Cassidy shares the story of reimagining professional women’s sports in the U.S. What if athletes were centered as partners, not commodities? She breaks down how Athletes Unlimited is building leagues differently and why those choices matter far beyond sports.

The conversation also dives into moments of decision-making in complicated moments, including how Athletes Unlimited responded when its values were tested, and how constraints, frustration, and “this doesn’t make sense” moments can become catalysts for systemic change. Cassidy models what it looks like to question “used futures” and create something better.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How to spot systems that feel “off” and start redesigning them
• How values can show up in business models
• Why women’s sports offer a powerful blueprint for future-facing leadership

This episode is a masterclass in agency, imagination, and long-term thinking—and a reminder that if a future doesn’t exist yet, maybe it’s yours to build.

Links from the episode:

• Athletes Unlimited
• Lisa interviews Cassidy about Athletes Unlimited
• VIdeo Recap: Look at this Thing We’ve Built
• The P/ ath
• Cassidy Lichtman’s TED Talk, “The Power of My Voice”

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com

How can you use your opportunities to benefit everyone?

In this episode of How We Future, Lisa talks with Chase Griffin, former quarterback at UCLA, 2x NIL Male Athlete of the Year, and a leading voice in the evolution of college athletics.

Chase shares how he learned to navigate moments of change—from NIL to civic engagement—by centering and designing for collective value. Together, they explore how leadership can happen from inside systems you didn’t create, and how athletes (and non-athletes alike) can turn personal opportunity into shared impact.

This conversation is a course on turning influence into impact, and “me” into “we.”

In this episode, we explore:

• Lessons from being early in the NIL era—and why preparation mattered more than luck
• How to structure partnerships that create real community benefit
• Why athlete voices are often missing from conversations about college sports and Chase is changing that

This week, maybe reflect on where in your own life you can redesign success so it benefits more than just you.

If this episode resonated with you, leave a comment or review and share it with someone who’s navigating change—or creating it—from the inside.

Links from the Episode:

• The Athletes Bureau (TAB) — Chase's newsletter by athletes, for athletes
• The Team — the civic engagement organization Chase partnered with during the 2020 election
• Find Chase on LinkedIn and Instagram
• Learn about NIL (Name, Image, Likeness)

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com

Communication anxiety is real. It’s time to start practicing.

This episode of How We Future, features Matt Abrahams, Stanford lecturer and host of the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast. Lisa and Matt explore how effective communication is a learnable skill and why we’re rarely taught how to practice it.

Matt shares the frameworks he teaches to every incoming Stanford MBA to help them speak more confidently in spontaneous, high-stakes moments. From managing anxiety to the importance of clarifying your intentions, the episode focuses on practical tools for showing up with clarity, presence, and purpose when the pressure is on.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• The mindsets and methods of effective communications
• Simple ways to practice spontaneous speaking before the stakes are high
• How to structure answers so people actually remember what you say
• Why listening and pausing are powerful leadership tools

Communication is about connection. It will never be perfect, but like all skills, it gets better with practice.

Please rate and leave a comment, we’d really love to hear from you!

Links from the episode:

• Matt’s website

• Matt’s Podcast: Think Fast, Talk Smart
• Matt’s Book: Think Faster, Talk Smarter

Follow How We Future:

• Lisa Kay Solomon on LinkedIn
• @lisakaysolomon on Instagram
• @howwefuture on TikTok
• howwefuture.substack.com

Want to contact us? Email hello@howwefuture.com