Roadtrip Nation: Future WestRoadtrip Nation: Future West
Roadtrip Nation: Future West
Roadtrip Nation: Future West
Innovation: it’s a vague buzzword that’s almost always used to describe an invention straight out of a Sci-Fi movie. But Future West, Roadtrip Nation’s latest film exploring the meaning of modern innovation, doesn’t take place in the futuristic, skyscraper-lined metropolises where we tend to envision breakthroughs happening. Instead, the film starts by panning over a totally different kind of sky-piercing structure: the jutting, red rocks of Arizona. It’s a place more synonymous with the Old West than the future, but we quickly see a unique dichotomy: nestled amidst Arizona’s millions-of-years-old geography, a modern future is being built. And it’s not just about tech. In fields as varied as medicine, journalism, and history, Arizonans are harnessing the pioneering spirit the West is known for to push Arizona—and the world—into the future.
Future West takes a look at the what’s next for Arizona—and society at large—through the eyes of the people who will shape it: three young college students. Anna, Jonathan, and Shandiin are like most young people. They want to live in place that’s on the cutting edge, bustling with culture, and glued together by a strong sense of community. States like New York and California are the ones we conventionally think of as hubs of innovation, but how what does Arizona have to offer? Determined to see how the state measures up, the three roadtrippers take a road trip across Arizona to find out what’s in store.
Jonathan is studying chemical engineering, but finds himself increasingly drawn to computer science. He knows there’s a growing STEM scene in Arizona, and he wants to explore it. 18-year-old Shandiin is a Native American youth advocate who wants to take on issues faced by her community. She thinks journalism might be the way to do it, but she wants to see how the industry is faring in the face of digital dominance. Anna is a history buff. She knows history isn’t often thought of as innovative, so she wants to connect people to the past in new ways that make history feel of-the-moment.
As the team travels from forgotten old West towns being made new again, to bustling global technology centers like GoDaddy in Tempe, they meet Arizonans who aren’t just adapting to the future, but shaping it. Jim Cantrell, founder of space technology company Vector, shows the roadtrippers that even though getting to space used to require big bucks, now even small companies can get there. He and his team are launching low-cost satellites into orbit from local country roads, making space more accessible than ever. Then there’s the innovation happening in fields you wouldn’t expect. From Local First Arizona Director and Founder Kimber Lanning—whose advocacy of local business is generating a cultural renaissance across the state—to Tom Arviso, Jr., CEO of the Navajo Times Publishing Company, who’s using modern media to engage a new generation of Native Americans, Arizonans in every sector are harnessing innovation to make the state a dynamic place to both live and visit.
The definition of innovation as the ability to embrace change is echoed throughout the film’s journey. Bob Schoose, whose revival of an abandoned ghost town is making history come alive, tells the road-trippers: “You measure a person’s strength by their ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. Adaptation is innovation.” With a new appreciation for Arizona’s opportunities, the road-trippers realize that innovation isn’t relegated to one place or one industry—the future can be built by anyone, anywhere.
(from the left)
ANNA MACKEY
Age 19
From Phoenix, AZ
For Anna, innovation is all about figuring out how to get somewhere by a different path. As a kid, traveling with her dad to Arizona’s forgotten towns, she’d step into a whole different world shaped by the stories of the people who lived there. Those adventures helped reveal her love of history. But it’s not just observing that Anna is interested in, it’s listening—people want to be heard, she says. She wants to create space for that human connection to history, whether as a documentarian, or something else. But taking a different path also means taking a risk. That’s why she’s seeking advice from trailblazers who pushed their fear of failure aside, so she can gain the confidence to do the same.
JONATHAN REISS
Age 19
From Nashville, TN
Jonathan didn’t grow up here, but when it came time to choose a college, Arizona just felt right. Coming here didn’t change me, he says, it helped me realize the person I was destined to become. The freedom of a new, wide-open place helped him focus on what makes him happy. A self-described nerd, he’s always on the hunt for new ideas. He’s studying chemical engineering, but plans to take those problem-solving skills into web development, music, and more. The only thing holding him back is wanting to do too much. He’s inspired by the way people here make things happen. He wants to be like that—not over-thinking details or getting paralyzed by possibilities—just boldly putting your ideas out there.
SHANDIIN GORMAN
Age 18
From Mesa, AZ
Shandiin is looking to the future. She wants to find what it holds for journalism, and for the Navajo Nation, where she grew up. Her future, ideally, will combine both. As a Native American youth advocate, coming together with other young people to take on issues faced by her community, she’s found support and inspiration. It’s opened her eyes to those who have overcome challenges like the ones she faces, and those stories push her to keep going. Coming from a single parent home, she’s shouldered a lot of responsibility—working two jobs while in school (and still making honors!). But she’s on this trip to find what you don’t get in school; the things you only realize by experiencing them.
Featured Leaders:
Jim Cantrell
Kimber Lanning
Bob Schoose
Chris Matthieu
Trudy Curley
Tom Arviso, Jr.
Jason Field
Auguste Goldman
Roadtrip Nation Future West is made Possible by: Arizona State University
Media Contact:
Loureen Ayyoub, loureen@roadtripnation.com
Christina Reagan, creagan@kqed.org
Funding for Roadtrip Nation: One Step Closer is made possible by: ECMC Foundation
Websites and Social Media
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Education Site: roadtripnation.org
Twitter: twitter.com/RoadtripNation
Facebook: facebook.com/RoadtripNation
YouTube: youtube.com/roadtripnation
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American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies. America’s Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, AfroPoP, Rick Steves’ Europe, Chris Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, A Place to Call Home, Lidia’s Kitchen, Globe Trekker, New Orleans Cooking with Kevin Belton, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television.
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KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most-listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places, and ideas.