I am a professional futurist who lives in Sacramento, CA with my wife, beagle, turtle, and baby boy that is trending towards human.
I love to use futures thinking tools, techniques, and methodologies to ask provoking questions that explore and make tangible the possible, probable and potential futures and the underlying myths and narratives around them. I joke that I am a professional 3-year old: I ask “why?” and “why not?” a lot.
Envisioning to enact change has always been my favorite part of my work. The concept is now the basis for this project I’m calling The Full-Time Dreamer Project.
Other things about me
As a writer, I have been featured in Slackjaw. I used to write and produce non-partisan political cartoons for SeePolitical, and actively write humor, futures, and poetry. I studied satire writing with The Second City in Chicago and improv with Monkey Butler in Los Angeles.
I am not the other Michael Valania that was once the Penn State Football Mascot (Help me claim the top Google spot from him!).
I hold a Bachelor in Business Administration from Georgia State University, where I also DJ’d at WRAS 88.5 FM and I began to scratch my itch to interview people and discover the future of music. I also decided a Master in Public Policy from the USC Price School of Public Policy was a good idea to further scratch my itch to challenge the future in a multi-disciplinary context.
I am a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, Popular Culture Association, Brewers Association, and on the leadership of Metro EDGE, the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals group.
I love to travel and have been to all 50 US States and 15 countries. I am into food and beverage and have been made fun of for my ridiculous descriptions while wine tasting. I am likely fermenting something to drink or eat right now. I am an avid gardener with an uncanny ability to grow tropical fruits in a non-tropical climate. I hate wearing shoes.
The Full-Time Dreamer Project 