"What Could Be" by Johanna Hoffman is an installation of 12 possible futures generated through community workshops using science fiction to plan for long-term climate change impacts. The work is based off science fiction prototyping, a kind of speculative futures tool for envisioning, evaluating, and creating potential worlds. 

Johanna Hoffman is an urbanist working in the space between design, planning, fiction, and futures. The Co-Founder and Director of Planning at Design for Adaptation, Hoffman uses strategic planning and speculative design to help communities, cities, and organizations translate future uncertainties into present day choice. She has created adaptation strategies for international companies, led long-term planning for leading academic centers, designed interactive installations of urban futures, and held fellowships at centers such as the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the European Futures Observatory, and the Buckminster Fuller Institute. She holds an MLA from UC Berkeley. She is a 2021 – 2022 fellow at the Berggruen Institute and USC, researching frameworks for using speculative futures to enhance participatory and collaborative capacities in urban planning and policy development.
JohannaHoffman.com

What if MLK framed the success of achieving civil rights as 'we have a problem' instead of 'I have a dream'? Dominant climate narratives focus on problems and apocalyptic futures, while the alternate futures made possible by solutions and action remain largely unexplored. The result? We broadly understand what we're fighting against, but few of us can envision futures worth fighting for. Alternate Futures is harnessing the latest in generative AI to help us visualize the world we can create if we overcome the climate crisis. Join us at Verge to see your Alternate Future come to life.

Rock the Bike is an Oakland-based group of climate advocates who are pushing the limits of bike culture. Through Pedal Powering, they offer a whole new way of connecting with music while employing the cleanest and best source of event power. Witness the world's first long distance musical bike touring cellist, Joey Chang aka "CelloJoe", perform at VERGE by powering his cello with a bike. By beatboxing, throatsinging, singing, plucking and bowing the cello, CelloJoe can mimic many styles of music from dubstep to folk to rock to classical to hip hop. 

Jazz Mafia is an eclectic artist collective of some of the most forward thinking and accomplished players in the fields of Electro, Hip-Hop, World, Classical and of course, Jazz. Jazz Mafia’s director, Adam Theis, has assembled over 100 different live projects over the past 20 years and led/co-led dozens of acclaimed bands.