Open Future Lab

Join our workshop at European Forum Alpbach : “Befriending Our Future Selves: From Imagination to Action.”

We invite you to rethink #FinancialWellbeing as something not just personal, but shared and shaped by the people, relationships, and systems around us 👉 www.alpbach.org/sessions/bef...

If we want to support financial well-being in a meaningful way, we need to stop expecting people to speak finance and start learning how to speak human.

🎥 Watch the full presentation of the research project 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, which laid the foundation for Open Future Lab: www.youtube.com/live/bwi6g-h...

💡 What connects us to a future where #FinancialWellbeing is something we care for together? At Open Future Lab, we believe this starts with how we work in the present. Co-creation helps us shape futures and ideas with and for people, grounded in today’s realities and mindful of #FutureGenerations.

Report: Beyond Money – Exploring Financial Well-Being through a Human Lens - ERSTE Foundation ERSTE Foundation, Erste Group and the University of Tartu decided to change perspective to explore financial well-being through a human lens.

This is how we create lasting value for society—by understanding what matters to people. The full publication, based in part on 630 interviews, along with other other representative samples is now available here: www.erstestiftung.org/en/publicati...

Česká spořitelna, Oesterreichische Nationalbank

Insights shared by @pellosky.bsky.social, Adele Atkinson, Leonore Riitsalu, Boris Marte, Dana Brandenburg, Mihkel Solvak, Monika Hruba and Petia Niederländer.

@erstefstiftun.org, @erstegroup.bsky.social and University of Tartu's collaboration is proof of the strength of cross-sectoral cooperation.

This research laid the foundation for Open Future Lab, where we turn #design and #research into actionable insights for better financial lives At the event, our installation invited the public to step inside our mindset—to experience how we think, design, and collaborate.

To uncover the deeper drivers behind how people take financial decisions, the study emphasised the importance of looking beyond money and institutional frameworks.

📸 © ERSTE Stiftung / Valerie Maltseva

As a cornerstone in understanding #FinancialWellBeing, the study examined what it truly means to individuals and how it interrelates with broader well-being.

Rather than relying solely on numbers and data, it sought to understand #financial life through the eyes of real people.

We were delighted to celebrate the closing chapter of the three-year transdisciplinary study '𝐵𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦: 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙-𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑎 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑠' — the largest qualitative study ever done on #FinancialWellbeing.

Our research shows early parenthood can spark long-term thinking, but many parents lack guidance and tools to act on it.

That’s why we believe meaningful change is rarely achieved alone. We focus on collaboratively designing ideas that address practical and emotional realities of families.

A key focus of our current research is parenthood, a life stage full of both hope and pressure. Whether single, co-parenting, blended, LGBTQ+, or multi-generational, all families share a common need for 🔭 long-term financial wellbeing.

These elements contribute to our Lab's Flywheel — a continuous cycle 🔄 of research, design, and partnerships that builds momentum for systemic change. It helps us prepare for multiple scenarios and take tangible steps toward more sustainable and equitable outcomes.

We believe supporting individuals, communities, and organisations to adopt a forward-looking mindset builds a better future.

→ Conducting people-first, evidence-based research
→ Collaboratively designing concepts and prototypes
→ Using creativity to make complex ideas more accessible

Financial well-being is more than just numbers to us. It’s about feeling secure, the freedom to choose, and enjoying life.

Download: www.openfuturelab.org/project/navi...

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Are you 45 or older? Join our interactive workshop 'Connect with your future self' and help in our research on how the #Future 🔭 might look like.

📍ERSTE Foundation, Vienna

🔗 Limited spots. Sign up now: buff.ly/uvxqT89

#FutureSelf #FutureLab #LongtermThinking

Shifting parental stress to long-term stability requires collaboration. Financial institutions, policymakers, health services, creative industries, and innovators must design solutions helping parents think and act long-term.

🔗 Read the full report: www.openfuturelab.org/project/navi...

→ Bloom: A digital companion navigating parenthood complexities with interactive planning tools and personalized guidance
→ Blossom: A conversation starter transforming money talks into engaging, meaningful family experiences

The opportunity? Parents are uniquely motivated to secure their child's future but lack trustworthy guidance and tailored tools that reflect their reality. We've developed evidence-based concepts to bridge this gap.

Whether single, co-parenting, blended, LGBTQ+, or multigenerational families, all parents face a universal challenge: short-term financial pressures overshadow long-term security—like building a foundation while constantly patching the roof.

Our research with 146 participants across 8 European countries revealed a critical paradox: Early parenthood creates the strongest motivation for long-term financial planning precisely when parents have the least capacity to act on it.

Download: www.openfuturelab.org/project/navi...

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🔗 Limited spots available! Sign up via buff.ly/p9hbG3a now to reserve your place and begin your journey toward a more thoughtful, sustainable future.

👉 buff.ly/p9hbG3a

#openfuturelab #futureself #workshops #personalgrowth #sustainability #longtermthinking

💬 Our previous participants found the experience deeply inspiring and recognised the value of connecting with their future selves.

Whether you're a dreamer, a planner, or simply curious, this experience offers tangible ways to explore and shape your future.

🎁 As a heartfelt thank-you, you will receive a 50€ voucher from Thalia bookstore! 📚✨ Perfect for picking up your next favorite read, inspiring journal, or anything that sparks your curiosity! 🌟

🍪☕ Bonus: We’ve got you covered with free snacks, coffee, tea, & water to keep you fueled and refreshed

💌 Why Join?
This interactive workshop invites participants to:

🎭 Visualise your future through creative ways

💌 Connect with your future selves, reflecting on aspirations and choices

💡 Brainstorm actionable steps and tools to stay connected with your long-term goals

✨ We’re looking for workshop participants! ✨

Theme: Connect with Your Future Self!

📅 Date: Thu 20.03.2025, 9:00-13:00h

🎯 Target Audience: Individuals aged 45+

📍 Location: ERSTE Foundation, Am Belvedere 1, 1100 Vienna

We’re inviting couples to participate, and as a thank-you for your time, you will each receive a €50 Amazon voucher.

📧 Interested? Please contact Andrea at andrea.colovic@openfuturelab.org to secure your spot or for more information.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you! 😊

📍 Location: Erste Campus, Vienna

📅 Dates: February 20th or 21st at 17:00 CET (please select your preferred date)

If you're interested in participating but can't make it, feel free to reach out, and we may be able to accommodate individual date preferences. 👫

We are currently developing a conversation-starter tool called BLOSSOM designed for parents and new parents, and we would greatly value your feedback to refine and improve our ideas.

🗓 What’s Involved: In-Person BLOSSOM, a conversation-starter tool Testing (60-90 minutes)

🎴Calling All New Parents and Parents-to-Be! 🎴

We are conducting research to better enhance the well-being of parents-to-be and new parents (with children up to 4 years old).

🔗 Limited spots available! Sign up via https://buff.ly/3WPuwQh now to reserve your place and begin your journey toward a more thoughtful, sustainable future.

👉 https://buff.ly/3WPuwQh

#openfuturelab #futureself #workshops #personalgrowth #sustainability #longtermthinking