Introducing the newest Futerran: Jaya Adapa

At Futerra, we’re obsessed with making the Anthropocene awesome. We want to see the world we live in become healthier, safer, happier and fairer.

It’s a massive mission – deliberately so. It’s one that depends as much on actioning science, technology and other hands-on solutions, as it does on something less tangible: culture.

We have always believed that fixing the climate crisis will only happen when doing so becomes so desirable, it’s normal. Media and culture plays a crucial role in this. What we watch, read and scroll past every day is shaping how we, as a society, think. Our collective attitude to the world’s biggest problems will shape how we respond to them.

Given our firm beliefs in the power of media, it was high time we brought someone into the team who could bring a laser sharp focus and a depth of experience to our thinking and work around culture and media. We are so excited to announce that that person is Jaya Adapa – our new Senior Vice President of Media and Content.

Speaking from her chicly decorated home in San Francisco, she told us a bit about her experiences of the power of media, its role in sustainability, and what excites her most about how it’s changing.

So, you’ve just joined us at Futerra! What is your job role here, and what drew you to it?

I've spent most of my career in media and entertainment – at Sony, Google and Youtube – and a lot of that time at the intersection of social impact and media. Media really influences what we care about, what we think about, and what we prioritise as a society.

Essentially, my job is to help organisations to curate better stories with the help of content creators.

And the role at Futerra is unique because of the organisation’s purpose driven culture. Futerra has many powerful clients and the ability to influence culture in varying ways. I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with creators and influencers across different media types who can influence action on the climate crisis and other social impact topics.

We’re big believers in the power of media and culture to shape the future. Could you say a bit about your views on this?

We often don’t realise how much we can be influenced by what we consume online, in television, radio or print. When we do, we often think only about the negative influence.

In fact, positive social change through modelled behaviours is just as powerful and we need to harness that power to address some of the biggest challenges.

Media has shaped society for longer than we realise. For hundreds of years it's been how people got information, it's how people connected. But most importantly, over the last 70 years or so, it's been a visual storytelling vehicle. Today, there are various ways to tell stories across all types of media. It's incredibly powerful.

I think a lot of people think that storytelling is about communicating numbers and understanding the size of the problems we face, but it truly is about connection on a human level. Take the TV show ‘Will and Grace’. As a lot of cultural anthropologists have pointed out, that show helped to shift the public opinion on LGBTQ+ issues – largely because it showed regular people who happened to be gay. It normalised something that people thought was on the fringe, and the show served as a catalyst for rapid cultural change.

Are there any experiences you have had that have influenced your views on the power of media?

My family immigrated to the US many years ago, and for a long time my mother watched daytime soap operas – she always said that’s how she learned about America. At a young age that made me see the power that the media really has. Even something that seems frivolous really made her feel connected to this culture because it was relatable on a human level. All of us can understand certain themes like love, moral conflict, tragedy, and hope.

What impact do you hope to have through your work on creative campaigns at Futerra?

I want to get more people talking about both the climate crisis and other issues that are impacting the world. There are existential issues facing the world, but conversation about it needs to be normalized.I really hope that I'm able to cultivate a community of creators who are out there with really powerful voices, but don't always know what to do with that power. Success for me is helping people find their voice and nudging that towards positive social outcomes.

I see myself as a creator evangelist. Something that I learned over the last several years is that creators have incredible power, humility and talent – a talent that is really undervalued in society.

What are you most excited about in today’s media – where do you see the most potential for positive influence and change?

Most people don't think about influencers or creators as powerful voices on social impact topics. Many think of them as people who are doing relatively commercial activities, selling products and tutorials, entertaining and things like that. But I think of creators as a wide swath of small business owners – they are not employed by any platforms per se. They've essentially created an economy, that we call the creator economy. This creator economy supports tens of thousands of jobs and represents hundreds of millions of advertising dollars, and has sparked dozens of creator-centric startups.

Many creators recognise the tremendous amount of influence and trust they have earned and want to shine a light on causes they are passionate about. We’ve seen creators raise millions of dollars for a spectrum of causes, and tell the stories of people without the resources to do so themselves. The opportunities are endless, and I’m so excited to get started.

Follow Jaya on LinkedIn and Twitter.