Madison, Wisc., April 14, 2025 –As organizations scramble to assess the impact of the largest tariff increase in decades, a Madison-based economist and professional futurist is stepping forward with practical tools to help organizations navigate the economic uncertainty.
“These tariffs will have short-term and longer-term consequences for businesses, nonprofits, and local governments,” says Rebecca Ryan, economist and CEO of NEXT Generation Consulting in Madison. “We’re seeing the stock market react, but what leaders really need right now is a framework and some perspective for making decisions in highly uncertain times.”
Ryan is partnering with Chicago-area leadership trainer Ty Lewis to expand access to strategic foresight training that helps organizations prepare for multiple economic scenarios rather than betting on a single outcome.
The timing couldn’t be more critical, according to Lewis, who witnessed the benefits of such training firsthand at United Way Quad Cities.
“When markets are this volatile, most leaders either freeze or make reactive decisions they later regret,” Lewis explained during a recent interview. “What’s missing from business education is practical training on how to think systematically about the future. Everyone takes history classes, but almost no one learns foresight.”
The partnership between Lewis and Ryan emerged after Lewis experienced Ryan’s “Think Like a Futurist” executive training, where he saw community leaders transform their approach to planning despite uncertainty.
“As an economist, I’m often asked to predict what’s next for markets or policy,” Ryan noted. “But that’s the wrong question. A better approach is developing the capability to prepare for multiple futures simultaneously—which is exactly what strategic foresight provides.”
Lewis, who later co-facilitated the “Think Like a Futurist” training for both United Way Quad Cities and the American Red Cross, described how organizations using these methods are better positioned during economic disruptions.
“The organizations struggling most with today’s tariff situation are those who never seriously considered this scenario,” Lewis said. “But the leaders who’ve been through foresight training already have contingency plans they can activate, because they’ve methodically considered the alternatives.”
The pair is offering a free introductory workshop on May 8, which will specifically address planning during periods of trade and market volatility. Registration is open at https://bit.ly/3XGj1LK
Ryan’s economic background brings particular weight to the training during this period of market uncertainty. Her firm has worked with over 300 organizations nationwide on long-term planning, with projects impacting approximately one in every 15 Americans.
“We’re not promising to predict what happens next with these tariffs,” Ryan emphasized. “We’re offering something more valuable—a structured way to prepare your organization for whatever happens next.”
