Exploration Gives Us
A Way
forward
The Roddenberry Foundation is a philanthropic institution rooted in exploration and possibility.
We invest in creative minds and bold ideas committed to achieving more humane and abundant futures for all.
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti gives a Vulcan salute aboard the International Space Station in 2015 to honor Leonard Nimoy. Photo courtesy of NASA.
The future asks us to open ourselves to discovery.
We live in a world of extraordinary possibility. Emerging technologies, expanding knowledge, and new ways of understanding ourselves and one another are transforming what we know, what we can imagine, and what we might become.
Inspired by the enduring vision Gene Roddenberry brought to life through Star Trek, The Roddenberry Foundation embraces exploration as both method and mindset. We champion bold ideas that help turn the futures we imagine into the futures we build.
FIVE FRONTIERS of Human Possibility
The Five Frontiers represent emerging areas of innovation and discovery that expand what humanity can imagine and achieve. They are the spaces and places where we concentrate our exploration, build collaborations, and pursue optimistic futures.
Knowledge Systems
The Computer
How we organize, search, interpret, trust, and share knowledge.
Augmented Cognition
the TRICORDER
How emerging tools and technologies extend human perception, reasoning, and decision-making in the face of complexity.
Embodied Experience
The Holodeck
How immersive experiential environments deepen learning and understanding.
Collective Intelligence
The Crew
How groups, communities, institutions, and human-machine systems think and act together.
futures formation
The Bridge
How people prepare for and make futures-critical decisions under pressure.
Advancing Bold Ideas
The Roddenberry Foundation cultivates curiosity, critical thinking, empathy, and applied imagination.
We seek out creative minds, adventurous spirits, and generous hearts willing to push beyond our perceived limits in pursuit of something more—for humanity and for the universe we call home.
Featured Grantee: Gladstone Institutes
The Roddenberry Foundation’s collaboration with Gladstone Institutes reflects this approach in action. Through the Roddenberry Stem Cell Center, researchers are advancing our understanding of human health, pioneering breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, and blazing new pathways to treat and prevent disease.
Original design sketches for the USS Enterprise by Walter “Matt” Jefferies.
Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry
Co-founder & Board Vice President
Heidi
Roddenberry
Co-founder, President & Board Chair
Activating a legacy of exploration
For six decades, the Roddenberry ethos has challenged us to imagine beyond the world we know and explore the possibilities of what could be. Today, the next generation carries that spirit forward, giving new life to an enduring vision for humanity’s future.
News & Insights
THE FUTURE IS SOMETHING WE SHAPE
Together
We’re seeking the people, institutions, and ideas exploring the frontiers of human possibility.