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Trust Revolution - S01E06 Bronwyn Williams

S01E06 Bronwyn Williams

05/21/25 • 64 min

Trust Revolution
In this hard-hitting episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn sits down with Bronwyn Williams, a South African futurist and economist, to dissect the collapse of trust in centralized systems. Bronwyn analyzes how globalization and technology challenge institutional credibility, using South Africa’s governance struggles as a backdrop. She critiques AI’s centralizing risks, questions Bitcoin’s decentralized promise, and discusses ways businesses and individuals can rebuild trust. This conversation unravels the dynamics of power and agency in a low-trust world.
About Bronwyn Williams
Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, and partner at Flux Trends, a leading consultancy focused on strategic foresight and trend analysis. Based in Johannesburg, she brings nearly two decades of experience advising global public and private sector clients on fintech, alternative economic models, and sustainable futures. She is the author of Rescuing Our Republic, a book tackling South Africa’s systemic crises, and co-author of The Future Starts Now (Bloomsbury UK), which explores global trends shaping the future. A sought-after speaker and media commentator on platforms like CNBC Africa and eNCA, she also runs What The Future Now?, unpacking chaos theory and future scenarios.
Quotes to Remember
  • “Institutions work as long as they give people what they want.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Democracy is governance by the governed, not a menu of services.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Automate away your costs, not your value.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Money is an illusion... Power equals money, not the other way around.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Bitcoin opened Pandora’s box... It accelerated CBDCs.” — Bronwyn Williams
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.
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In this hard-hitting episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn sits down with Bronwyn Williams, a South African futurist and economist, to dissect the collapse of trust in centralized systems. Bronwyn analyzes how globalization and technology challenge institutional credibility, using South Africa’s governance struggles as a backdrop. She critiques AI’s centralizing risks, questions Bitcoin’s decentralized promise, and discusses ways businesses and individuals can rebuild trust. This conversation unravels the dynamics of power and agency in a low-trust world.
About Bronwyn Williams
Bronwyn Williams is a futurist, economist, and partner at Flux Trends, a leading consultancy focused on strategic foresight and trend analysis. Based in Johannesburg, she brings nearly two decades of experience advising global public and private sector clients on fintech, alternative economic models, and sustainable futures. She is the author of Rescuing Our Republic, a book tackling South Africa’s systemic crises, and co-author of The Future Starts Now (Bloomsbury UK), which explores global trends shaping the future. A sought-after speaker and media commentator on platforms like CNBC Africa and eNCA, she also runs What The Future Now?, unpacking chaos theory and future scenarios.
Quotes to Remember
  • “Institutions work as long as they give people what they want.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Democracy is governance by the governed, not a menu of services.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Automate away your costs, not your value.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Money is an illusion... Power equals money, not the other way around.” — Bronwyn Williams
  • “Bitcoin opened Pandora’s box... It accelerated CBDCs.” — Bronwyn Williams
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

Previous Episode

undefined - S01E05 Yaël Ossowski

S01E05 Yaël Ossowski

In this episode of Trust Revolution, Shawn welcomes Yaël Ossowski, a consumer advocate and Bitcoin policy expert, for a candid discussion on the shifting balance of power between individuals and institutions.
Yaël shares his global perspective, shaped by living under multiple governments, from Canada to the U.S. to Austria. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center and a Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, he unpacks how overreach during the pandemic exposed institutional distrust, why agencies like the CFPB often hinder innovation, and how Bitcoin and decentralized technologies empower individuals to reclaim control. From vaping to stablecoins, they explore how consumer choice and sound money are fueling consumer empowerment.
About Yaël Ossowski
Yaël Ossowski is a consumer advocate, journalist, and Bitcoin policy expert with a unique global lens. Born in Quebec, Canada, raised in the U.S., and now based in Austria, Yaël has experienced firsthand how different governments approach citizen trust. As Deputy Director of the Consumer Choice Center, he champions individual choice in areas like vaping, technology, and finance. A Fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, Yaël advocates for policies that restrain government overreach and enable Bitcoin’s adoption. His work as a journalist and commentator bridges philosophy, policy, and technology to promote freedom and autonomy.
Quotes to Remember

  • “We’ve seen our institutions much more involved in our lives, much more so than they ever were for our parents or grandparents.” — Yaël Ossowski
  • “I think we as individuals know exactly what’s best for us, for our families, and for those in our community.” — Yaël Ossowski
  • “Bitcoin can exist and will be very strong without any government rule. The problem now is not that there are not enough government rules, but that the rules that are on the books are, themselves, restrictive of the technology.” — Yaël Ossowski
Resources & Links
Subscribe: https://podcast.trustrevolution.co
Music in this episode by More Ghost Than Man.

Trust Revolution - S01E06 Bronwyn Williams

Transcript

Shawn Yeager:

Bronwyn, welcome.

Hello.

Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it.

I

reached out to you having followed your work on Twitter back when I was there in LinkedIn,

and very intrigued

very intrigued by,

your

commentary, which I think goe

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