The year is coming to a close so it’s a natural time to turn our eyes to what’s ahead. We’ve put our experts together to ponder what might be in store for us in 2025. There’s excitement, uncertainty, and genuine hope for what’s to come. And that’s just what we need enough to carry us through these final few weeks of the year.
The Team
Katie Patterson – Founder | CEO
Steph Holmes – VP of Product
Doug Choi – VP of Creative
Jenna Sallen – Visual Designer
Alec McFarlin – Senior Developer
Artificial Intelligence and Automation
AM
AI advanced pretty far in 2024 but isn’t going to replace us all in 2025. It’s definitely going to change how we work though. Devs will likely see a shift, but the plus is being a developer is more than writing code. System architecture and complex problem solving will always be needed. I think of it like getting a really smart assistant. We’ll probably spend less time on the boring stuff and more time on what humans do best like creative thinking, building relationships, and complex decision making.
SH
The biggest challenges I see with AI are ethical considerations such as bias in data which can lead to skewed insights and decisions. There are also privacy and copyright issues to consider with the data that is used to train AI models.
KP
This past year we’ve seen the world finally start to have AI become much more mainstream and out of exclusivity for tech industry usage. With this though, there is still a lack of understanding that people can not just copy and paste the information they prompt. AI is a tool, not a final destination.
DC
I think AI hype has been tempered a bit and will begin to reflect more practical applications in 2025. I’m also happy to hear more success stories of AI that are trained on relevant data rather than just plugged into whatever people could get their hands on. I hope well-trained AI becomes more prominent in 2025. Do I think it will happen? Not sure.
Women-Owned Businesses
SH
I feel like the world is wide open for women entrepreneurs in 2025. Some fundamental areas for opportunity would be pioneering innovative applications with AI, leading in the cybersecurity landscape, and revolutionizing financial services with innovative fintech solutions addressing the unique needs of women and underserved communities.
KP
More diversity in business ownership is always good. Supporting women in the early stages of growing endeavors is crucial while also helping women to get far beyond small business ownership, and start growing their businesses into the larger landscapes.
Accessibility in Technology
AM
Accessibility in tech isn’t just nice to have anymore, it’s becoming necessary. With our population aging, more life happening online, and a focus on disability rights, we need tech that works for everyone. Some really exciting stuff is coming, like voice interfaces that understand different speech patterns and adaptive screens that adjust to all kinds of needs. The coolest thing to see is companies bring people with disabilities into the design process from the start, rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought
SH
Two areas that I’m excited about related to accessibility innovation would be Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) that have the potential to revolutionize accessibility by allowing people with severe motor impairments to control devices with their thoughts and smart glasses and wearables which can provide real-time translations, audio descriptions, and navigation assistance for people with disabilities.
DC
We saw a big shift in clients coming to us with Accessibility on their “Must Have” list rather than their “Nice to Have” list. I would hope that continues into 2025, for everyone’s sakes.
The Future of Social Media
JS
I think Interacting via live stream has become more prominent in the recent months, especially with the rise in popularity of shopping on TikTok Live. (RIP, maybe?) Interactive videos will offer a variety of engaging experiences, including choose-your-own-adventure storylines, gamified challenges, direct product purchasing, and real-time interactions with creators.
AM
Social media in 2025 could be interesting. It seems like people are getting more aware and tired of scrolling reels and want something more real. I could see a shift toward smaller, closer-knit online communities that have an emphasis on authenticity and meaningful connections. And with AR/VR getting better, we might actually see social platforms that feel more like hanging out in person than scrolling through feeds.
SH
I’m keeping an eye on the social commerce boom where social media platforms will integrate more seamlessly with ecommerce allowing users to shop directly within the app. Live shopping events will also become more popular, offering interactive and immersive shopping experiences
KP
I predict social media platforms will start to give people more control over what the algorithms are putting into their feeds. We’ve seen a growing awareness of the negative impacts of social media, with many users removing social media from their phones. To combat this, social media platforms will promote their enablement to put you in the drivers seat and controlling what you’re seeing on your feed, all the way down to specific posts from your friends.
Data-Driven Decisions in Business
AM
With all the tech advances, everyone will likely have more data, but it’s about making it actually useful. Businesses have been getting smarter about using real-time insights to make decisions faster. Combined with advanced data collection tools, including AI. Whether for ad targeting or predictive modeling, data in business will play a large role in every industry. The challenge really seems to come from making sure all this data is accurate and secure, and helping everyone in the organization understand how to use it.
KP
AI has made data even more effortless to analyze and use for making better decisions. I hope businesses take advantage of this to learn their numbers, and use them to build profit
Sustainability in Digital Practices
AM
This is becoming a big deal, companies are realizing their digital footprint, and with all the talk around AI, their systems are incredibly energy hungry, we will have a need for data centers, which in turn exposes a need for more sustainable practices. I’ve seen some solutions, from smarter data centers to green coding practices, even simply shifting to utilizing cloud infrastructure. And although AI is part of this issue, I think using AI to optimize energy use in these data centers will be interesting.
SH
I’m optimistic that there will be social impact and equity sustainability trends that stand out in 2025 where business focus on social equity and inclusive sustainability ensuring that sustainability initiatives benefit all stakeholders
DC
I didn’t think nuclear power would start making a comeback last year, but with how power hungry AI is, the wheels have begun to turn. The sustainability of nuclear power has been and will continue to be a debate, but all I know is it will heavily impact the perception and reality of our climate situation.
