There are probably plenty of forward thinking people out there, but because they're not performers or show-offs, or particularly superficial or photogenic, we don't get to hear about them - while they happily continue doing their own thing, making a difference in their own world.
And not everyone who creates or designs wants the world to know about their work, or sell on a mass-market basis. Many individuals realise they don't want fame or pressure, and would rather work for themselves and make a reasonable living producing something for a certain range of clients.
We been lulled into thinking that the internet means we'll hear about anyone or anything worth knowing, but I think there are a lot of people who choose to fly under the radar. We assume that everyone wants exposure or to earn millions by turning themselves into a product, when that's not the case.
In order to see something different, we might need to look for these people in a different place or in a different way.