How can the limits of community building in Web2 be overcome with Web3 technology?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Robin Arzón, a former lawyer turned ultra-marathon runner and global fitness leader who currently serves as the VP of Fitness Programming and Head Instructor at Peloton. In addition to her roles at Peloton, Robin is a 27x marathon and ultra-marathon runner, a 2x New York Times bestselling author, and the Founder of Swagger Society, an NFT-enabled lifestyle membership club aimed at helping members set and achieve their life goals.

Swagger Society is a soon-to-be-launched community of go-getters who will be able to set self-directed goals, receive support from Robin and fellow community members, and be rewarded in Swagger Points that will offer access to Robin as well as additional perks.

Swagger Society members will also have token-gated lockers where members can earn rewards for engagement and completing their self-set goals. Through the ecosystem, members will be able to connect with others who share the same goals and interests and become each other’s accountability partners along the way. Swagger Society was Robin’s way of leveraging Web3 technology to go deeper with her community that she’s been cultivating for over a decade in Web2.

In addition to her work at Peloton and Swagger Society, Robin hosts a Masterclass on mental strength. Plus, she is a two-time New York Times bestselling author of Strong Mama and Shut Up and Run. Robin released her newest book, Strong Baby, this year, and she is also taking pre-orders on a new journal called Welcome, Hustler: An Empowerment Journal.

In this episode, Robin gives an inside look at her career transition from law to fitness, what she is building with Swagger Society, and her passion for creating a lifestyle membership club in Web3.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:57 Show intro
1:58 Robin's intro and career prior to Web3
3:55 About Robin’s community
6:19 Shortcomings of Web2 tools
7:54 All about Swagger Society
11:27 Sponsored message from Hang
14:13 Types of goal-setting in Swagger Society
16:05 Peer-to-peer connectivity
17:38 Molly Dixon's artwork
18:52 Robin's OG interest in Web3
20:08 What it means to be a member in Swagger Society
21:20 Easiest and most challenging parts of building the space
22:08 Robin's inspirations
23:48 Shill
25:36 Wrap-up
25:50 Closing

Show Resources:
Robin on the Web: https://www.robinarzon.com/
Robin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobinNYC
Robin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinnyc/
Swagger Society on the Web: https://www.swaggersociety.io/
Swagger Society on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SwaggerSociety
Swagger Society on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swaggersociety/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Have you ever wanted a universal username that serves as your login to the decentralized web?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Sandy Carter, the COO and Head of Business Development at Unstoppable, a digital identity platform.

With an Unstoppable domain (e.g., Sandy.nft), you get a universal username that serves as your name, wallet address & login for web3.

In her role, Sandy is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Unstoppable, as well as driving strategic partnerships and growth opportunities for the company.

In today’s episode, we’ll discover what Unstoppable is, why someone might want a web3-powered domain name, and some of the market trends and themes that Sandy sees from her deep and active involvement in the world of web3.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:33 Show intro
1:28 Sandy's intro and career prior to Web3
3:11 Unstoppable's elevator pitch
4:52 The wallet address and IP address analogy
6:35 Sandy's role at Unstoppable and use cases
8:56 Interoperable identities
10:24 Partnerships with Unstoppable
12:22 Sponsored message from Hang
14:03 New and upcoming partnerships
15:19 Growth-drivers at Unstoppable
16:30 How to message in a decentralized web
19:03 Upcoming themes and trends
22:10 The spaces that Sandy is contributing to and participating in
24:28 Sandy's shoutouts
25:59 Shill
26:56 Wrap-up
27:25 Closing

Show Resources:
Sandy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandy_carter
Sandy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/
Sandy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandy_carterfounder/?hl=en
Unstoppable on the web: https://unstoppabledomains.com/
Unstoppable on Twitter: https://twitter.com/unstoppableweb
Unstoppable on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unstoppable-domains/
Unstoppable on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unstoppabledomains/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How could the blockchain bring new capabilities to the beverage / alcohol industry

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Kit Codik, the Founder and CEO of Liquid Collections, a web3-powered wine and spirits platform.

Kit is a serial entrepreneur with three decades of operating and investing experience across wine and spirits, media, structured finance, venture capital, consumer tech, and apparel industries. Notably, he served as the Founder and CEO of Liquor.com for over a decade before jumping into web3 to launch Liquid Collections.

Liquid Collections began as a platform that democratized access to starting a new alcohol brand. He worked with existing communities, from Lil Nouns to Meta Angels to Carly Reilly’s Overpriced JPEGs, to go to market with branded bottles. He’s now leveraging the Liquid Collections platform to help traditional beverage brands build new programs that drive brand loyalty and gather 1st party data.

On today’s episode, Kit shares his experience in the beverage and alcohol world, his vision for Liquid Collections, and some of the learnings and pivots that he and his team are making along the way.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:36 Show intro
1:20 Kit's intro and career prior to web3
3:00 Kit's experience at Liquor.com and interest in the beverage world
5:06 The idea for Liquid Collections
9:03 The vision for Liquid Collections
14:36 The first community
17:54 How Fallen Angel Tequila was created
19:47 Understanding who can buy Fallen Angel Tequila
21:43 Sponsored message from Hang
23:34 OPJ with Carly Riley & Amber Vittoria
26:44 The meaning behind OPJ's name
36:12 What Kit is working on and excited about
39:49 Shill
40:22 Wrap-up
40:40 Closing

Show Resources:
Kit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kitcodik/with_replies
Kit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitcodik/?hl=en
Kit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kcodik/
Liquid Collections on the web: https://liquidcollections.com/
Liquid Collections on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiquidCol
Liquid Collections on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liquidcollections/
Liquid Collections on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liquid-collections/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What value does a large global CPG company see with web3 technology?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Sam West, the Senior Global Marketing Manager of Web3 at Mars.

In her role, Sam explores the transformational opportunities that web3 can unlock for Mars Pet Nutrition brands. She leverages the Metaverse, NFTs, Blockchain, and AI to accelerate Mars’ purpose and make the world a better place for pets.

Through her role, Sam has helped launch an NFT-enabled membership community working to restore coral reefs through Sheba’s Hope Grows program and helped Pedigree drive pet adoptions with an interactive metaverse experience called the Fosterverse.

On today’s episode, Sam shares her background and journey into web3, some of Mars’ big tech-enabled programs, and the value a global CPG brand sees in investing in these spaces.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:30 Show intro
1:40 Sam's intro and career prior to Web3
3:36 Sam's web3 alias
5:33 All about Mars
7:02 Sam's role at Mars and integrating web3
8:07 An overview of Hope Grows
11:04 The resources and teams involved in Hope Grows
13:14 Sponsored message from Hang
15:18 The tech that Sam explores and uses
17:54 Community decisions
19:28 Sheba's passion for the coral reef project
21:43 From cats to dogs
24:54 Pedigree’s Fosterverse
27:41 Sam's advice for builders
30:04 Shill
30:53 Wrap-up
31:08 Closing

Show Resources:
Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammwest/
Mars on the web: https://www.mars.com/
Mars on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marsglobal
Mars on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marsglobal/
Mars on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if the Smithsonian was owned and curated by the Internet?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Tom McLeod, the Founder and Executive Director of Arkive, a decentralized, democratized, and participatory museum.

Arkive’s goal is to flip the script on how society thinks about museums, art, and who gets to decide what is historically significant and worthy of being displayed.

In this episode, Tom gives a behind-the-scenes look at Arkive, how it works, and some of the big works they have acquired.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:34 Show intro
1:51 Tom's intro and career prior to Arkive
6:33 Understanding the museum world
10:29 Overview of Arkive and how it differs from typical museums
12:45 Comparing the Arkive model to a wholesale/retail framework
14:46 Overview of the works, acquisitions, and pieces in Arkive
18:01 Sponsored message from Hang
21:11 The acquisition logistics
24:09 Acquisitions from Madonna
27:09 The journey and joy behind discovering works
29:16 A final piece from the collection
32:24 The price of Arkive's pieces
34:35 How web3 is utilized at Arkive
38:35 The Arkive community
41:20 The community's future
43:28 Shill
43:56 Wrap-up
44:05 Closing

Show Resources:
Tom on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmcleod3
Tom on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmcleod/?hl=en
Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmcleod3/
Arkive’s Website: https://arkive.net/
Arkive on Twitter: https://twitter.com/arkive
Arkive on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkivedao/
Arkive on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkivedao/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What would you get if you combined the exclusivity of NYC’s famed Rao’s restaurant, the members-only programming from Soho House, and the power of the blockchain via NFTs?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is David Rodolitz, the Founder and CEO of Flyfish Club, an NFT-enabled members-only private dining club. Token holders gain access to the NYC-based restaurant as well as various culinary, cultural, and social experiences. Flyfish Club is one of the signature projects coming out of VCR Group, a partnership between Rodolitz, entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck, Chef Josh Capon, and Chief Culinary Officer Conor Hanlon.

David is a 20-year food and hospitality industry veteran. He is the Co-Owner of Ito, an Omakase experience, with Chef Masa Ito and Chef Kevin Kim. He is also the Co-Founder of the Empellón Restaurant Group and the Owner and Founder of Impulse Productions, an event-planning company.

On today’s episode, David gives a behind-the-scenes look at Flyfish club, the various projects coming out of VCR Group, and his advice for any entrepreneurs building in Web 2.5.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:38 Show intro
1:38 David's intro and career prior to Web3
9:14 The concept for Flyfish Club
14:07 How Flyfish intro'd the idea of mixing NFT technology and IRL utility
17:20 An overview of Flyfish NFTs
21:41 Sponsored message from Hang
24:11 Understanding the restaurant business model
29:24 Flyfish's physical space
33:29 The projected launch timeframe
34:48 The easiest and hardest parts of David's journey
37:38 David's advice for other Web 2.5 restaurant builders
41:40 Other VCR projects
45:29 Shill
46:40 Wrap-up
46:50 Closing

Show Resources:
David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rodolitz
David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodolitz/?hl=en
David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolitz/
Flyfish Club’s Website: https://www.flyfishclub.com/
Flyfish Club on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Flyfishclub
Flyfish Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyfishclub/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

There have been many communities built on-chain. But what would it mean for there to be an on-chain nation?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Chika Uwazie, the Co-Founder of Afropolitan, a digital nation with a mission of enabling all Africans to build and live abundant lives. Afropolitan took inspiration from a thesis by Balaji Srinivasan, the ex-CTO of Coinbase and former Andreessen Horowitz partner. Balaji sees a future of cloud-first, land-later countries that are built around a shared ideology rather than history or DNA.

In today’s episode, Chika shares Afropolitan’s founding story, what the community offers its holders, and its vision for the future of decentralized nations.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:36 Show intro
1:43 Network State 101
3:11 Network State vs. Nation
5:04 Afropolitan's vision
8:07 The pitch and building momentum for Afropolitan
9:54 Afropolitan's first community utility
11:27 An overview of Afropolitan's lore
13:55 Understanding Afropolitan's mint
16:59 All about the citizen experience
19:33 Sponsored message from Hang
22:19 Chika's near-term goals
23:17 Why Afropolitan is building a native currency
25:53 Afropolitan's land plan
27:56 Understanding the participatory decision-making process within the nation
29:44 Other network states
31:09 The revenue model for network states
32:08 Afropolitan's values and principles
33:05 Chika's biggest hopes for Afropolitan
34:42 How you can support Afropolitan's mission
36:01 Wrap-up
36:43 Closing

Show Resources:
Chika on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChikaUwazie
Chika on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chikauwazie/
Chika on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/
Afropolitan’s Website: https://linktr.ee/afropolitannation
Afropolitan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/afropolitan
Afropolitan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitannation/
Afropolitan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Why does a crypto wallet have to be so complicated and so confusing?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Jasmine Xu, the Head of Product at Bitski, the self-described NFT wallet for everyone.

Crypto wallets are one-stop shops to buy, sell, transfer, and collect cryptocurrencies and NFTs. And Bitski believes that the key to greater crypto participation is creating a more user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and secure wallet experience.

In today’s episode, Jasmine gives us the inside scoop on crypto wallets, how they work, how Bitski’s product is improving the user experience, and some of her favorite use cases for wallets and web3.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:23 Show Intro
1:50 Jasmine and Bitski's intros
2:23 Jasmine's career prior to web3
4:10 All about crypto wallets
6:36 Understanding keys and passwords
7:49 The pros and cons of self custody
11:42 The types of assets kept in Bitski wallets
12:14 Wallets and Web 2.5
13:17 Understanding if Bitski is a stand-alone or add-on wallet
14:35 Consumer-side product offering at Bitski
16:48 Brand enterprise-side at Bitski
18:55 Sponsored message from Hang
20:42 Bitski-branded or Brand-branded wallets
21:48 Bitski vs. other minting experiences
24:31 Explaining where Bitski started and how it has evolved
27:33 Biggest use cases for wallets and NFTs
30:42 A platform for more than just NFTs
31:55 Jasmine's predictions, hopes, and fears for the future of Web3
35:12 The upside in a down market
36:09 Shill
36:41 Wrap-up
36:52 Closing

Show Resources:
Jasmine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasminexu888
Jasmine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xujasmine/
Bitski’s Website: https://www.bitski.com
Bitski on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bitski
Bitski on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bitskibitski/?hl=en
Bitski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitski/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How can web3 technology better connect fans to their favorite brands, artists, and athletes?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Lin Dai, the Co-Founder and CEO of OneOf, a mass-consumer web3 company connecting the next 100M non-crypto native fans to iconic brands, artists, and athletes.

OneOf’s technology enables global brands and enterprises to reimagine commerce, loyalty, and engagement, allowing consumers to seamlessly collect or trade digital assets with no prior crypto expertise.

OneOf’s roster of partners includes iconic artists like Doja Cat and the estate of Notorious B.I.G., athletes like Wayne Gretzky ad Muhammad Ali, and a roster of other large partners like American Express, Warner Music Group, the Grammys, iHeart Radio, Anheuser-Busch, and more.

On this episode, Lin will give us a behind-the-scenes look at OneOf and some of the big projects that he and his team have built.

Show Notes:

00:00 Episode announcement
00:31 Show intro
01:22 Lin's intro and career before One
Of 04:16 OneOf's customers, products, and services
06:21 An NFT one-stop-shop
07:04 How brands approach OneOf
08:49 All about the Notorious B.I.G. collection
11:49 How OneOf collaborated with Warner Music
13:55 Web3 loyalty vs. traditional loyalty
15:30 Peer-to-peer connectivity and the Anheuser-Busch activation
18:22 Sponsored message from Hang
22:43 Lin shares sports use cases from OneOf
27:16 Lin's motivation for growing OneOf
29:00 The downsides of web3
31:38 Shill
33:02 Wrap-up
33:22 Closing

Show Resources:

Lin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePointsDai
Lin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepointsdai/
Lin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindai/
OneOf’s Website: https://www.oneof.com/
OneOf on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneOfNFT
OneOf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneofnft/
OneOf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oneofweb3/

Show Sponsor:

Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How can brands and creators organize existing communities with Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)?

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Matt Voska, the Founder and COO of Origami, a platform that helps communities create and grow Decentralized Autonomous Organizations or DAOs.

Origami assists its clients with the end-to-end services needed to set up and run a DAO, from the NFTs that serve as token-gated membership passes, to the software, documents, and voting protocols that determine how a DAO makes decisions, to the token issuances that can be used to reward DAO members.

Origami got started by helping alumni from Y Combinator come together to explore, advance, and invest in web3 startups through Orange DAO. Origami now helps other investment groups, gaming guilds, sports clubs, and more drive their communities forward with web3 technology.

In this episode, we will discuss what a DAO even is and why a group might want one, what Origami offers to its clients to streamline the DAO process, some IRL case studies, and Matt’s predictions for the future of DAOs in the market.

Show Notes:
00:00 Episode announcement
00:29 Show intro
02:08 Matt's intro and Origami's founding story with Y Combinator
04:22 Understanding why a DAO was needed
06:02 An overview of DAOs
06:54 Matt explains DAO governance models
07:41 Understanding the legal entity of a DAO
09:09 Matt details the difficulties of setting up a DAO
10:14 The lifecycle of DAO formation
12:12 Defining the members of a DAO
15:09 Matt shares the risks of DAO formation
16:42 Voting models in a DAO
17:52: Sponsored message from Hang
21:10 Matt explains entity separation with Origami
22:41 Matt shares IRL use cases for DAOs
23:54 An overview of Pando DAO
25:01 The future of DAOs and exciting use cases
26:34 The fears companies have with DAOs
27:49 When and why companies shift from traditional participatory models to DAOs
29:29 Matt shares predictions and trends he sees with DAOs and web3
30:48 Understanding incentives within Origami
31:36 Shill
32:17 Wrap-up
32:34 Closing

Show Resources:
Matt’s Website: https://www.voska.org/
Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattvoska
Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattvoska/
Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/voska/
Origami’s Website: https://www.joinorigami.com/
Origami on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jointheorigami
Origami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinorigami/
Origami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinorigami/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How can brands and creators monetize their work without competing in the “Attention Economy?”

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Julien Genestoux, the Founder and CEO of Unlock, a web3 protocol for memberships and loyalty.

Julien was motivated to find a way to avoid the “Attention Economy,” the rat race in which brands and creators are forced to compete for attention by publishing a never-ending stream of divisive content. Instead, he sees an opportunity to empower these brands and creators with tools to monetize their work through memberships.

As a result, Julien and his team are building Unlock, an open-source protocol that enables anyone to create, manage, and distribute membership contracts by leveraging the blockchain in the background. With a simple interface to create an NFT-based membership using self-set parameters, Unlock gives developers, brands, creators, and platforms the ability to offer unique benefits and experiences to their fans and followers by “membershipifying” anything.

In this episode, we will discuss what a protocol even is, how Unlock works and makes membership creation super seamless, and some broader themes and trends that Julien sees for memberships and loyalty in web3.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode announcement
0:33 Show intro
1:19 Julien’s intro and career prior to web3
5:55 Julien explains how the “Attention Economy” is unhealthy
7:15 Julien’s take on how the “Attention Economy” can be remedied with the “Membership Economy”
10:13 Julien explains what is Unlock and what is a protocol
16:51 Julien shares use cases for Unlock
18:17 How to customize a membership on Unlock
19:59 Sponsored message from Hang
23:11 Why Unlock was created
24:32 Julien explains what it means for a protocol to be community-owned and governed
26:08 How DAOs are used as incentives for Unlock
27:30 How Unlock generates revenue while being community-owned and governed
29:12 Julien shares his ideas on the future of social media and how Unlock can be leveraged in those spaces
31:54 Julien details why a decentralized platform is better
33:07 Julien’s opinion on the most misunderstood part of web3 and decentralization
34:53 Julien shares his vision of success
35:43 Shill
36:43 Wrap-up
36:53 Closing

Show Resources:
Unlock’s Website: https://unlock-protocol.com/
Unlock on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnlockProtocol
Flocker’s Website: https://www.flocker.app/
Julien’s Website: https://ouvre-boite.com/
Julien on Twitter: https://twitter.com/julien51
Julien on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliengenestoux/

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How can web3 and the metaverse drive deeper consumer connections for one of the world’s leading CPG brands?

Our guest on our Season 2 premiere is Kate Brady, the Head of Next Gen DTC Connections & Innovation at PepsiCo. Kate and her team enable and accelerate PepsiCo’s engagement directly with its customers, including by leveraging web3 technologies & metaverse experiences.

In this episode, Kate explains how PepsiCo leverages web3 to forge direct customer connections, discusses some of the big case studies from PepsiCo’s portfolio using NFTs, POAPs, and metaverse experiences, and shares key learnings and insights from the company’s web3 journey.

Show Notes:
0:00 Episode Announcement
0:35 Show intro
2:12 Kate’s intro and PepsiCo career prior to Web3
6:28 Kate explains the Next Gen DTC Connections and Innovation Team
9:48 An overview of PepsiCo’s Web3 Center of Enablement
11:37 A walk-through of PepsiCo case studies starting with Pepsi Mic Drop
13:05 An overview of the Gatorade Player of the Year activation
15:00 Kate explains POAPs and how PepsiCo is leveraging them with the BBMAs
17:01 LIFEWTR’s activation at Art Basel
17:35 Mtn Dew’s Call of Duty activation
20:03 Kate details Cheetos / Chesterville
22:54 Kate shares some of PepsiCo’s global case studies with Sabritas and De Todito
24:44 Sponsored message from Hang
27:14 How Frito Lay used packaging to connect with consumers
29:01 Kate explains the Pepsi Mic Drop 2.0 activation
30:49 How PepsiCo measures success across the portfolio of its activations
32:37 How Kate’s priorities have shifted since the first Mic Drop activation
34:56 Kate shares trends that may drive future activations
35:57 Kate shares roadblocks and barriers that she faces in the industry
37:23 An overview of internal workings and bringing Web3 into PepsiCo
39:23 Kate’s shoutouts and job opportunities
41:20 Wrap-up
41:36 Closing

Show Resources:
Kate Brady on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebrady1007/
Kate Brady on Twitter: https://twitter.com/katebrady1007?lang=en
PepsiCo’s Website: https://www.pepsico.com/
PepsiCo’s Job Board: https://www.pepsicojobs.com/main

Show Sponsor:
Hang.xyz: https://www.hang.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Why do big brands and IP owners enter the world of Web3? What have they hoped to get out of it? And what new trends and themes can we expect from them in 2023?

This week, on our Season 1 finale of Web 2.5, our guest is Avery Akkineni. Avery is the President of Vayner3, a Web3 consultancy that guides some of the world’s leading Web2 enterprises through their journey into Web3. Their services cover cryptocurrencies, NFT program development, immersive digital experiences (aka the metaverse), and more – and they work with some of the world's most iconic brands in the process. In addition to her role at Vayner3, Avery is also the co-host of a new Coindesk podcast called Gen C, covering how brands and marketers are using Web3 to experiment and transform their businesses.

In this episode, Avery will answer some of the world’s biggest Web 2.5 questions like why are all of these big Web2 brands investing in the Web3 game, what value they see in Web3, and what new trends we can expect in 2023.

Show Notes:

0:00 Season Finale Overview
1:02 Show Intro
2:22 Avery and Dana discuss being named one of Coindesk’s Most Influential for 2022
3:06 Avery introduces herself and Vayner3
4:36 Avery shares the types of client(s) that partner with Vayner3 and why
8:10 An overview of Vayner3’s use cases for brands in 2022
12:57 Avery explains what improves a brand’s chances of success
15:03 Avery shares her go-to-market strategies
16:59 Avery’s take on the crypto winter and the negative news cycles
19:30 The cultural and behavioral transformations of Web3
21:46 An overview of niche vs. mainstream adoption and how Web3 is inevitable
24:33 Vayner3’s predictions for Web3 in 2023
27:28 Avery’s shoutouts
29:02 Shill
29:54 Wrap-up
30:03 Closing

Show Resources:
Vayner3’s Website: https://vayner3.com/
Vayner3 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vayner3/
Vayner3 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vayner3
Vayner3 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vayner3/
Avery Akkineni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averyakkineni/
Avery Akkineni on Twitter: https://twitter.com/avery_akkineni
Avery Akkineni on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avery.akkineni

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Why does the world’s biggest company launch into the metaverse? What’s their approach? How does it go? What are they learning? 

This week, our guest on Web 2.5 is Justin Breton, the Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart. Justin and his team are responsible for driving meaningful engagement with Walmart customers via brand engagement programs, including shoppable livestreams, augmented reality activations, and now, Walmart’s presence in the metaverse.

Justin was behind the launch of Walmart’s first foray into the metaverse with two immersive experiences on Roblox — Walmart Land & Walmart Universe of Play. Across both spaces, Walmart converted its store “aisles” into virtual “isles” with the ability to explore fashion, style, beauty, entertainment, toys, and more – all in a virtual world shaped like the Walmart logo.

In this episode, Justin gives Dana Hork, the show’s host and the former head of Walmart’s social media, a behind-the-scenes view into everything from what Walmart’s doing, why they are doing it, and what they’ve learned along the way. It’s jam-packed with insights helpful for brands big and small exploring online virtual experiences.

DISCLOSURE: Host Dana Hork is a former Walmart employee and, at the time this episode initially aired, owned Walmart stock obtained during her tenure at the company. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show intro
0:53 Dana shares her experience working for Walmart
1:15 Justin explains his role and his team’s remit for driving brand engagement
1:56 About shoppable livestreams
2:13 About virtual experiences like Roblox
2:42 How the metaverse came into consideration for Walmart
3:27 Why Walmart decided to partner with Roblox
4:49 Former Walmart CMO, Barb Messing, is now the CMO at Roblox
5:34 Justin shares his Web3 journey (he’s a newbie)
6:37 Walmart’s exploration of NFTs, DAOs, and other dimensions of Web3
8:15 An overview of Walmart’s Roblox activations
9:48 Walmart and Roblox’s goals for the launch
10:53 An overview of Walmart Land
12:00 An overview of Walmart Universe of Play
12:31 How Justin’s team tackled merchandising
14:27 Connecting (or not) the virtual world and physical goods via transactions
14:57 How customer acquisition works in the metaverse16:29 An overview of the quantitative and qualitative performance of Walmart’s Roblox experiences
19:31 Justin explains what drives favorability and unfavorability
20:44 Walmart’s partners for the Roblox activations
21:35 How platforms are attracting brands (or the other way around)
23:41 Walmart’s Decentraland + Sabrina Carpenter partnership
25:12 The insights that drove a partnership with Roblox
26:02 Justin compares his expectations with the outcomes of the activations
27:20 Justin shares advice for other metaverse builders
28:30 The flexibility of the metaverse for brands
29:25 How to access Walmart’s Roblox experiences
29:50 Wrap-up
30:20 Closing

Resources:
Walmart Land: https://www.roblox.com/g

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How can the blockchain power new ownership opportunities for Black creatives, investors, and entrepreneurs?

Our guest on Web 2.5 this week is Shondra Washington, the Co-Founder & CEO of Black@, a token-gated private community for Black creatives, entrepreneurs and investors.

Black@ first took shape at Art Basel 2021 – and since then has grown into a full-blown digital community with token-gated chat rooms, member-only events, coordinated NFT group buys, and a burgeoning roster of technology apps that the community builds and monetizes. Black@ also recently announced a partnership with Andreessen Horowitz to support Black artists.

On the show, host Dana Hork talks with Shondra, a former Investment banker and fractional Chief Financial Officer, about how Black@ came to be, some of the unique ways they are activating their community, their very Web 2.5 products like token-gated emails, and some universal lessons and insights for anyone looking to build and foster a thriving digital community.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show Intro
1:47 The origins of Black@
3:44 How the Co-Founders came up with Black@ at Art Basel
4:34 Why Black@ made the community token-gated
6:01 How Black@ priced their initial NFTs
7:05 Benefits of an open minting window
7:45 Black@ current activations & activities
9:21 Unpaid vs paid membership at Black@
9:55 Membership benefits around access and education
10:31 Membership benefits around group buys of NFTs
12:10 Why product development matters to Black@
13:57 Token-gated emails with Gated
17:08 About Payroll3
19:44 About the Black Digital Art Collective & partnering with a16z
22:04 Lessons on building a thriving digital community
23:34 Black@’s business model
25:41 The hardest & easiest part of Black@
27:36 Shout-outs
29:19 What’s next for Black@
31:33 Shondra’s hope for Web3 at-large
32:20 Shill
33:35 Wrap-up
33:51 Closing

Resources:
Black@’s Website: https://www.blackat.io/
Black@ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Blackatxyz
Shondra Washington on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shondradanielle
Gated: https://tokengated.co/
Payroll3: https://www.payroll3.xyz/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How could the blockchain make fashion more social, more interactive, and drive new economic opportunities for women?

This week, host Dana Hork sits down with Michelle Reeves, the Co-founder and CEO of Mavion, a leading Web3 company focused on empowering women through fashion.

Mavion’s first NFT collection has been a pioneer in the physical meets digital realm, where NFT holders have access to the physical jewelry pieces featured in their NFT. Plus, Mavion teamed up with iconic fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff this fall to create NFT collections for fans who want exclusive access, perks, and a seat at the design table.

But beyond their work today, Mavion has a big vision for how NFTs and gamified shopping experiences can empower women and enable them to participate in the financial upside of their digital fashion purchases. We get into that and more, on this week’s episode of Web 2.5.

DISCLOSURE: At the time of recording, host Dana Hork owned 1 Mavion NFT. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show intro
1:25 Michelle Reeves introduces her early career
4:06 About the Accessory Junkie and the challenges of scaling
5:15 When Web3 was just gaming
6:06 The beginnings of Mavion
6:34 Overview of Mavion
7:28 How Mavion holders could earn rewards and royalties
8:36 How Mavion NFTs cross over into both physical and digital realms
9:33 An overview of Mavion's NFT collections including their collaboration with Rebecca Minkoff
12:08 What Web3 enables
13:32 Mint recap, minting strategies, and the mindful mint
16:18 Customer targeting strategy
19:03 BYOC Bring your own customer
19:39 Advice for companies exploring Web3
21:41 Reaction to Rebecca Minkoff’s experimentation philosophy
25:30 How Michelle would use her Web3 “magic wand”
29:03 How to find Mavion
29:46 Question I didn’t ask
31:28 Wrap-up
31:50 Closing

Resources:
Mavion’s Website: https://mavion.world/
Mavion on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MAVIONworld
Mavion on IG: https://www.instagram.com/mavionworld/
Michelle Reeves on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Michellejreeves
Michelle Reeves on IG: https://www.instagram.com/michellejreeves/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Why does an iconic fashion brand spend time experimenting in Web3? And why would they partner with a Web3-native community as part of their go-to-market plan?

This podcast episode is part of a special back-to-back two-episode series featuring two powerhouses in the fashion world, Rebecca Minkoff and Michelle Reeves.

On this episode, show host Dana Hork sits down with Rebecca Minkoff, the co-founder, designer, and entrepreneur behind the global fashion brand bearing her name, to discuss her company’s foray into the world of Web3 and NFTs. Rebecca discusses her recent NFT collaboration with Mavion, some of the leading Web3 companies & entrepreneurs she admires, plus she's got advice for others companies interested in Web3, too.

Next week’s episode will feature the second half of our conversation featuring Mavion Co-Founder & CEO Michelle Reeves.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show intro
1:57 Rebecca introduces herself
3:22 The founding story of Rebecca Minkoff
4:42 Rebecca’s first introduction into Web3
5:41 How Rebecca Minkoff met Michelle Reeves at Mavion
6:17 Mavion x Rebecca Minkoff collection overview
7:39 Customer targeting strategy for the collection
8:51 What’s compelling about Web3? Why spend time on it?
11:02 Why does representation matter to Rebecca in Web3?
11:42 Web3 companies Rebecca admires
12:49 About Rebecca’s book Fearless and how it applies to Web3
16:01 Advice for existing businesses in Web3
17:22 Final topics and summary of podcast
17:56 Wrap up
19:15 Closing

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How are NFTs transforming opportunities for artists?

On this week’s show, we have Amber Vittoria, the NYC-based artist and poet, to talk with us about how web3 and NFTs are changing the game for artists and collectors.

Amber is known for her bold, vibrant, and colorful artwork – using ink, colored pencil, and acrylic paint to create her signature rainbow gradients. And she is also one of the leading artists building her brand and business at the intersection of web2 and web3.

She started her career working in all facets of design, having been in-house, agency-side, and also working as an independent freelancer. But it was in early 2017 when she bought her first crypto – and later in 2021 when she sold her first NFT – that she started her journey into how the blockchain could transform the landscape for artists and collectors.

Since then, she’s been taking the web3 world by storm with a series of highly in-demand NFT collection drops. And along the way, she’s also amassed a wildly impressive roster of brand partners. But beyond her fans inside the halls of big consumer brands, she’s also built a rabid collector fan base, known as Vittorians, who have amassed everything from her NFTs, her pins, socks, and other merch. She’s also the author of the forthcoming book, These Are My Big Girl Pants.

On this week’s show, Amber tells us about her career, her book, her merch, her partnerships - and how NFTs are changing the game for artists.

DISCLOSURE: At the time of recording, I collected 2 Amber Vittoria NFTs. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show intro
2:01 Amber’s Intro including college, post-college work & freelancing
4:21 Buying her first Bitcoin and ETH
4:51 Buying her first NFT
5:43 Freelancing at the start of the pandemic
6:43 Discovering NFTs and starting to mint
8:08 Description of Amber’s artwork
10:15 How poetry and visuals mix
11:28 Description of a few of Amber’s NFT Collections
15:09 Inspiring others, including kids
15:50 Brand partnerships
18:00 Working with Instagram & being among the first to mint and sell an NFT on the platform
20:40 Moonpay partnership
23:07 Criteria for partnerships and when she says yes
24:52 Personal impact of selling in web3
27:24 Amber explains what an NFT is
30:28 What are royalties and why are they important to artists
33:28 How would you like to be remembered in the long term
34:57 About her book, “These Are My Big Girl Pants”
37:37 Shill - URLs and more
38:38 Wrap up
39:02 Closing

Resources:
Amber Vittoria’s Website: https://www.ambervittoria.com/
Amber Vittoria on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amber_vittoria
Amber Vittoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amber_vittoria/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What is the blockchain? What are NFTs? What is Web3?

This week's podcast is a special educational episode where “Zeneca explains it all.” Host Dana Hork sits down with Zeneca, the founder of ZenLabs, an educational company that is working to onboard billions more people into web3, to help define and explain a series of terms -- in simple terms.

We cover everything from what are NFTs, to what is the blockchain, to what is web3, and more. It’s perfect for anyone new to the space trying to learn -- and it’s great for experts seeking simple-to-use language to describe this all to others.

Show Notes:
0:00 Special episode overview
1:02 Show intro
3:18 Blockchain
5:16 Tokens
6:41 Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs)
9:37 Minting
10:19 Smart contract
11:10 Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
12:41 Crypto
13:53 Metaverse
17:50 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
20:01 Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)
22:28 FOMO
23:09 GM
23:22 Shill
23:54 Web3
24:45 Wrap and 30 Days of NFTs
24:56 Closing

Resources:
Zeneca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zeneca_33
ZenAcademy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZenAcademy_
Zeneca's Website: https://zeneca.xyz/
ZenAcademy’s Website: https://zenacademy.gitbook.io/the-castle/
Free Email Course from ZenAcademy: https://30daysofnfts.com/

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

How DO people learn web3? And what would it take to help educate the next billion users (and more)?

This week’s episode is the first show in a two-episode series with Zeneca, one of the leading builders, influencers, and educators in web3.

This week is an in-depth, behind-the-scenes interview exploring Zeneca’s personal journey into web3, his success as a content creator and project founder, and how he’s now transforming his organically built community into a full-blown company called ZenLabs. He’s aiming to build, as he calls it, the “McKinsey of Web3,” helping to educate and onboard billions of new users into web3 through a broad portfolio of ventures.

Next week will be a special educational episode where “Zeneca explains it all.” Host Dana Hork will ask Zeneca to help define and explain a series of terms -- everything from what are NFTs, to what is the blockchain, to what is web3, and more. It’s perfect for anyone new to the space trying to learn -- and it’s great for experts seeking simple-to-use language to describe this all to others.

Show Notes:
0:00 Two-episode series overview
1:30 Show intro
3:00 Zeneca’s intro, his 1st career as a professional poker player, buying his first crypto
6:23 Zeneca's early interest in NFTs & owning digital assets
7:40 Zeneca’s first NFTs
8:38 Feeling lost and confused buying his first NFTs (just like the rest of us!)
9:49 Leaving poker behind for NFTs
10:57 Beginning to write
11:57 Creating content & the origins of his NFT-enabled community ZenAcademy
15:37 How to foster community with a broad range of expertise in the community & the tier structure of ZenAcademy going forward
17:58 What makes a successful community
19:23 What is ZenMedia and who is Zeneca trying to reach and with what message
21:04 What content is resonating on each social media platform
22:50 Advisory services and who reaches out and when does he say yes
24:00 Consulting and a vision for building the "McKinsey of web3"
25:59 What NFTs does Zeneca collect and why
27:40 What is generative art
30:29 Why will ZenLabs be successful (among others) in onboarding the next billion users into web3
32:43 Is Zeneca surprised by his success and growth plus the benefits of delegating to his team
34:31 Leadership lessons in scaling his company
36:06 Zeneca's values
37:57 A conversation on bringing goodness into the industry
39:49 A question not often asked -- what are the downsides to all of this
41:34 The Web 2.5 world view plus planning for the worst & hoping for the best
43:31 A slogan to live by -- “Good people + Good technology + Good intentions => Good outcomes”
44:15 Shilling ZenAcademy, 30 Days of NFTs
45:25 Closing

Resources:
Zeneca on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zeneca_33
ZenAcademy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZenAcademy_
Zeneca's Website: https://zeneca.xyz/
ZenAcademy’s Website: https://zenacademy.gitbook.io/the-castle/
Free Email Course from ZenAcademy: https://30daysofnfts.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if we could make space travel free (well, free-ish)? What if something like NFTs could create a store of value that subsidizes future missions to space? What if NFT-enabled communities, not the government, could decide what goes up, who goes up, and why we go up to space?

On this episode of Web 2.5, host Dana Hork sits down Tejpaul Bhatia, the Chief Revenue Officer of Axiom Space, a privately owned space infrastructure company that is building and operating the world's first privately owned commercial space station. Tej and his team are tasked with figuring out how to commercialize space, creating new business models that pioneer what it means to have an off-earth economy. Including how we can leverage web3 to get there.

And they are well on their way. Axiom's first mission to space in April of this year, Ax-1, marked the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. And during the mission, Axiom minted the very first NFT from the International Space Station.

Tej will talk with us today about how the business of space meets the blockchain and the future he sees leveraging web3 to help commercialize space.

Show Notes:

0:00 Show Intro

1:04 Tejpaul Bhatia’s Intro & Career Background

3:00 What is Axiom Space

3:48 What does generating revenue from space mean?

5:33 Examples of business models in space

5:58 Justifying the costs of space & how NFTs can help

8:40 About Axiom Space’s first NFT collection with the Ax-1 Mission & minting the first NFT from the International Space Station

11:44 Learnings & what Axiom proved from the first collection

15:05 Why does community need to be built in web3?

19:42 How Tejpaul resourced the project with expertise and advisory support

22:48 Details about the next mint

24:44 Advice for other project founders

28:30 Resources to learn more

-- 

Axiom Space, Website: www.axiomspace.com

Tejpaul Bhatia, Twitter: @tejpaul

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if there was a much simpler, cheaper, and more effective way for brands to reward and engage loyal customers?

In a world where the cost of acquiring a customer is rising, many brands are focused on retaining and enhancing relationships with their existing customer base.

But building a loyalty program is challenging. It's expensive to build from scratch, and inherited legacy systems can be clunky. Yes, you can send more marketing emails and SMS messages, but competing for attention is hard. In-person events and personalized customer outreach are great, but they are also expensive and challenging to scale.

But what if in the background, the liquidity and interoperability offered by NFTs meant that brands could create loyalty programs that are both better for consumers and better for brands.

On this episode, host Dana Hork sits down with Matt Smolin, CEO of Hang, to discuss how Hang is addressing these challenges by leveraging NFTs to help brands drive customer retention and lifetime value with simple-to-use, no-code tools.

Matt talks about his own career, how he pivoted his ticket-gated business into a token-gated one, why he's focused on selling into brands, how Hang works, his thoughts on how NFTs will transform loyalty programs, and more.

DISCLOSURE: This podcast episode was NOT sponsored by Hang, and no payment or consideration was provided. However, for full disclosure, I did want to share that between the recording and release of this episode, Hang did sponsor one edition of our weekly Web 2.5 newsletter. For more information, web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if our personal and professional networks could be reimagined and improved?  We're talking about networks like school alumni groups, technology accelerators, parent support groups, and more. What if we could take everything we loved about them -- how they were sources of support, comfort, knowledge, growth, and more -- and then fix some of their limitations, like making them permissionless to join and liquid to trade or even lend out.

Alex Cavoulacos, CEO of Meta Angels, talks with host Dana Hork about the NFT-enabled membership community she co-founded and how the team is building a global, digital community unlocking real-world value.

We cover Alex's career before web3, her first crypto experience, Meta Angels' quest to explore tokenized networks, the benefits of building in web3, infusing technology with values, brand partnerships, revenue opportunities, technology platforms for community building, the Angel Labs accelerator, and how newbies can get involved in web3.

DISCLOSURE: At the time of recording, host Dana Hork held 1 Meta Angels NFT. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Have you wondered why a global sports franchise would enter the world of web3? Have you ever wondered how the blockchain can be used to tackle something as important as climate change? Have you ever imagined that you could get the answer to both questions on the same podcast? 

Wonder no more. Leanne Bats, Head of Web3 Strategy for New Zealand Rugby and Founder of Tres Cool, talks with us about New Zealand Rugby’s entry into web3 and their purchase of 33 World of Women Galaxy NFTs, how she’s using the blockchain to create a perpetual funding mechanism for carbon removal, and her advice on how to educate yourself about web3.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Welcome to Web 2.5, a show about innovation at the intersection of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Join Dana Hork, a former web2 turned web3 business leader, as she interviews the Web 2.5 movers and shakers who are combining the best of both worlds to ignite new thinking and drive greater impact. Launching soon, with new episodes dropping weekly.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.