Akon

Chairman & Co-Founder

Akoin

Of American-Senegalese descent, Akon is recognized as one of the most powerful voices across Africa and the Diaspora, named to the Forbes Celebrity 100 & 40 Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa lists. In addition to having two multi-platinum albums, 27 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, he is among the first artists to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice. Through Akon Lighting Africa, he has already brought solar power to 18 countries in Africa, creating safety, health and well-being for over 100M of the 600M Africans who lack electricity today.

Sergey Nazarov

Co-founder

Chainlink

Sergey Nazarov is the Co-founder of Chainlink, the leading decentralized oracle network, used by enterprises (SWIFT, Google, Oracle), DeFi, blockchain, and smart contract teams (Aave, Synthetix, Web3 Foundation, Open Law, and many others). 
Working with leading banks, insurance companies and large technology firms on the creation of “universally connected smart contracts”, gives him a unique perspective on what is required to bring smart contracts forward for enterprise adoption. Currently, 80%+ of smart contracts require external data feeds such as market prices, IoT events, and shipping data. These smart contracts need a secure reliable way to connect to this off-chain data, the capability Chainlink uniquely provides.

Nicholas Merten

Host & Founder

DataDash

Nicholas Merten is the founder of DataDash, the largest cryptocurrency YouTube channel with over 315,000 subscribers. Being an international speaker, thought-leader, and crypto analyst in the space, he’s utilized his over seven years of experience in traditional markets to understand the potential of cryptocurrencies.

Stephen Graves

Managing Editor

Decrypt

Joanna Ossinger

Markets Editor

Bloomberg

Journalist specializing in business and markets news including stocks, FX, macro, derivatives. Experienced with real-time/breaking news, features, curation, top stories, business planning/strategy, leadership and more. Skills in print, web, TV, radio as well as product planning and launches. I designed a news product with virtually 100% client takeup. Also skilled in presentations - panelist, moderator, host.

Alex Masmej

Crypto Founder

$ALEX.

Alex Masmej is a founder in crypto, building Ethereum applications ranging from DeFi, NFT, DAO and more recently his personal token $ALEX. He is working on a yet to be announced startup.

Erhan Korhaliller

Founder EAK Digital & Istanbul Blockchain Week

Erhan Korhaliller is the Founder and CEO of EAK Digital, a specialist blockchain PR agency. Prior to launching EAK Digital, Erhan previously managed large scale project teams for blue-chip brands such as Nike, Rolls Royce, and Vodafone, successfully guiding his teams to multiple advertising awards, including a platinum award from Campaign Magazine. Erhan continues to lead from the front, giving PR a voice in the blockchain industry as a speaker at global events.

Ryan Selkis

Co-founder & CEO

Messari

Ryan is co-founder and CEO of Messari, a leading crypto asset data and research company. Prior to founding Messari, he was an entrepreneur-in-residence at ConsenSys, and was on the founding teams of Digital Currency Group, where he managed the firm’s seed investing activity, and CoinDesk, where he led the company’s restructuring and annual Consensus conferences. He has been an investor and prolific writer in the crypto industry since 2013.

Chris Dawe

Co-Founder & CEO

Effect.AI

Chris is an athlete-turned-entrepreneur passionate about how blockchain and distributed ledger technology can create socio-economic change in global regions that need gateways to opportunity. As a Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for guiding the vision of the crypto project Effect.AI, described as an Open,Democratic and Decentralized Network for Artificial Intelligence.Effect.AI, founded in 2016, builds blockchain software platforms which combine the intelligence of 1000’s of humans and cutting-edge algorithms to create automation pipelines for sophisticated digital processes.When he isn’t working, you’ll find Chris butchering Guns N’Roses tunes on his Gibson Les Paul or hunting down giant game fish with his spearguns in South East Asia.

Stani Kulechov

Founder & CEO

Aave

Stani Kulechov is the Founder and CEO of Aave, an open source and non-custodial money market protocol to earn interest on deposits and borrow assets. Stani was studying law at the University of Helsinki when he first got into Ethereum and he started exploring how it could impact the traditional financial system. In 2017, Stani released ETHLend, one of the first DeFi DApps ever. Since then, he has made it his mission to create tools for an open, transparent, and equitable financial ecosystem through Aave Protocol.

Amber Chook

Head of Asia

EAK Digital

Amber Chook is the co-founder of Zebra Global, a highly selective blockchain PR & market entry consulting agency specializing in Asian markets. Inspired by the potential of Bitcoin to bring economic freedom to the world, Amber got into blockchain in 2018. In 2019, she founded Zebra Global. Committed to her passion for social impact and women empowerment, she is also the founder of TEDxRoppongi, SheShaped, and the Japan Advisor for Girls20. Amber has dedicated herself to not only bridging International blockchain markets but also including more women in the global phenomenon of blockchain.

William Foxley

CoinDesk

Tech Reporter

William Foxley is a tech reporter for CoinDesk. He previously worked for Messari and the American Spectator. He holds investments in bitcoin.

Zia Word

Founder

Findy Ventures

Zia is an experienced entrepreneur with two exits. Involved in blockchain startups since 2013, she was co-founder & CSO of crypto & blockchain ecosystem chozun 途赞 in China. She now consults in the space and is currently building Findy Ventures to invest into killer upcoming blockchain, crypto, Web 3 & FinTech startups. Zia regularly appears on Sky Business News and speaks all over the world at events. She was voted one of the Top Ten Most Influential by The Crypto Magazine.

Jon Karas

President, Co-Founder

Infinity Management

Finance, Entertainment and Technology industry entrepreneur, seasoned capital formation leader, film producer, and talent representative. With over 25 years in the entertainment and finance industries, Jon is a major force at the intersection of celebrity and social good. He is a founding Advisory Board member of Slate Entertainment Group, creator of disruptive crypto-driven streaming and ticketing platforms. As a veteran of the William Morris Agency, he founded Infinity Management International in 1990, which represents top record producers, film and television writers, directors, and producers. He began his career practicing transactional and securities law at two major law firms on Park Avenue in New York.

Lynn Liss

Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder

Akoin

Social Impact entrepreneur, operating executive, driving financial revolutions and related technology, partnerships and business models. Lynn has over 10+ years in the social impact sector; advising, executing and operating innovating business models for world change. An early mover in the 'blockchain for good' space, Lynn was a founding partner at ICO Impact Group, providing advisement to blockchain companies and new cryptocurrencies with a social impact. Over 10+ years as an executive consultant with leading firms BearingPoint and CGI-AMS providing strategic advisement and deploying innovative technology with Fortune 500s, including negotiating a $20M+ deal signed by the COO of Microsoft. Combined with an MBA in Strategy/Finance from the University of Chicago, Lynn has deep networks and experience across the startup, venture capital, entertainment, finance, technology, and social good sectors.

Nick Fett

CTO

Tellor

Nick Fett, CTO of Tellor.  Nick is an economist by training who started off his career working for the US government, in particular, the Commodity Futures Trading Comission (CFTC) who regulate cryptocurrencies in the U.S.  He left there in 2017 to found a decentralized derivatives startup, Daxia.  He received an Ethereum Foundation grant for oracle research in 2018 and pivoted to cofound Tellor, a decentralized oracle aimed at enabling a more censorship-resistant DeFi.

Wes Levitt

Head of Strategy

Theta Labs

Wes Levitt is Head of Strategy for Theta Labs, where he works on corporate strategy, marketing and press relations, and analytics. He has been a speaker on blockchain topics at conferences like the New York Media Festival, Blockchain Connect, and NAB Streaming Summit among others. Prior to joining Theta Labs, Wes spent 8 years in investment roles in real estate equity and securitized debt. He holds a BS in Economics from University of Oregon and an MBA from UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Jeff Roberts

Law, tech and cryptocurrency reporter

Fortune

I'm a lawyer and journalist at Fortune Magazine who specializes in IP and bitcoin stories. I co-founded The Ledger, a new Fortune franchise dedicated to blockchain and cryptocurrency. My book "Kings of Crypto: Coinbase and the Next Generation Finance" will be published by Amazon Audible in 2020.

Paul Claudius

COO

DIA

Paul is a serial entrepreneur and financial markets expert. Before co- founding DIA, he was Director Europe of the nu3 group, transforming the multi-million e-commerce business into a vertically integrated brand. Paul started his professional career as part of BNP Paribas Corporate Development in New York City and AXA Private Equity in Frankfurt am Main. Paul has advised and invested in multiple start-ups in health tech, IOT and e-commerce. At DIA, he manages the business development and strategy.

Rachida Brocklehurst

Head of Marketing

EAK Digital

Rachida is an ex-journalist with 12 years of experience working in communications, marketing and PR, with a specific background in European Affairs and the NGO sector, and a keen interest in social impact initiatives. With a firm finger on the pulse of all things marketing and PR, she has helped clients get featured in both  mainstream and industry publications, whilst also being featured herself in international media, The BBC and speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

Samantha Yap

Founder and CEO

YAP Global

Samantha Yap is the founder and CEO of YAP Global — an international PR firm with a focus on helping meaningful fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency companies tell their story on the global stage. Samantha is a fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency media specialist with past experience working as an international freelance journalist in Jakarta, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. Prior to delving into fintech PR, she worked at Channel NewsAsia in Singapore as a broadcast journalist and current affairs producer.

Jacobo Toll-Messia

CEO

Nahmii

A recognised world-leader in the blockchain and telecommunications space, Jacobo is hubii’s CEO and founder. After completing his MSc in software engineering in Spain and Britain, Jacobo held global project roles focused on strategic technology consulting, product development and process improvement for a number of different companies in the UK and Norway including IBM, Intesa, Nortel Networks and Chevron. Jacobo has extensive experience with large software implementations across diverse industries, including investment banking, oil/gas and content delivery. In recognition of his achievements with hubii, Jacobo has been invited to speak at many prestigious conferences including the Global Editors Network summit in Lisbon and the 2018 World Internet Conference in Wuhzen.

Abel Tedros

Technical Product Manager & Host

Abel's Abstracts

Abel is a Technical Product Manager & the podcast host of Abel's Abstracts - A podcast for product teams to keep up to date and learn from the best products in web 3.0 and DeFi (Decentralized finance) To keep up to date with the podcast, subscribe to the newsletter - abelsabstracts.substack.com/

Jay Zhou

Co-founder & COO

Loopring

Jay is a blockchain entrepreneur and angel investor. He has extensive skills across online payment & financial operation with a particular focus on risk management and innovative solution. Prior to Jay’s work in the cross-border payment at PayPal, he worked in a spectrum of different industry sectors including; Financial Service Operation at Ernst&Young and a member at Global Shapers Community. Jay has been mentoring the blockchain course at Stanford University.