Transcript
Angie Lau: Numbers don’t lie. One in three college-educated ladies don’t imagine that they’ve equal entry to monetary techniques in their very own nation, and 93% of them assume that expertise will have an effect on finance within the subsequent decade. So there’s an enormous disconnect right here. Nicely, what can we do about it? Does the answer to a extra inclusive and gender-diverse monetary system lie with crypto?
Welcome to Phrase on the Block, the sequence that takes a deeper dive into blockchain and all of the rising applied sciences that form our world on the intersection of enterprise, politics and financial system. It’s what we cowl proper right here on Forkast. I’m Editor-in-Chief Angie Lau, and right this moment I’m thrilled. We’re in dialog with Wendy Diamond, CEO and founding father of the Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Day Group, extra popularly generally known as WEDO, which is attempting to bridge the gender chasm right here that we’re actually seeing on this planet. And that’s the place we come to subsequent. We’re speaking to Wendy, what her story is, and the way she thinks crypto is de facto participating us in the next method. Wendy, we do, sure, we do.
I’m thrilled that you simply’re right here. You’re a media goddess, I’d say, a media guru who began the primary pet way of life media firm, to monumental success. And now you’re in blockchain, you’re in crypto, you’re in Web3. How did this all begin for you?
Wendy Diamond: I grew up in a small city in Ohio — like 2,500 folks. After I grew up I had horses and canine and cats and the entire thing. And I simply actually liked neighborhood, as a result of we had been a small neighborhood, however we had been all, like, collectively, and animals performed an enormous half in my life. And after I moved to New York Metropolis, I adopted my canine and cat from the shelter and I realized 12 million animals had been euthanized a 12 months that 12 months. And in addition that 12 months you’d go into the media and also you by no means noticed, like, celebrities or popular culture, otherwise you by no means noticed anyone speaking about adoption or rescue. It was very weird.
So, I knew that by making a media firm and bringing celebrities and popular culture to the animal rescue world, we might educate everybody, ‘You possibly can undertake any breed, any dimension, any age.’ And actually due to beginning animal welfare — Self-importance Truthful, the New York Occasions, Forbes, Fox, and so on. — we introduced celebrities and popular culture to the animal rescue world, that quantity right this moment is right down to lower than 2 million animals euthanized a 12 months.
We go across the nation and promote and do occasions and assist the native animal rescue teams world wide, round the USA, but in addition the world. And what occurred was I ended up getting a loopy stalker who utterly ruined my life, actually. And by 2012, my complete lifetime of what I created, actually — I needed to step again from public life and determine what was happening. And what occurred was I ended up on trip in Honduras, the homicide capital of the world. After I booked the journey, I didn’t comprehend it was the homicide capital of the world, however I booked it and I used to be, like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ However I’m an adventurer and I’m not hanging out with the drug lords. And what I say to folks about my story is embracing life. No matter’s put in entrance of you, there’s a constructive — you may not comprehend it in a day, a 12 months or 10 years.
Nicely, the man who ran the lodge stated, ‘There’s a tremendous group that gives micro-loans for poor ladies. Why don’t you go test it out? It’s secure. I do know the event director. Go test it out.’ So, I ended up on this journey the place I realized all in regards to the statistics of ladies. This was 2013. So, after I went on this journey to go to this group known as Adelante with this improvement director, I used to be alleged to spend a couple of hours. I spent three days — actually grime ground, the entire thing — and met all these unimaginable ladies that had been receiving these US$100 micro-loans.
I met this one girl — she was 72 years outdated and he or she had three little youngsters. And I’m, like, ‘How did you’ve got these three little youngsters? Whew, it’s a miracle.’ And he or she’s. like, ‘My daughter handed away, the husband ran off.’ And he or she received a US$100 micro-loan and was ready with that US$100 to open up a window in her one-room hut (that) she shared with these three little grandchildren on a dust ground and promote Cokes and toothpaste.
And actually, world wide, there are thousands and thousands of ladies receiving these loans. So, they’re paying it again at a 98% charge — 90% of that goes to teach their youngsters, present for his or her households. One out of eight ladies in America live in poverty. I’m like, ‘Wow, why is no one speaking about this?’ So, I went again to our governor and our mayor and I stated, ‘Can we create a day on this planet known as Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Day?’ — to convey consciousness to empower, have a good time and assist ladies economically. As a result of if we assist ladies economically, we all know 90% of that cash goes to teach the kids, present for his or her households, and uplift the whole neighborhood. And when ladies are part of enterprise, they’ve self esteem, they’ve dignity, they don’t enable human rights violations.
In 2014 — the crew in Africa — I used to be launched to a lady in Botswana that was a goat farmer who couldn’t afford healthcare for her son, who had actually severe well being points, and sadly, the son handed away. However on that journey she realized about Bitcoin. I realized about Bitcoin in 2014. And why is that? As a result of this girl created the SatoshiCentre in Botswana, like, in her little hut. You already know what I’m saying? And to teach the folks of Botswana about Bitcoin. Quick ahead right this moment — she’s advising the federal government of Botswana on crypto. She’s being funded by (Twitter co-founder) Jack Dorsey.
So anyhow, that’s how I realized about it, and that’s how I began to see that what Bitcoin is about, is what our basis is about. Our basis was based on serving to the two-and-a-half billion unbanked, who’re principally ladies. We now have that very same mission. And so after I realized about Bitcoin, I used to be, like, ‘What?’ I used to be, like, ‘That is unbelievable.’ I’m not a techie. I’m not like certainly one of these folks, however I simply was fascinated by this world foreign money that was enabling (folks) — particularly these folks in high-inflation areas — to have monetary inclusion. So, if you take a look at Bitcoin and the utilization and the thousands and thousands of individuals utilizing it in Venezuela and Zimbabwe and Botswana, Nigeria… that aligns with what our perception is, with our basis. In order that was how I initially received into it.
Lau: Rattling. I’m going to say, rattling. Right here’s why — you constructed up by merely figuring out a necessity and asking the query why. And you then did it. That’s by definition a founder. That’s by definition an entrepreneur, That’s by definition a change-maker. Now, you probably did this for animals and animal welfare and actually connecting the dots and creating this highly effective voice. You go to Honduras. Happenstance, and increase — you meet any person that makes a click on for you. And also you talked about that about crypto. What’s it about crypto that speaks to you in the identical method that you simply recognized a necessity, an issue, and also you go, ‘Hey, right here’s a potential answer. Why not this?’ Why is crypto that for you?
Diamond: We take into consideration, like, Web3, and we take into consideration the metaverse and NFTs. Let’s not overlook the mom of this complete system, the ecosystem — Bitcoin. And Bitcoin is, to me — when you look it up and also you sort of take a look at the historical past of it — probably the most high-integrity deflationary instrument ever created in historical past that isn’t managed by a authorities or a couple of folks, which is run by the folks and decentralized, to allow peer-to-peer transactions in an immutable, clear and traceable (method), and offering this. So, it allows the two-and-a-half billion unbanked monetary inclusion. All they want is their account.
My complete factor was to convey consciousness in direction of animal rescue, convey consciousness in direction of empowering ladies economically who’re impoverished from a ground-up method. It’s by no means been like ‘me, me, me’, it’s all about ‘we, we, we’. WEDO. And so I really feel, like, the founders, Satoshi (Nakamoto) of Bitcoin, they didn’t care in regards to the cash or energy. They usually’ve by no means offered or transferred any of their Bitcoin. They usually’re price billions and billions of {dollars}. That claims one thing in regards to the integrity of this complete ecosystem. And I believe that’s what I care most about, as a result of, when you concentrate on it — particularly in the USA with what’s occurred with bailing out all of the banks and who actually benefited from that and who did it and the entire thing — this, to me, is that I find it irresistible, I imagine in it. And I’d prefer to say that, certain, like something on this world, there’s a couple of unhealthy eggs. However if you consider why this was created, it has such excessive integrity that we should embrace it.
Lau: You’re an adviser on quite a few fascinating crypto funds, together with Perceptive Capital, simply to call a couple of. There’s a big hole between operating a charity group and supporting blockchain start-ups. So now you’re on this area, what are you searching for? What do you assume nonetheless must be supported on this area? Ladies in crypto. Are there sufficient of us?
Diamond: So, I’ve been on this area for a very long time. I’ve been by the ICO (preliminary coin providing) stage, the place I misplaced so much. And I used to be simply so excited as a result of everybody was disrupting all the things. I used to be like, certain, certain, certain, so I made a decision to start out investing in funds. So, I’m presently an investor in 5 crypto Web3 funds, additionally (in) start-ups which can be impactful. So, my complete objective is to assist the underdog. And the underdog is people who don’t have a voice. So, that features ladies, that features animals, that features local weather change… all the things.
So, I imagine by being a part of these funds, it’s my duty to convey consciousness in direction of the ladies founders on this area and to allow and have a voice for them inside these funds. So, I do spend money on funds to be part of that. As a result of if you take a look at it, most of those crypto funds are based by males. However how can we then convey these actually nice tasks to them that actually are impactful?
So, a couple of of the tasks that I’m in. One is named Animal Cloud, which is a Web3 platform for animal rescue, bringing information and adoption to Web3 as a way to monitor the life of those canine and have the ability to determine ‘How can we lower the adoption charges by enabling accountable breeding?’ and and so on. And these are the sort of tasks I’m in. I’m additionally a part of BlockTower Capital. I’m a part of CoinFund, early in Rarible and Dapper and loads of the early profitable Web3 tasks.
Lau: Plenty of successes … I need to discuss how crypto is making a distinction in occasions of misery, and what WEDO is doing actively in Afghanistan after energy reverted again into the arms of the Taliban … And also you, Wendy, are funding — what’s it — 100,000 Afghan ladies with crypto. Your group has been lively in Afghanistan since 2014 and now — wow — extra essential than ever earlier than. Inform us in regards to the affect you’ve had and the choice to remain as the federal government fell in Kabul … and the Taliban took over.
Diamond: So once more, our basis — we’re an all-volunteer motion. So, we search for, like, profitable ladies that need to give again to their communities. So, sure, we had been in Afghanistan throughout this complete transition interval, and so on., and our crew there have been compelled to depart. And what I realized is, like, what was crypto actually created for with this kind of state of affairs.
So, I simply began studying so much about a few of these unimaginable ladies there. A variety of them had been Gen Z and stuff like that. And I’d go discover them, whether or not it was on TikTok or Instagram, and I’d be like, ‘Hey, are you guys into crypto? Have you considered this?’ And so then I used to be, like, ‘Okay, let’s do that. Let’s create an initiative to fund 100,000 ladies in Afghanistan for every week’s price of meals so everybody can contribute US$10.’ That’s all it’s, by the best way. They get their rice, they get all of the stuff, their requirements for the week.
However what’s actually essential earlier than we give them (that) is that it takes them two minutes to arrange. So, out of the 40 million folks there, half of these folks have cell phones, whether or not it’s a flip-phone or cell. And so we guessed about 5 million of these had been ladies. So, what we did is we completed our pilot, in order that now these ladies have it. They then have to look at a fast little video about studying about crypto and creating an NFT, after which they obtain the tokens, and we’ve introduced on Stacks coin. Solana now’s taking a look at how they’ll take part on this. So we’re principally testing it out, and we’re going to ask the whole Web3 neighborhood to get behind this. We’ve additionally linked with the e-commerce corporations inside Afghanistan. Now, there are e-commerce corporations — there’s an Amazon of Afghanistan. They’re solely doing 30,000 packages, however to allow these ladies who obtain these drops of cash are ready then to spend it in these e-commerce corporations inside Afghanistan, they create a package deal. So, these ladies, once they go on, can simply pay for it with their crypto.
So, it’s my objective to get this neighborhood — of which despite the fact that we’re in a winter proper now, have finished phenomenally effectively and in honor of Satoshi, who created this motion, we should always do what this complete ecosystem was created upon doing, and it’s enabling monetary inclusion, and nearly all of the two-and-a-half billion unbanked are ladies. So, that is certainly one of these tasks that I believe is essential, and I believe that it allows everyone in the neighborhood to assist.
Lau: What you’re additionally exhibiting is de facto you’re conducting a case examine, a real-life pilot trial that reveals off the flexibility of this peer-to-peer cost system to assist in a humanitarian disaster, in any form of occasion of want, the place we will see the ability of digital foreign money being actively used to assist on the bottom.
Diamond: There may be such a necessity for tasks like this on this planet. By the best way, speaking about Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Day, it’s an official day on Nov. 19. And since Nov. 19, falls on a Saturday — the one which we do in New York on the United Nations, — it’s going to be held on Nov. 18, and that day is celebrating the affect of Web3 and crypto and what they’ve finished on this planet. As a result of there are such a lot of tasks world wide, for example, just like the Ukraine DAO (decentralized autonomous group) and Unicorn DAO, and all these those who have actually contributed to the betterment of the world. I believe it’s essential that we convey this to the forefront.
Lau: Are there different spots on this planet the place you see that folks have been marginalized, and also you’re very conscious of those spots they usually exist even in our personal international locations? The place do you see the appliance of crypto past what we’re seeing proper now? I imply, everyone’s listening to the clearly scary headlines — crypto winter contagion, wealth destruction and its monumental affect.
Diamond: We’re up towards the naysayers. We’re up towards a lot. However when you simply learn between the traces like BlackRock doing their Bitcoin chart and all these items, you’ll see it’s going to occur. It’s simply going to take so much longer as a result of the very fact is, we’re 13 years outdated. And I do know, like, Gen Z and millennials, like, want it yesterday, want it rapidly, however you realize what? Persistence, as a result of it’s taking place. There’s among the most unimaginable minds behind this complete factor. And it’s — really, to me — I’ve by no means been so enthusiastic about a few of these tasks which can be actually going to alter this world for the higher.
Lau: Okay, Wendy, we’ve talked about so many issues, however inclusivity — you’re actively doing one thing about it with Ladies Entrepreneurship, WEDO. We do extra, we will do. WEDO. And the way can all of us do it? Not simply ladies, however male allies and girls allies on this area to incorporate extra. And why is that essential?
Diamond: And that’s one other factor. We’re not, like, we love males…
Lau: After all we do.
Diamond: Yeah. Like, we’re not male, any of that.
Lau: I’ve received a five-year-old son. I’ve received to like my man, and I’ve received to like my man who gave me my little man. So, yeah.
Diamond: I imply, that’s the entire thing. It’s about training. And I’ll say, like, among the best males on this ecosystem are supporting our motion. Everybody from Seth Ginns, one of many heads of CoinFund, to Tom (Thomas) Lee from Fundstrat, to James Johnson, and so on., are actually massive supporters. And I believe that the important thing to that is to essentially convey so much and assist these initiatives, whether or not it’s being a part of Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Day everywhere in the world and supporting our ambassadors everywhere in the world which can be creating our motion and taking part. Ladies’s Entrepreneurship Day goes to be celebrated within the metaverse, so everybody can take part this 12 months. Be a part of it.
It’s about additionally supporting all these DAOs which can be on the market which can be supporting ladies, whether or not it’s AllStarsWomen DAO or whether or not it’s H.E.R. DAO, or no matter it could be. There are such a lot of ladies which can be actually combating to assist ladies on this area, and to assist the builders create totally different corporations and partnering and collaborating so that everybody could make a distinction. Everybody can take part. Whether or not you’re nonetheless in Web2, you possibly can take part. Whether or not you’re younger and also you don’t know what you’re doing, you possibly can take part.
What’s so superb about this ecosystem is that there’s a lot alternative. I imply, all the businesses that I’m in and all of the funds I’m in have so many job alternatives. It’s about training and enabling these ladies to grasp that they’re succesful and that they need to apply. And it’s additionally so simple as simply attending Meetups within the area — there’s Meetups in every single place on this planet… simply with the ability to be educated. And lots of people are petrified of it. And what I all the time say to them is, like throughout the pandemic — I’ll let you know, it was hysterical — I actually in all probability spent a whole lot of hours watching YouTube.
Lau: YouTube College.
Diamond: I’d go to one thing or I’d watch one thing and somebody would say one thing and I’d be, like, ‘What the heck is that?’ And there I’m, two minutes later, after I’m finished watching 5 YouTube movies to get it. As a result of on the finish of the day, it’s super-exciting. I imply, there’s a lot training on the market for Web3. Each protocol, whether or not it’s NEAR, whether or not it’s Solana, whether or not it’s Polygon, Ethereum Basis… There are all these free methods to study blockchain, about all these protocols and how one can be part of it.
Lau: So, loads of ladies, I believe, (know) the 90-10% rule. Everyone knows what that’s. For girls, we now have to really feel 90% succesful earlier than we elevate our hand, and for the fellows within the room, it’s 10% succesful. And ‘Yeah, I’m able to go. I can personal this area.’ How can we flip that considering? What do the ladies who’re watching this — and the male allies who’re watching this — want to acknowledge? How can we flip that considering and have each girl elevate their hand? In the event that they’re within the area, actually, you’re succesful.
Diamond: Like, if you say that, I sort of was considering, ‘That’s me sort of too.’ I’m not the one who’s like, ‘Oh, despite the fact that I’m sort of skilled and I’ve had loads of expertise in life and I’m simply completely in all sectors and perceive learn how to make issues occur.’ I believe you actually need to do that at a younger age. So, it’s about at a younger age, enabling your youngsters to have jobs, and to have the ability to be independent and to have the ability to open their minds and to grow to be entrepreneurs. As a result of in our society right this moment, individuals are not graduating school and dealing for any person for 20 years. They should be an entrepreneur.
You possibly can by no means lose your interior little one of pleasure of all the time questioning, ‘Wow,’ or, ‘How?’ and ‘How can I do this?’ or “Let me strive.’ Whenever you had been youthful, you had been, like, all about that, and all the time remembering that may allow ladies to only — whether or not you’ve simply misplaced your job and also you don’t know what you’re going to do — it’s, like, take that journey, go down that rabbit gap of YouTube, take a look at all of the movies, watch it. What excites you? Is it the metaverse? Is it gaming? And when you’re actually considering one thing, do one Google. When you’re considering actual property, there’s a ton of blockchains for actual property. When you’re considering training, there’s tons of that. After which simply do your analysis. As a result of I all the time say to folks like, ‘I had no concept.’ Actually, like my complete life, I’ve been an entrepreneur. I by no means had a job. I utilized for, like, 100 jobs after school. Nobody employed me, so I all the time needed to create my very own factor, and I used to be not a great pupil.
And so I believe it’s simply actually understanding what’s the worst that would occur. And the worst that would occur is somebody says no, however I can promise finally somebody will say sure. And I believe it’s simply so essential for folks simply to have it inside them to attempt to ask.
Lau: Nicely, you’ve stated sure to so many individuals, and I believe you’ve flipped the equation. So, we’d solely know 10%, however there’s 90% of individuals just like the Wendy Diamonds of the world. And hopefully what we’re doing right here at Forkast, and this unimaginable neighborhood of people that will say additionally, sure — all it’s important to do is know that they’re there and also you search them out. You already know, 90% of that equation is you merely asking for assist and getting steering, as a result of the yesses are throughout us.
Diamond: I believe you’ll agree, Angie. I’ve by no means seen a extra passionate group of individuals in wanting to teach folks and wanting folks to be concerned. So, wherever you’re on this world, I can assure you there’s in all probability a crypto neighborhood on Meetup or someplace, or you could possibly discover it. And, once more, simply perform some research, as a result of there are such a lot of folks engaged on such impactful tasks, and it’s so essential for folks to have objective in life. It’s identical to, ‘Wow, I’m making a distinction as a result of I’m serving to X, Y, Z.’ And I believe that’s sort of like with me — with all of the tasks I work on, it’s all the time, like, it’s not about me. It’s the larger drawback that we’re going through and that we’re attempting to unravel.
Lau: Your story is unimaginable, and I can’t wait to affix forces with you. It will be an honor, and I can’t wait to see the tales that we’ll write collectively and the tales that we’ll write about what you’re doing and persevering with to do. It’s been a privilege and nice to only chat with you on this Phrase on the Block episode, and I can’t wait to do extra of it.
Diamond: Angie, thanks a lot. So grateful.
Lau: Thanks, Wendy, for becoming a member of us right this moment. And thanks, everybody, for becoming a member of us on this newest episode of Phrase on the Block. I hope that you simply’ve been impressed and go nudge that girl in your life — your daughter, your sister, your mom, your grandmother — to get into this area. It’s world-changing, and that’s why we’re all right here in it, in spite of everything. I’m Angie Lau, Forkast Editor-in-Chief. Till the subsequent time.
