Web 2.5

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 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. In her role, Sandy is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Unstoppable Web, as well as driving strategic partnerships and growth opportunities for the company. In today’s episode, we’ll discover what Unstoppable Domains does, 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 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 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 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. Tom and his team began with one big question — What if the Smithsonian was owned and curated by the Internet? And they have been building the answer ever since. 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 today’s episode, Tom gives a behind-the-scenes look at Arkive, how it works, and some of the big works they have acquired. 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 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 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 though 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 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.

SHOW WEBSITE: https://www.web2point5.io SUBSCRIBE TO SHOW NEWSLETTER: https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe SPONSOR: https://www.hang.xyz/ 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 Website & Email Signup: www.web2point5.io 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: Show Intro Avery and Dana discuss being named one of Coindesk’s Most Influential for 2022 Avery introduces herself and Vayner3 Avery shares the types of client(s) that partner with Vayner3 and why An overview of Vayner3’s use cases for brands in 2022 Avery explains what improves a brand’s chances of success Avery shares her go-to market strategies Avery’s take on the crypto winter and the negative news cycles The cultural and behavioral transformations of Web3 An overview of niche vs. mainstream adoption and how Web3 is inevitable Vayner3’s predictions for Web3 in 2023 Avery’s shoutouts Shill Wrap-up 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 & Email Signup: www.web2point5.io 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 a portfolio of brand engagement programs, including shoppable livestream events, 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 and 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 presence, a behind-the-scenes view into Walmart’s very first at-scale metaverse launch, sharing 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 disclosures.web2point5.io. 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 disclosures.web2point5.io.

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 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 disclosures.web2point5.io.

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. Show Credits: Dana Hork (Host), Ron Passaro (Producer), Seton Rossini (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.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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 -- 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. 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.

How DO people learn web3? And what would it take to help educate the next billion users (and more)? This week’s episode is part one of a very special two-episode series with Zeneca, one of THE leading builders, influencers, and educators in web3. This week’s show 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. 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.