👁️ Personal Story and Vision

Being nominated by ReFi DAO for the Gitcoin Regen Citizen’s Round is such an honor. For me, this journey is all about blending the worlds of Web2 and Web3 to build a regenerative future.

My passion for creating an impact started right out of college when I took my first job at the UN. Later, my path led me to nonprofit work and back to grad school in sunny Santa Barbara, California, where I began to see how crucial it was to protect nature and rethink our relationship with the Earth.

That’s when I discovered the ideas behind regenerative economics and the power of Web3 for better coordination, decentralization, and access. I joined the ReFi community in 2021 and found my way into communications roles, starting with UCSB’s Blockchain Club.

With my background in social science research and impact communications, I realized I could make a difference by telling powerful stories of regeneration.

🎓 Regenerative R&D and Education

I took the plunge and started hosting conversations with ReFi leaders as Head of Impact at Blockchain Acceleration Foundation. As I continued my research, I became a project fellow with the WEF Crypto Sustainability Coalition’s Web3 x Climate Action working group. We conducted in-depth, hour-long interviews with 23 Web3 and climate experts and co-authored a white paper on scaling climate action using blockchain.

From there, I joined ReFi DAO as a content contributor, where I wrote ReFi RoundUps, reported on key regen trends and events on Twitter. The deeper I went, the more I realized how this community was bridging gaps between local needs and a global regenerative mission.

🌎 Operations and Impact on Local Communities

My passion for community building came to life in Spring of 2024 when I helped organize ReFi Unconference Barcelona, where I saw the magic of collaboration and connection up close.

Working alongside the Crypto Commons Association, ReFi Barcelona, and Trusted Seed, we created a space where local eco-movements—like degrowth and cooperative initiatives—could connect with decentralized tech. This event really showed me how important it is to work from the ground up and foster meaningful connections.

As part of the ReFi Local Node Beta Incubator, I began brainstorming the formation of a local node in Santa Barbara with fellow regens in the area. We’re exploring how to create a thriving regenerative community locally, connecting our efforts to the broader ReFi network and making sure our initiatives reflect the needs of the local environment and community.

🎙️ The ReFi Podcast & Beyond

Earlier this year, I had the chance to co-host the ReFi Podcast with Tereza Bízková. Leading Season 4 has been a huge opportunity for us to dig deep and tell stories that inspire and educate.

We expanded the season into three focused miniseries under the theme The Regeneration Nexus. We began with the miniseries, The Vision, exploring foundational ideas for rethinking economic and belief systems.

Conversations with thought leaders like John Fullerton on regenerative economics, Samantha Power on bioregionalism, and Glen Weyl on pluralism emphasized common themes: respect for life, interconnectedness, and valuing diversity and indigenous wisdom.

Next, we’re moving into “The Practice” to showcase real-world examples of regeneration and “The Tools” to explore how tech like blockchain and AI can help scale these efforts.

So far, we’ve launched five episodes, hosted four Twitter Spaces, and have so much more to come.

Being part of the ReFi community and a proud Regen Citizen over the last four and a half years has been a journey filled with storytelling, collaboration, and exploring new ways to create change.

With your support, I’m excited to keep sharing these stories and building bridges that matter. Thank you for the opportunity and being part of my journey. 💜