1. Who are you?
Hi! I’m Ioanna (Joanna) Orlova, and I have over 10 years of experience as a community builder, activist, consultant, and social scientist. Having worked in Spain, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Brazil, and the United States, I possess the ability to collaborate with cross-cultural teams and execute complex projects.
Growing up as a Russian-Ukrainian immigrant in predominantly under-resourced communities in the NY area, my trajectory has always been geared towards addressing the fact that disadvantaged groups of people are often disproportionately excluded and negatively affected by existing systems and networks of support.
I believe that we can enact systemic change through the Web3 revolution, where access to opportunity is granted through decentralization.
Some fun facts:
- I speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian fluently (basic in a couple others)
- I love the outdoors - particularly engaging in mountain or water activities!
- I’ve built a house before and a playground before
2. What is your experience?
Community Management: I am one of the longest standing NEAR Community Managers here in the US representing New York. I have worked side by side with many projects, and have engaged the community in NY through the following that I organized:
- 50+ educational, technical, and social events, you can check some out on our NEAR NYC eventbrite
- 4 hackathons- 3 hackathons in NY and 1 in Miami, with over $50k total prizes rewarded
- 1 Demo day that we gave away $10k+ in NEAR Horizon credits, and will continue to host quarterly with MasterCard
- Mentoring sessions and intros to resources
Management Consulting: As a Risk & Data Management Consultant working with Santander Bank as my client, I worked with executives in the banking industry, assessing operational models and processes. I provided actionable insights and produced reports on key developments in the financial industry.
Non-Profit: I’ve served as a researcher conducting Randomized Control Trials, and as the founder of an online mentoring program for low-income parents and caregivers, I build budgets, conducted needs assessments, synthesized findings, and coordinated workshops. I’ve also served as an advocate for various health and education causes to influence public policy.
You can read more on my LinkedIn.
3. Any skills? Goals?
Skills include:
- Strategy: I have experience in strategic planning, problem-solving, and developing data-driven solutions.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM): I am adept at engaging stakeholders and building relationships in various contexts.
- Building budgets: I have crafted various project proposals that included budgets and have advised organizations on budget building.
- Communication: I am fluent in written and verbal communication in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.
- Data Analysis: I have experience in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to produce actionable insights and reports.
- Project Management: I have successfully managed and executed complex projects, meeting tight deadlines and producing high-quality deliverables.
- Economic and Political Analysis: I have a passion for economic and political developments, and possess the ability to analyze and forecast trends in numerous regions.
Goals:
- My overall goal is to disrupt the status quo and the existing systems that have disenfranchised individuals to fully reach their potential. I want to be a steward in reshaping these systems, and I believe the way to do so is by fostering the growth of regional communities as a Council Member.
4. How are you involved with NEAR and the overall blockchain ecosystem?
I’ve been the NEAR NYC Community Manager since April 2022, where my job is to help educate and engage community members — especially founders and developers, on how to use NEAR’s powerful blockchain technology and build high-potential projects with value-proposition for the benefit of our collective humanity. I am also a part of the Bitcoin Center here in NY, and am very keen on bolstering educational initiatives.
5. Where is your home?
Home currently is New York, although the multi-cultural presence here is an indication of how home truly is the whole world.
6. Which communities do you represent?
Beyond NEAR NYC and Liberty DAO, I represent and identify with communities that place emphasis on:
- Womxn empowerment
- Immigrant diaspora
- LGBTQA+
- Neurodivergent
- Civic engagement
- Healthcare
- Educational Initiatives
- Financial Inclusion
- Sustainable Fashion
7. Why are you a good candidate?
I would be a great addition to the Council due to my diverse background, passion for social change driven by blockchain technology like the BOS, deep immersion in the ecosystem, and empathetic leadership.
I am also deeply immersed in the ecosystem, and am involved with:
- BOS academy: academy.near.social
- The development of our community-led DAO, Liberty DAO - nycdao.near.social
8. Why should people vote for you?
I am devoted and bring an array of knowledge, experiences, and partnerships. I aim to uplift not only the North American regional hub, but all of the other hubs that are also part of the movement.
I have primed myself to optimally review and approve Community proposals that align with the growth and strategic direction of the Ecosystem
9. Explain your strategy to develop regional communities.
New York is one of the most global hubs within North America, and I plan to use my network here and in other cities to develop Regional Communities the following ways:
Research and strategy: To identify within the NEAR ecosystem key stakeholders, partnerships with aligned organizations, KPIs/OKRs, and roadmaps.
Education and Community Building: Focused on reaching a wide audience of creators (founders, developers, artists, and others.
- How? Through technical and educational meetups, workshops, academies (ie BOS Academy), hackathons, and engagements where individuals get to have on-chain experiences and immerse themselves in what various projects are building. A system honed for active participation and support is what we hope to bring to the whole world!
Advocacy and Regulatory/Policy Support: Engage with government bodies to create favorable regulations for blockchain and decentralized web initiatives.
10. Let us know any expectations regarding your time commitment and compensation.
My time commitment as a Regional Communities DAO Council member is flexible up to 25 hours per week. A competitive rate for the NY region is expected.
11. Kindly disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and feel free to be creative!
I am the NEAR NYC Community Manager, but as a Council Member I will always maintain objectivity and conduct affairs fairly.