Biden-Harris Blockchain Diversity Letter

Formal Letter From Alliance of Diverse Leaders in Blockchain

45 Geographically Dispersed Industry Leaders from Across Multiple Disciplines Advocate for Inclusion

Dear President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, members of the transition team and incoming economic team:

We are thrilled that help is on the way! The Biden-Harris administration is inheriting an economic recession and will need to create innovation jobs and spur small business growth as we enter the fourth industrial revolution.

We are encouraged by the dynamic economic team being assembled: Janet Yellen, Treasury Secretary; Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary at Treasury; Neera Tanden, Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Cecilia Rouse, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA); Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey, CEA Members. This is the type of inclusive team needed to tackle the unprecedented challenges ahead to put the nation on a path to economic recovery.

We want to make sure there is also a commitment to racial diversity and gender inclusion as you expand this team to include blockchain and cryptocurrency industry leaders. The World Economic Forum predicts blockchain will account for 10% of global GDP by 2025. A priority in the cryptoeconomy is to foster greater financial inclusion. According to the FDIC, more than 6% of Americans (20.5 million) are unbanked and around 50 million more are underbanked. Just as we did during the Obama Administration, we must leverage innovation and advance smart policies to fuel new industries, jumpstart small businesses, and create new jobs here at home.

We are concerned about diversity in the blockchain space, which is in its infancy. As a result, we assert that it is important for the architects of federal policy and funding priorities to reflect the changing marketplace and national demographics. We urge you tap non-traditional strategies to make sure there is diversity in the leaders, experts and advocates recruited for Boards and Commissions, as well as roles at these agencies: National Economic Council; Council of Economic Advisers; Small Business Administration; Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Securities and Exchange Commission; Departments of Commerce, Labor, Treasury.

Women of color is the fastest growing demographic in blockchain. There is a skilled and talented pool of Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQ innovators, technologists, entrepreneurs, subject matter experts currently building in the crypto ecosystem. Gone are the days when entities could claim that they are unable to find qualified candidates. We refuse to be hidden figures in an sector we helped to create.

The National Policy Network of Women of Color in Blockchain (NPNWOC) is collaborating with various groups to convene an event during inauguration for blockchain industry leaders to engage the Biden-Harris team. Additionally, NPNWOC is planning to bring a delegation of women of color in blockchain from across the country for a two-day briefing in Washington to commemorate Women’s History Month in March 2021. The theme is “Small Business is Engine of the Cryptoeconomy.”

There is an array of organizations focused on diversity and inclusion that are ready to support your Administration. We look forward to collaborating to ensure the emerging innovation economy is inclusive and vibrant.

Sincerely,

Alliance of Diverse Leaders in Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Co-Signatories:

- Daniel Addison, Health Blockchain Security Services

- Kerry Allen, Greyscale Group

- Natasha Bansgopaul, Konstellation and VegaX Holdings

- Jason L. Bennick, Digital Innovation Group

- Michelle Bohnke, Blockchain Innovation Group of PA

- Fred Brandon, Brand New Technologies

- Jason Brett & Whitney Kalmbach, Value Technology Foundation

- Carmelle Cadet, EMTECH

- Ryan Cooper, Bowie State University Blockchain Association

- Maria Dayton, Transferred Media

- Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene, PopCom

- Dee Duncan, BTCKing

- Tavonia Evans, GUAP Coin

- Tonya M. Evans, Professor, Penn State University Dickinson Law

- Elena Sofia Giralt, Blockchain Latinx

- Kenneth A. Goodwin Jr., Jeanensis

- Daniel Gouldman, Ternio

- Robert Greenfield IV, Emerging Impact

- Anne T. Griffin, Griffin Product & Growth

- Gael Gundin-Guevara, Blockchain Designer

- Saritta Hines, TrustaBit

- Jason J. Hinton, Esq., Regulatory Compliance Specialist

- Isaiah Jackson, Author, Bitcoin and Black America

- Jalak Jobanputra, Future\Perfect Ventures

- Shontavia Johnson, LVRG LLC

- Saba Kifle, Greenwood, Archer & Pine

- Jephte Lanthia, Esq., Lanthia Legal

- Sang H. Lee, Konstellation and VegaX Holdings

- America and Penelope M. Lopez, The Cybercode Twins

- Deidra McIntyre, Black People & Cryptocurrency

- Cleve Mesidor, National Policy Network of Women of Color in Blockchain & Former Obama Appointee

- Maureen Murat, Crowdie Advisors

- Marie-Noel Nsana, Cryptocurrency Investor

- Lindsay Nuon, EmpirEqual

- Olayinka Odeniran, Black Women Blockchain Council Benefit LLC

- Reuben Ogbonna II, The Marcy Lab School

- Jomari Peterson, Finite Games

- Kia Richards, Product Compliance

- Ruby G. Sekhon, Legal Compliance

- Sinclair Skinner, BillMari

- Trekk, Trekk Smart Consulting

- Lisa Turner, Blockchain Entrepreneur

- Manasi Vora, Women in Blockchain Boston

- Samson Williams, Adjunct Professor, University of New Hampshire School of Law

"The architects of federal policy and funding priorities should reflect national demographics."

[Contact Cleve@myLOGOS.io]