Personal Information
Discourse ID: @Novocrypto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Novocrypto
Educational Background:
• Politics, Conflict Resolution, Diplomacy (PhD - UK)
• Film and TV (MSc - UK)
Professional Background:
Web2:
• Many years of experience in Politics, Political Economy, Conflict Resolution, Mediation and Diplomacy as a researcher, analyst, lecturer and practitioner on an international level including UK, EU, UN, US, Africa and the Middle East.
• Partnerships, fellowships and collaboration with major university brands in the US, UK, EU, UN.
• Business administration skills as the founder and director of research and training focused media production company (London based with international outreach).
• Public speaker at industry events, academic conferences and international news channels such as BBC World, Aljazeera, Sky News, etc.
• Excellent writing skills as an analyst, researcher, author and publisher.
Web3:
• Member and community builder at the Bored Ape Yacht Club since 01 May 2021.
• Yuga Labs Community Grant Awardee in 2021, founded Bored Ape Ladies DAO and Collective with the aims of promoting IP ownership and improving diversity in the NFT space.
• Multisig wallet user and nerd since June 2021.
• Long term active Apecoin DAO contributor, authored AIP-127, increasing Apecoin Utility via an annual DAO IRL event, participation reward via a special ticketing mechanism, crypto philanthropy.
• Public speaker on De-Gov, DAOs, NFTs, Web3.
• Crypto philanthropist.
Nomination Statement
GM, my name is Novo! I am a staunch advocate of decentralization and have been involved in the blockchain, crypto and NFT space full-time since late 2020. I’ve been an active community member at Bored Ape Yacht Club since day 1 (May 2021). Fun fact: I was a Community Grant Awardee by Yuga Labs in July 2021 which helped me found the Bored Ape Ladies DAO and Collective, a non-for-profit project for me as the founder, which is dedicated to increasing gender diversity and promoting adoption of DAOs, De-Gov & De-Soc technologies. I am also a long-term contributor and active member of Apecoin DAO and the author of AIP-127 which develops extended utility for Apecoin via an inclusive annual IRL event, de-gov participation reward via a special ticketing mechanism, and through a sustainable crypto philanthropy component.
I am running for the Special Council because I believe the Apecoin DAO has the potential to become a leading force in De-Gov as a counterpart to Yuga Labs in NFTs and the Metaverse. To do this, we need to protect decentralization as we scale, improve our governance model to meet new needs and circumstances, increase awareness of the DAO and its initiatives via building new and strategic partnerships with web2 & Web3 brands and communities, increase utility and use cases of Apecoin with the aim of increasing adoption which can lead to increased demand and a productive cycle that benefits the ape ecosystem and beyond.
Motivation
I am motivated by the potential of blockchain technology to provide more equitable, transparent and decentralized governance structures. I believe that Apecoin has great potential to become a leading player in De-Gov due to its commitment to decentralization, its large and independent treasury, its passionate and talented core community, and its already recognized brand. My goal is to help the DAO achieve its full potential and by extension empower its members to do so as well.
What distinguishes us from any other DAO that I know of, is our access to an incredibly large treasury which holds an asset with strong brand recognition and industry associations behind us.
300m tokens (30% of total supply) has been given to DAO treasury to fund members’ ideas and projects. Currently at a market value of circa $1b. 117.5m tokens are already unlocked at launch, then 7,343,750 tokens are unlocked per month for 4 years.
There’s a huge opportunity as well as a risk here. The opportunity is for the entire Apecoin holder community because the release of the funds is directly correlated with building initiatives that increase the utility, awareness, adoption and demand for Apecoin token. This is the reason why 30% of the Apecoin token supply is allocated to fund DAO’s initiatives (compared to only 17% allocated to the entire staking program for example). This unparalleled opportunity comes with huge responsibility for all of us as members and especially for the Special Council in the position of decentralized leadership. We must continue to serve in a transparent, accountable and collaborative way to represent the common interests of the Apecoin Community and make sure that builders from our community get a fair chance to contribute to the growth of the DAO and adoption of Apecoin.
MY VALUES:
• Decentralization:
The decentralized nature of the Apecoin DAO is its defining feature. It is important to me that this principle is respected and upheld. I will help DAO to scale in a decentralized, fair and inclusive way for example by exploring more sophisticated voting mechanisms and delegation process. This requires not only familiarity with decentralized technology but also awareness of its limitations and boundaries especially for increasing participation and ultimately mass adoption. This is always a balancing act which I have a track record of excelling at.
• Consensus:
Regardless of working with autonomous and decentralized infrastructures, we are still an organization made up of humans with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and aspirations. Often, visions are aligned: “we all want more decentralized ownership of data, finance and culture”. But sometimes, people differ on ways to achieve common goals. Misunderstandings can lead to disagreements; arguments lead to conflict which can create a negative environment for growth and smooth running of the DAO. As we scale, it will become increasingly important to have strong community building and dispute resolution mechanisms in place. My background in conflict resolution, mediation and diplomacy will help me maintain a constructive atmosphere for a thriving community of builders and a positive narrative to present externally.
• Accountability:
A culture based on accountability and transparency is one that will most successfully onboard new members and talent from across the board, without these values, the Special Council will not be able to represent the best interests of the community or make decisions that reflect the will of the people. In my role as Special Council, I will be an active and engaged member of the community, and work to ensure that all voices are heard. I will be available to answer any questions that members of the community may have in order to increase transparency and accountability. My plan for achieving these goals includes serving the community in a full-time capacity, hosting spaces and office hours, representing the community at conferences and events, and working to increase awareness through education and partnerships with major universities.
• Impartial Leadership
As a Special Council member, I will delegate my own voting power (currently 23k $Ape) to maintain my impartiality and avoid any perceived or potential conflict of interest. It is extremely important to me that community members feel equally heard and acknowledged and given a space to voice concerns. To this effect I allocate 25% of my time as a full-time Special Council Member (around 10 hours a week) to the practice of listening via weekly office hours, hosted spaces, joining other community-led spaces and following discussions on Discourse and Discord.
• Representative Diversity
As a female web3 builder, I bring diversity to the Special Council. A more diverse DAO would be better able to represent the needs and aspirations of a wider range of people, and would also be more likely to attract a wider range of talent.
• Philanthropy
One of the utilities of Apecoin token is doing good in the world. It’s written in its DNA. However, I believe that decentralized and crypto philanthropy can and should move beyond giving out cash donations to charity organizations, as important and worthy as these acts of kindness are. I see huge potential in using blockchain technology to create infrastructures for education and income in underprivileged communities. I have initiated multiple philanthropy projects using my personal crypto funds including one that equips and sends children especially young girls in Nigeria to school in a way that can become self-sustainable.
Rationale
I have a strong background in decentralized governance with extensive knowledge and experience in blockchain technology and how to use it for decentralized leadership. As a community builder and long-time participant in the Apecoin DAO and the wider Ape Ecosystem, I have a deep understanding of the issues and challenges facing our community. As the author of AIP-127 and prolific contributor to Forum discussions on this platform, I have a first-hand experience and knowledge of the DAO’s legal structure, funding procedures and community. This gives me the needed perspective on how the DAO can improve its operations and achieve its goals, especially in areas that need improvement such as efficiency, accountability and transparency.
As an OG member of the BAYC community, I have a consistent track record in building and managing communities especially with regards to improving gender balance and inclusive onboarding strategies. I am also a Yuga Labs Community Grant Awardee and the founder of the non-profit Collective and DAO Bored Ape Ladies Club, which is dedicated to promoting diversity and decentralized IP ownership in the NFT and Web3 space. As a long-term community builder and manager in the NFT space, I bring a strong network of talented builders to contribute to DAO’s growth.
As an experienced public speaker and PR expert, I’ll be committed to representing the DAO in web3 and web2 arenas in a positive, inclusive and impactful way via a range of effective, consistent and inclusive communication strategies and best practices.
My academic credentials are relevant in three ways. Firstly, it could help to promote the DAO to a wider audience, as my academic credentials and network of leaders in the higher education sector will facilitate making strategic partnerships with new audiences. Secondly, it could be helpful in navigating the evolving regulatory landscape, developing and implementing policies and procedures. Lastly, as someone with a PhD in politics and expertise in conflict resolution, mediation and diplomacy, I have experience in working with diverse groups of people and building consensus. This experience will be valuable in ensuring that the community is always consulted before any decisions are made that could impact the DAO.
I am dedicated to finding ways to increase the utility of the Apecoin token by utilizing IRL events, gamified governance, education and philanthropy. I believe that this will eventually lead to increased demand and greater mainstream adoption.
Actions that I will take in my first year as a Special Council Member
• Identifying and targeting major university brands that could be potential partners for the DAO. (initially in the US, UK and EU; in the future in South America, Asia, Middle East and Africa)
• Assisting in the development of educational resources for the DAO including an IRL Web3 Builders bootcamp.
• Working with other DAOs and crypto projects to find ways to collaborate and cross-promote each other’s work.
• Encouraging more female builders and talented people from underrepresented groups to participate in the Apecoin DAO.
• Promoting the Apecoin DAO as a model for other organizations looking to create more inclusive and equitable governance structures via public speaking at major industry events, universities, and media outlets.
I will strive to be as transparent as possible in my work, and to make sure that the community is always informed first about any decisions that impact the DAO and Apecoin directly. To that effect I will
• Participate in community-led spaces. Currently Apecomm team are leading the way with Mon & Fri Spaces which I will continue to join. I commit to hosting 2 regular spaces per month dedicated to discussing major developments in the field of De-Gov and DAOs. I will also hold regular office hours, during which members of the community can come to me with any concerns or questions they may have. I will do my best to be available and communicate with the community in the event of any unforeseen development that directly affects the Apecoin community.
• I will create a monthly report, detailing my work as Special Council member and what I have accomplished in that month.
Specifications
Please see above! 
Concluding Statement
If elected, I will serve the Apecoin community in my role as a Special Council member in a full-time capacity and use my skills and credentials in de-gov, research, higher education, community building, mediation, conflict resolution, and diplomacy to help us grow in a fair, accountable, transparent and impactful way. I will help Apecoin DAO to achieve the goals of sustainable growth, financial longevity, and increased token utility and adoption metrics. Thank you for supporting me as I continue to support the Apecoin community! 
