Working in an environment that truly cares about the underserved regions in the world is inspiring
-Daniel Olarte
this interview was conducted and written by Dream DAO Builder, Rebeca Lissa.
The ascent of blockchain technology has truly opened a portal to a parallel universe, one teeming with opportunities for leadership, especially among Generation Z. Famously tech-savvy and equipped with an insatiable desire to make a real dent in the world, Gen Z is showing up in the blockchain industry. In this parallel universe, a thrilling alliance between DreamDAO and Celo is unfolding, to make it more and more like a reality.
As a founding builder at DreamDAO, my voyage into the partnership with Celo has been more eye-opening than the ending of a great sci-fi flick. Due to Celo's grants, I could represent Dream DAO at ETH Mexico and Devcon, and it was one of the most impactful experiences of my year, I could see that Web3 is a future that I want to contribute.
Established in 2017, Celo has been hitting home runs in the blockchain game like there's no tomorrow. What makes Celo truly stand out in a crowd is its commitment to mobile-first wallets and stable cryptocurrencies, creating an open financial system that's all about inclusion and diversity, generating a systemic Social and Economic Impact.
Their motto? Everyone's invited to this financial party!
This time on this ongoing series of interviews with leaders from Celo, we've got Daniel Olarte in the seat, Community Development Partner at Celo.
Behind every great party, there are great party planners. In Celo's case, that is cLabs, the organization pulling the strings and ensuring the Celo community gets all the goodies they need.
"I am really happy with my job," Daniel Olarte tells us, ‘‘We're deeply invested in fostering a vibrant, engaged community, and creating a platform that can truly make a difference.’’
Daniel himself hails from Bogotá, Colombia and carries an impressive arsenal of qualifications including a major in industrial design and architecture, and an MBA in Strategic Foresight from California College, and works now as the Community Development Partner.
Looking back at our teatime chat with Daniel Olarte, it's clear that the Gen Z ethos, when combined with the seismic potential of web3, is like a double espresso shot for the future. This potent brew has the potential to reconfigure our world, fostering inclusivity, collaboration, and prosperity for everyone, not just the privileged few.
So, as we sign off this revealing tête-à-tête, we're reminded of the importance of leadership that's pioneering, diverse, and inclusive. The web3 horizon is limitless, but it's only through teamwork, a shared vision, and an endless supply of coffee, that we can truly unlock its potential.
So, don't go too far, we've got more revealing interviews in the pipeline with Celo leaders. As we dive deeper into the exhilarating world of blockchain and Gen Z leadership, grab some popcorn and join us on this thrilling journey. Let's boldly go where no generation has gone before :)
Q: Can you tell me about your role? What does a typical day look like for you in the office?
Daniel Olarte: "As a Community Development Partner at Celo, my role is multifaceted and ever-evolving. One of my primary responsibilities involves organizing both sponsored and in-house hackathons. These events are designed to engage participants deeply with our technology and create a sense of belonging and meaning. I'm deeply interested in how people perceive Celo and the experiences we offer.
In addition, I lead a team working on participation badges and other ways to celebrate and reward community contributions. We collaborate with illustrators and creators to design artwork and merchandise, which we distribute to participants of bounty events and hackathons. These gestures are important for fostering a sense of community and encouraging people to build with us.
Lastly, I am involved in governance processes and have a strong interest in community stewardship. I participate actively in governance and community calls, always with the goal of serving our community as best I can."
Q: Can you tell me a little bit more about how this impacted the Celo ecosystem and Celo development?
Daniel Olarte: "Absolutely, hackathons play a crucial role in engaging developers and fostering relationships with them. These events offer two benefits - first, they give us a chance to connect with a large number of developers who are likely to build meaningful projects. Second, they help us identify and support strong, motivated communities with experience in running hackathons.
For instance, we just closed a hackathon focused on a technology called Tokenized Carbon which allowed participants to explore and build applications in DeFi. The current hackathon is about social signing, a feature that makes apps more delightful and easier to use. It's all about creating an environment that encourages continuous learning and development, and providing resources to help builders keep building."
Q: What sets Celo apart from other blockchain projects in ecosystems?
Daniel Olarte: "When I first encountered Celo, I was in San Francisco and stumbled upon a research report they conducted with Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. What struck me was their focus on the payments and remittances use case and their dedication to those without access to traditional finance.
What further drew me to Celo was their commitment to building communities in places like Colombia. They were not just attempting to open up markets in developed countries, but were actively investing in the Global South—places like Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and the Philippines. This was a brave move, not necessarily the easiest from a business perspective, but a worthy effort."
Q: How do we envision the potential positive change that can be achieved in this space?
Daniel Olarte: "Blockchain has been in a phase of pure experimentation, which is exciting. At Celo, we've always been interested in social impact and have invested in pilots for different blockchain use cases like payments, remittances, microwork, and collateralized lending, among others.
One promising experiment we're currently discussing is a governance proposal to set aside a portion of transaction costs to retire carbon tokens, essentially creating "ultra-green money." This allows any project using Celo to have a positive impact on climate, regardless of their primary purpose."
Q: How do you see the Blockchain industry from a Social Impact Perspective?
Daniel Olarte: "I see blockchain as a space of experimentation, which is valuable in itself. It's an exciting industry, full of potential. At Celo, we're particularly interested in its capacity for social impact. We've been exploring various use cases, like alternative credit systems, payments, remittances, and even universal basic income.
One significant initiative we're working on is a governance proposal that would allocate a portion of transaction costs to retire carbon tokens. This isn't just about being "green" – it's about creating positive externalities. So even if your project isn't directly about social impact, by using Celo, you're contributing to climate action."
With Celo being a decentralized platform, every day is an opportunity to get stuck in and make your mark. If you've got the itch to be part of this ecosystem, head on over to Celo.org or check out https://clabs.co/ and https://docs.celo.org/ for a deep dive into the nitty-gritty. And hey, if you're a builder, you'll find these resources more satisfying than the last slice of pizza.
Oh, and did I mention the monthly hackathon series? It's called 'Build with Celo' - for more, hit up https://bwc.celo.org/. Be sure to get your Twitter game on too by following @CeloOrg and @celoDevs.
Daniel, thanks for sharing with me (and us) your thoughts! It was riveting to peek into the mind of someone shaping the Celo ecosystem. It was super interesting to me to see how a person who builds Celo thinks. I could see that your work is interested in making opportunities for everyone, especially for the unseens of our society. It made me reflect on my career, and how more and more I want to be engaged in projects that bring a win-win to the game!
If you enjoyed this interview, don’t forget to follow both Dream DAO & Celo on Twitter, and navigate through our Mirror Blog, to check builder’s learning artifacts on conferences and the other interviews of this Interviewing Celo Leaders Series.