Social innovators, entrepreneurs, NGOs, government officials, and representatives from impact-driven organizations came together during the BSIC 2019 conference in New York City to present and discuss new ways to solve some of our most pressing global challenges using blockchain technology. Check out the program agenda and speakers below.
Conference Schedule
We’ve curated a variety of perspectives and insights for you to explore. Join us on one of our diverse conference tracks featuring workshops, demos, and illuminating presentations given by social impact leaders.
Track 1
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Registration and Breakfast
–
9:00 am – 9:10 am
Welcome Remarks
Yorke Rhodes, Microsoft
Vanessa Grellet, BSIC, ConsenSys
–
9:10 am – 9:30 am
Keynote
Clyde Vanel, NY State Assembly Member
–
9:30 am – 10:10 am
Fireside Chat – Social Impact in a Blockchain World
Joseph Lubin, ConsenSys, Ethereum
Alicia Syrett, Pantegrion Capital
Amit Bouri, GIIN
Billy Nauman, Moral Money and Financial Times
–
10:10 am – 10:40 am
101 Panel – Blockchain and Saving our Planet
Moderator – Steven Haft, ConsenSys
Paul Gambill, Nori
Stephan Nicoleau, Fullcycle
Donna Redel, The Earth Institute
–
10:40 am – 11:50 am
Break
–
10:45 am – 11:15 am
102 Bounties for Oceans – Documentary
Fireside Chat with Mark Beylin, Bounties Network
Moderator – Christine Kim, CoinDesk
–
11:15 am – 11:45 am
103 How Can Blockchain Support Humanitarian Initiatives
Moderator – Shailee Adinolfi, ConsenSys
Mark Blick, Diginex
Ric Shreves, Mercy Corps
Tal Viskin, Accenture
Houman Haddad, WFP
–
11:45 am – 12:05 pm
104 Lightning Talk -Blockchain and Impact, Creating a Framework for Collaboration – The Bellagio Project
Tomicah Tillemann, New America
–
12:05 pm – 12:25 pm
105 Lightning Talk -Oxfam in Vanuatu and the Unblocked Cash Pilot
Sandra Hart, Oxfam
–
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch
–
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
106 The Future of Work
Moderator – Susan Mcpherson, Mcpherson Strategies
Kevin Owocki, Gitcoin
Yorke Rhodes, Microsoft
Jeff Wald, Work Market
Danielle David, Jane Strategy
–
2:00 – 2:30
107 Panel – Financial Inclusion
Moderator – April Rudin, The Rudin Group
Alex Mashinsky,Alex Mashinsky
Jalak Jobanputra, FuturePerfect Ventures
Tal Oron, GoodDollar
Henry R. Aguda,, Union Bank
–
2:30 pm – 2:40 pm
Break
–
2:40 pm – 3:00 pm
107 Lightning Talk – Blockchain and Identity the impact of the technology on the Botton Billion
Christine Leong, Accenture
–
3:00 pm – 3:20 pm
108 Lightning Talk – Charitable Giving in a Cryptoworld
Jill Ni, Blockchain Charity Foundation
–
3:20 pm – 3:40 pm
109 Lightning Talk – The World Bank Evoke Project
Robert J. Hawkins, World Bank
–
3:40 pm – 4:00 pm
110 Lighting Talk – Universal Basic Income and the Blockchain
Tal Oron, Goodollar
–
4:00 pm – 4:20 pm
111 Fireside chat – Censorship Free Internet
Moderator – Aaron Stanley, CoinDesk
Steve Waterhouse, Orchid Labs
–
4:20 pm- 5:00 pm
112 Art and Blockchain, What is the Impact?
Moderator – Fanny Lakoubay, RadicalxChange
Jake Brukhman, Coinfund
Beatriz Helena Ramos, DADA.nyc
John Egan, Editional
John Zettler, Rareart
–
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cocktails
–
Sponsored by: 
Track 2
8:00 am – 9:00 am
Registration and Breakfast
–
10:10 am – 10:50 am
201 Sustainable Supply Chains
Moderator – Rhett Godfrey, BSIC, Boma Investments, LLC
Tyler Mulvihill, Viant
Ayan Kishore, Creative Associates International
Christa Foster Crawford, Freedom Resource International
Sandra Ro, Global Blockchain Business Council
–
10:50 am – 11:30 am
202 New Financing Mechanisms
Moderator- Raphael Mazet, Alice
Tomicah Tillemann, New America
Jill Ni, Blockchain Charity Foundation
Charlie Chesney, Conservation Innovator
–
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
203 Blockchain and Land Titles
Moderator- Alex Kostura, ConsenSys
Dr.Jolyne Sanjak, Tetra Tech
Yuliya Panfil, New America
–
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm
204 Lightning Talk – Crypto Philanthropy Fundraising for the Future
Alex Wilson, The Giving Block
Patrick Duffy, The Giving Block
–
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch
–
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
205 Blockchain Innovation in Latin America
Moderator- Silvana Rodriguez, ConsenSys
Marcos Allende Lopez, LACChain
Mauricio Tovar Gutiérrez, ViveLab at Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Cecilia Chapiro, UNICEF Ventures
–
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
206 Activists and Diversity in Blockchain
Moderator – Ben Schiller
Thessy Mehrain, ConsenSys, Women in Blockchain
Fereshteh Forough, Code to Inspire
Nicole Hamilton, Springboard
Alissa Worley, Accenture
Brennan O’Rear, QryptoQueers
Lindsay Nuon, Women of Color in Blockchain
–
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Break
–
3:00- 3:45
208 Workshop – Get your Wallets Ready for Crypto Donations
Alex Wilson, The Giving Block
Patrick Duffy, The Giving Block
–
3:45 – 4:00
209 Lighting talk – Human Rights and Cryptocurrenciess
Diego Zuluaga, The Cato Institute
–
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm
210 Lightning talk – Using Blockchain for Food Distribution – WFP Building Blocks
Houman Haddad, WFP
–
4:30 pm – 4:50 pm
211 Lightning talk – Blockchain and Voting – Supporting Democracy
Moderator – Vanessa Grellet, BSIC
Nithin Eapen, Electis
Nimit Sawhney, Voatz
–
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cocktails
–
Sponsored by: 
June 11th
9:00 am-9:30 am
Arival
–
9:30 – 9:45
Intro to BSIC Working Groups purpose and process (Rhett Godfrey, Founding Board Member BSIC)
–
9:45 am – 10:05 am
Intros to the Workshops (Workshop Leaders)
- Impact Tracking & Decentralized Social Finance (Raphael Mazet)
- Land Rights and Refugees (Shailee Adinolfi & Dr. Jolyne Sanjak)
- Climate Crisis (Steven Haft)
- UBI Universal Basic Income (Vanessa Grellet)
–
10:05 am -12:30 pm
Workshop Breakouts:
Impact Tracking & Decentralized Social Finance:
Join the working group tackling the challenges of Blockchain-enabled decentralized social finance and its potential to radically improve how we deliver and track our impact. Our objective is to bring together a broad section of front-line organizations, social funders and blockchain companies so that we can better map the solutions that are already available today, identify challenges and bottlenecks, learn, and work together to scale useful innovations.
Land Rights & Refugees:
Join this group to discuss how public and private sector, as well as civil society organizations can work together to demonstrate and scale blockchain solutions for land management. From fractional ownership of real estate to managing property rights with various government authorities – work alongside practitioners to contribute to technical standards development, and the appropriate policy environment for the solutions to make an impact. As displaced populations are the first victims losing their property rights without having the capacity claim ownership or asset rights and are also in the scope of this workshop.
The Climate Crisis:
The Climate Crisis working group will focus on the contribution that blockchain technology can make to both carbon mitigation and green finance as part of the implementation of the Paris Accords, which take effect in 2020. Seeking members with relevant skill sets to contribute to solutions.
Universal Basic Income:
Economies throughout the world are failing to provide an environment for all citizens to thrive. With vast and increasing inequality, the wealth disparity between the top and the bottom is causing climatic shifts and in our communities. Universal Basic Income (UBI), in one of its various forms, could be a building block in the creation of a new economy for all. By providing an income to support people’s basic needs UBI could be the radical change the world economy needs.
But how would it work? How should it be paid for? How has it been tested and implemented before? And how universal is universal?
–
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm
Share-back and next steps from each working group champion
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Keynote Speakers
President, BSIC & ConsenSys
ConsenSys Founder, Ethereum Co-founder
NY State Assembly Member
CEO and Co-Founder, GIIN
Vanessa Grellet
Joseph Lubin
Clyde Vanel
Amit Bouri
Conference Speakers

Shailee Adinolfi
Director of Government Solutions, ConsenSys

Henry R. Aguda
Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer, UnionBank of the Philippines, and Chairman of the Board, UBX Philippines

Mark Beylin
Co-Founder, CEO, Bounties Network

Mark Blick
Head of Government Affairs, Diginex

Jake Brukhman
Managing Director & CEO, CoinFund

Cecilia Chapiro
Investment Advisor, UNICEF Innovation Fund

Charlie Chesney
Conservation Innovator, WWF Panda Labs

Christa Foster Crawford
J.D., Principal Consultant & Founding Partner, Freedom Resource International

Danielle David
Co-Founder, Jane Strategy

Patrick Duffy
Founding Partner, The Giving Block

Nithin Eapen
Co-Initiator, Electis

John Egan
Founder, Editional

Fereshteh Forough
Founder and CEO, Code to Inspire

Paul Gambill
Co-Founder, CEO, Nori

Rhett Godfrey
Founding Member, BSIC & Senior Programs Director, Boma Investments LLC

Mauricio Tovar Gutiérrez
Co-director, InITColombia Research Group

Houman Haddad
CFA, United Nations World Food Programme

Steven Haft
Head of Global Partnerships, ConsenSys

Nicole Hamilton
Managing Director, TechHub, Springboard Enterprises

Sandra Hart
Pacific Cash & Livelihoods Lead, Oxfam

Robert J. Hawkins
Global Lead for Technology and Innovation in Education, World Bank

Jalak Jobanputra
Founding Partner, FuturePerfect Ventures

Christine Kim
Tech Reporter, Coindesk

Ayan Kishore
Director, Digital Development, Creative Development Lab, Creative Associates International

Alex Kostura
Director Government and Impact, ConsenSys

Fanny Lakoubay
Head of Public Relations, RadicalxChange

Christine Leong
Managing Director Security, Digital Identity, Access Management, Accenture

Marcos Allende Lopez
Technology Coordinator, LACChain

Alex Mashinsky
CEO, Celsius

Raphael Mazet
CEO, Alice

Susan Mcpherson
Founder and CEO, McPherson Strategies

Thessy Mehrain
Director of Global Product & Innovation, ConsenSys, Founder, Women in Blockchain

Gilles Mentre
Founder, Electis

Tyler Mulvihill
Co-Founder, Viant

Billy Nauman
Producer, Financial Times

Jill Ni
Director, Blockchain Charity Foundation

Stephan Nicoleau
Cofounder, Managing Director, Fullcycle

Lindsay Nuon
Women of Color in Blockchain

Brennan O’Rear
Consultant, QryptoQueers

Tal Oron
Executive Director, GoodDollar

Kevin Owocki
CEO, Gitcoin

Yuliya Panfil
Senior Fellow and Director, Future of Property Rights

Beatriz Helena Ramos
Founder, DADA.nyc

Donna Redel
The Earth Institute

Yorke E. Rhodes |||
Co-Founder of Blockchain, Microsoft

Sandra Ro
Chief Executive Officer, Global Blockchain Business Council

Silvana Rodriguez
Director of Strategic Partnerships, ConsenSys

April Rudin
Founder and President, The Rudin Group

Dr. Jolyne Sanjak
Senior Associate, Tetra Tech

Nimit Sawhney
Co-Founder and CEO, Voatz

Ric Shreves
Director, Emerging Technology, Mercy Corps

Aaron Stanley
Consensus & Live Journalism Editor, CoinDesk

Alicia Syrett
Founder and CEO, Pantegrion Capital

Tomicah Tillemann
Founder and Director of the Blockchain Trust Accelerator and Chair of the Responsible Asset Allocator Initiative, New America

Tal Viskin
Blockchain for Development Lead, Accenture

Jeff Wald
Founder, Work Market

Steven Waterhouse
Orchid Labs

Alex Wilson
Founding Partner, The Giving Block

Alissa Worley
Global Marketing Director, Blockchain | DLT, Accenture

John Zettler
CEO & CoFounder, Rareart

Diego Zuluaga
Policy Analyst, Cato Institute