As our ecosystem grows, I’ve been having conversations with talent taking Web3 by storm. Most recently, I chatted with Sam Scribner. Here is his story:
Sean: Tell me about yourself and what you do in school?
Sam: I just graduated from Wake Forest University with a major in Finance and a minor in Statistics. I’ll be working full-time on FTI Consulting’s Capital Markets Strategic Communications Team in NYC after interning there twice during my time at Wake.
Sean: What drives your interest in Web3?
Sam: I discovered crypto right around the start of the pandemic, and that interest grew into a passion as I soon learned more about the opportunities that blockchain technology unlocks. The idea of decentralization to me is empowering. As technology becomes more dominant in society, it’s important to ensure that the individual can exercise autonomy and ownership as opposed to solely those who create the tech. I think we are in a period similar to the dot-com bubble: tons of companies in the space are trying to innovate, and those that survive this recessionary period will be resilient market leaders.
Sean: How did you hear about and get involved with BlockBeam?
Sam: There was no blockchain club at my school, but I was a student in the first-ever blockchain class taught in our Finance department. However, I was looking to push myself further in my blockchain education when Zach Goldstein, a friend from summer camp, reached out to me and introduced me to BlockBeam. The rest is history!
Sean: What bootcamp did you take and what was your experience?
Sam: Gateway to Algorand 1. The biggest value-add for me was finding a community of like-minded people. I have never been a part of a group with so much collective knowledge and enthusiasm about something before. I also loved hearing from the guest speakers, as it exposed me to the quality and quantity of innovation in the space.
Sean: Can you talk about what you learned while completing the final project?
Sam: I came to realize why Algorand is the optimal blockchain for sustainability-based applications. Low fees, high transaction speeds, and a large existing ecosystem of sustainability applications make it the ideal fit. My project, AlgoSol, was focused on democratizing investment in solar. At a bare-bones level, we aimed to fractionalize solar panels into a tradeable retail investment vehicle. After earning 2nd place in the pitch competition, I connected with Spencer Strandholt, a member of De.Pow, the 1st place team with a very similar business concept to AlgoSol. Since then, we have been pursuing this idea as a business of our own with the ultimate goal of reducing barriers to entry in the renewable energy investing realm.
Sean: What about the program do you think is most beneficial for your career? Any success stories?
Sam: Right off the bat, being connected with the BlockBeam community has served as an invaluable network with amazing resources. Everyone is always willing to help and provide insight, attesting to the collaborative go-getter culture of this group. Additionally, being able to put this on your resume is great because you now have something tangible to say about Web3 education. It’s a great building block having completed this, both from a career and educational standpoint.
Sean: Any plans to stay involved with BlockBeam long-term?
Sam: I definitely intend to stay involved with the community and get to know the new cohorts as well!
Sean: What would you say to talent/what advice would you give to people considering applying to BlockBeam bootcamps?
Sam: If you’re willing to put in the effort, then do it! I know it is cliché, but this is seriously a program where you get out what you put in. The opportunities to grow are boundless. Some more general Web3 advice I have is to be open-minded but also grounded. While it’s natural to get overly excited (or even try to get rich quickly) it’s imperative to understand the use cases and bigger issues at hand with crypto. Web3 aims to make our digital systems more decentralized, efficient, and secure. BlockBeam will expose you to entrepreneurs, resources, and new ways of thinking that push forward innovative attempts to achieve these goals. Having completed this program, you will be better equipped to tackle many of the same objectives that the industry is looking to solve.
Sam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-scribner/
About BlockBeam
BlockBeam is a Web3 Upskilling & Talent Network. Our community’s shared mission is to accelerate the adoption of high-impact technologies and launch standout talent into Web3.
BlockBeam’s platform, Launch, provides employers an efficient solution for sourcing talent from leading Web3 bootcamps. Launch is only accessible to BlockBeam partner bootcamp graduates and effectively visualizes talent’s completed Web3 work product. The platform will debut in Q3 2022.
Join our community: https://discord.gg/4AvP4QRDSd
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Are you interested in tapping into a Web3 technical and non-technical talent pool? Email support@blockbeam.io to set up a time to chat.
