Mining the Next Block: An Interview with Jonathan Calso

Winter 2020. A semester that ended in a way none of us could have imagined. Today I sat down with Jonathan Calso, a graduating senior and former VP of Consulting for Blockchain at Michigan, to gain his insights on his experience with Blockchain at Michigan.

Tell me how you feel leaving BAM, and what are your hopes for the consulting program?

“I’m feeling pretty good. Looking back on it, a lot has changed. I joined BAM one semester after their inception, and being able to witness the growth of the educational program and its ability to reach a much larger group of students has been wonderful. And of course, the creation of the consulting program was really just bringing my experience to a full circle. One of my favorite moments was to see the end of semester showcase, seeing each consulting project come together. I also really liked how the workshops were able to complement the educational track, and gave opportunities for students to fall down a specific blockchain rabbit hole and answer some more in-depth questions. For the consulting side, I just hope to see it grow like the educational program did, and I want more students to have that chance to get real world, hands-on experience.”

How does it feel to leave behind a legacy?

“Well, when I started the consulting program, the first goal in mind was not to leave behind a legacy. Rather, I saw this gap that needed to be filled and knew I had to step up into the rule. I just tried to figure out how students can use what they know about blockchain to help others and create real world applications. It’s nice to create something that might stick around, but the biggest take away is the ability and chance to help others. Giving back to the community was the biggest part, and the ability to provide a student with a chance to have a real world impact was the biggest motivating factor for me.

One of the biggest parts that I would hope sticks around is the Blockchain at Michigan mentality that everyone deserves a chance. When the executive board looked over applications for the winter cohort, we made sure not to put emphasis on GPA and prior experience, rather we looked at the student’s work ethic, attendance through our education series, and their capacity to keep learning.”

What role do you think blockchain will play in your future?

“So, I do hope to continue trading with crypto, and I think that blockchain will always be a part of my life. Right now, I don’t have any immediate plans to work in the blockchain space or go into a blockchain startup, but I will definitely stay involved in the community, maybe find some projects I can work on outside of the 9–5 grind. My goal is to keep focused on learning more and continue my personal growth in the space. Of course, BAM won’t be able to get rid of me that easily, I will continue to be an advisor to the club.”

What is some advice you have for incoming BAM members?

“Don’t be afraid to learn. Yeah, it may have been 10 or so years since Bitcoin launched, but it is still super early in the space. If you compare it to the dot com boom, things are progressing more slowly, and there is not a better time than the present to learn about blockchain and get involved. I still think that blockchain can be advantageous to many fields.

Stay hungry, put yourself out there, and keep learning.”