CryptoChicks are Bringing Blockchain to Women Around the World
The Toronto Conference and Hackathon kicks off May 31st!
If blockchain is to become the democratizing global force that so many foresee, much of what will make it happen takes place away from the bright lights and big valuations. It’s education — often done face-to-face and hands on by dedicated instructors and evangelists — that makes a movement actually move. Organizations like Black Girls Code, ConsenSys Academy, Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition, and countless others have made it their mission to bring blockchain and decentralized networks to the fingertips to every person on the planet.
One organization that has taken on this challenge head on is CryptoChicks. Founded by two technologists in Toronto — Elena Sinelnikova and Natalia Ameline (who just happens to be the mother of Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin) — CryptoChicks has taken blockchain global with the power of information, and empowered thousands of women and young people to get involved.
“We’re a non-profit,” explains Natalia. ‘Everything we do is based on our passion to make change and have a positive impact.”
“Natalia and I began in this space back in 2014, but we formed CryptoChicks in 2017,” Elena explains. “We both have a software development background and were fascinated with the technology. But in the beginning, it was really hard to even figure out how to do the basic stuff like installing a wallet, because the information was missing, the interfaces were not user-friendly.”
“We were puzzled: If we, with software development degrees, were having a hard time, how could everyday people — especially those who had no familiarity — understand it?” Elena goes on. “So, we decided to start this little meet-up group for women in Toronto. Natalia explained blockchain tech, wallets, to about 50 people. We were surprised by the interest!”
Since then, the organization has grown fast from its flagship Toronto Hackathon by adopting a satellite approach with Ambassadorial units spread all over the world. This has led to events and hackathons in New York, Switzerland, Australia, and most recently in Karachi, Pakistan. The event gathered over one hundred people and a co-ed crowd, a rarity in a country and industry that is still developing fair gender relations.
And the hard work is paying off, both at home and abroad. “We’ve definitely seen an improvement, not just in terms of women at events, but women actively working and founding blockchain and AI companies,” explains Natalia. “We want our hackathon participants to keep working and developing on their ideas and build out companies after the event, and a number have garnered interest and support from major organizations. That’s very good to see.”
Natalie continues: “We definitely see the positive change, and it’s needed in the tech sector as a whole. What we like about the blockchain space is that it’s very democratic. If you have a great idea, no matter where or who you are, you can learn and start working on projects. That’s what CryptoChicks tries to do, create these opportunities for everyone in the world. That’s why we go with events to markets where traditionally people may have challenges getting access to the markets — Pakistan or the Bahamas, for example”
Next up for CryptoChicks is the 2019 Toronto CryptoChicks Conference for Blockchain and AI + Hackathon, which takes place this May 31st to June 1st. The event will feature Vitalik Buterin and Ben Goertzel of SingularityNET alongside Sophia the Robot and the likes of Vlad Zamfir and representatives from the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance and Microsoft. With over 100 hackathon applicants — all females and youths — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for many aspiring blockchain entrepreneurs and developers to get up close with the most influential people in the whole space. And Natalia and Elena have been nurturing genius for some time now. You could say they’re experts at it…
Natalia recalls seeing signs of a special intelligence in a young Vitalik Buterin: “His grandfather noticed it from a very young age. He would tell me ‘Watch out! Vitalik is going to be very smart. He has two processors.’ He solved difficult mathematical problems for fun. He was interested in Excel — that was his favorite toy for a while. At some point, his dad taught him Visual Basic. He loved Lego as a kid.”
Elena shares her memory: “One of my earlier memories of Vitalik was when he was about two years old. We were having a party and he was counting the plastic cups on the table. All the way up to 20 in Russian and then in English. At that point, I realized that he was probably a genius.”
Disclaimer. The views, information, and opinions expressed are solely those by the author above do not necessarily represent the views of Consensys AG. They are meant for informational purposes only, are not intended to serve as a recommendation or investment advice to buy or sell any securities, cryptoassets, or other financial products.
