Why I Started a DappDevs Chapter in Stamford

It Takes a Community to Raise a Developer

Last year I made the career shift from aspiring medical professional to blockchain developer. The transition was far from easy, but with a little determination and a lot of outside help, I am a little less incompetent than when I started. What I realized early on was the importance of having a broad educational network when learning new skills in an emerging field. This is why I joined the initial DappDevs chapters in New Haven and Hartford, and why I am now starting one in Stamford.

DappDevs is a community built for developers to learn from each other about building on the blockchain. Our goal is to create a judgment-free zone where individuals of all experience levels can meet and collaborate in an effort to gain insight or start the next blockchain-based venture. No solicitations. No spam. Just an open, fun learning environment.

So Why Blockchain Technology? And Why Stamford?

We recognize blockchain technology and the various cryptocurrencies it supports are rooted in technological complexity. Our community has been built to simplify and streamline the learning process so participants can apply their acquired knowledge in a practical setting.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are just one of many use cases enabled by blockchain technology. Technical and business leaders alike have recognized blockchain as a highly disruptive technology with the potential to impact numerous industries, including financial services, insurance, healthcare, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing.

In basic terms, blockchain establishes trust between multiple individuals or businesses without the use of a third party. Intermediary processes that are currently used to facilitate trust and working relationships can now be made more efficient or be replaced outright. In addition to increased savings on overhead and improved efficiencies through automation, blockchain technology can enhance accountability standards, generate new revenue models, and change the way we store and exchange user data. If you want to learn more about how blockchain technology works, check out this article and this video. Or better yet, stop by one of our Meetup Groups!

Thanks to a recent revitalization, Stamford has quietly become an ideal location for developing such technological innovation. Local initiatives such as Innovate Stamford and the team behind Stamford Innovation Week offer educational services that enable entrepreneurial opportunities to grow and thrive. Stamford is also home to the UConn Stamford campus, which recently started offering a four-year computer science program. Moreover, some of the most powerful minds and hedge funds in the financial industry are located in Fairfield County.

On the blockchain front, crypto hedge fund BlockTower Capital has set up its offices in downtown Stamford. Technology consulting giants Deloitte and Gartner, which both have Stamford offices, have also been researching the technical aspects and economic potential of blockchain.

The talent pool and resources available are immense. And as more progressive Connecticut blockchain legislation is signed into action (like bills 443 and 513), the opportunity to explore the capabilities of blockchain technology will increase. At DappDevs, we believe that combining these legislative and societal initiatives with an open learning community will support the next round of blockchain pioneers.

Shameless Plug: So How Do You Get Involved?

As mentioned earlier, we now have three operating branches: New Haven; Hartford; and Stamford. The best way to learn about upcoming events and gatherings in your area is through our Meetup.com Group. I would also encourage you to check out our website (dappdevs.org), where links to our community guidelines and our 170+ member Slack channel are provided.

Since DappDevs is a community-driven group, we would really like your feedback on what event topics you would like to hear or present. Past events have included a create-your-own-token workshop and a talk on Decentralized Autonomous Organizations. If you have an idea in mind, please do not hesitate to reach out to us on our communication channels (Meetup or Slack).

In addition, DappDevs will be featured in a couple of events during Stamford Innovation Week:

Open House: Introduction to Fairfield County’s Blockchain Community

• Date & Time: Tuesday, September 18th from 5:00–6:30pm
• Location: UConn-Stamford Art Gallery, 1 University Place, Stamford, CT
• Sponsors: UConn, the Connecticut Information of Technology Institute (CITI), and UConn’s Peter J. Werth Institute

Silicon Harbor Smart City Initiative: Blockchain Summit

• Date & Time: Saturday, September 22nd from 4:00–8:00pm
• Location: Old Town Hall, 175 Atlantic St., Stamford, CT

If you are interested, please click on the links to save your seat at these events. Stamford Innovation Week is a series of educational symposiums and community building events organized by local entrepreneurs for aspiring entrepreneurs. We highly recommend that everyone check out all of the other events occurring during this amazing week of collaboration.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The DappDevs team would like to extend a huge thank you to our sponsor, Checkmate Digital. Additionally, we want to thank the Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI), UConn’s Peter J. Werth Institute, The Ferguson Library, Innovate Stamford, encaptiv, Half Full Brewery, SquareWheel, and The New Content Culture for helping us bootstrap a Stamford blockchain community and for doing an incredible job organizing Stamford Innovation Week. Please know that we couldn’t have done it without your help, and we look forward to working together in the future.

Finally, we want to thank our co-founders Don Tirea and Bryant Eisenbach. Don and Bryant had the vision to create this haven for blockchain developers and set up our initial thriving communities in New Haven and Hartford. With their continued support and model for success, we are confident the Stamford chapter will be a significant contributor to our statewide initiative and beyond.

Final note: For any current smart contract developers or blockchain-based startups, please check out Bryant’s latest project, the SecurEth initiative. Bryant and his team put together a set of guidelines designed to help all developers follow a secure process in their projects. SecureEth is ideal for developers and blockchain entrepreneurs alike to optimize the “buidl” process and minimize costly bugs.