Listening and Learning

In the spirit of transparency, this is an internal note to Axiom Zen, Dapper Labs, and ZenHub staff.

Team,

The events of the past few days have sent shockwaves across the planet as people across the world recognize and internalize how oppression, systemic racism, and injustice have impacted Black communities in America. This has given us a moment to pause and think about the world we want to live in. Kaizen is a core value across Axiom Zen, Dapper Labs, and ZenHub, and we hope each person brings this mentality not only to work, but to their life.

Black lives matter. We may not have control over the whole world, but we can have an outsized impact in our corner. In addition to sharing a message of solidarity, we want to use action to inspire others in the community.

Our plan begins with listening and learning. This has to be core to every one of our initiatives.

We are listening to the diverse team we already have — and being real with ourselves that we still lack diversity across many areas. Now that we’re less constrained by geography when it comes to hiring and interviewing, we can act fast to make sure we have a set of voices around the table that’s representative of our whole planet. As individuals, we are also making more time to reflect, to mentor, to reach out and help those that are less fortunate.

We will also do what we can to provide immediate financial support. CryptoKitties will donate all breeding and marketplace fees in this breeding window to support social justice funds to be decided by team suggestions. NBA Top Shot will work with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color artists to create real revenue streams for their work in new mediums.

We will also do more to elevate and amplify diversity in the blockchain community. At least 20% of ecosystem development funds for the Flow network will be used to increase accessibility and opportunity for the least advantaged.

As we grow, we expect to make mistakes, fall down, get back up, and learn. Keep us as a leadership team accountable to our promises here. Educate each other. Be active in shining a light on diverse voices and opinions.

Let’s shape the future we want to live in.