Meet our new Identity Lounge Hosts!
If you’ve been following IAMX for a while and perhaps even tuned in a few times or all the time to our Identity Lounge on Twitter you might have noticed a recent change! We have 3 amazing new hosts, Rob, Nick & Theo that will be running the show, literally, going forward and we have also changed the day and time from Mondays at 8PM CET/ 2PM EST to Tuesdays at 7PM CET/ 1PM EST.
In this article we’re going to look into the background of our new hosts and how they ended up here in blockchain, Cardano and IAMX.
Earlier this autumn we launched our ambassador program, which attracted a vast amount of applicants from all over the world. We had to review over 200 candidates and interview around 15% of them from which we ended up with 10 very talented and driven IAMX ambassadors that are in the middle of their onboarding right now and will be carrying out all sorts of different tasks to support the marketing and community efforts of IAMX going forward.
Rob, Nick & Theo are amongst these ambassadors and are already in the swing of things having hosted their first Identity Lounge last week and doing their second show today, named, IAMX 101: The Basics.
So Rob, Theo and Nick, you’ve all recently become IAMX Ambassadors and will be hosting the Identity Lounge going forward. What made you apply to become an IAMX ambassador in the first place?
Rob: When I first heard about IAMX and the benefits of SSI, I realized that I wanted to learn more so that I could be involved in helping educate others about this important topic. When I learned that IAMX was offering an Ambassador Program, I felt that this would be the perfect way to get more involved in the discussion and help inspire others along the way.
Theo: My friend Rob from TREK Pool told me about the ambassador program and I applied without a second thought!
We were hosting the Mandala community Twitter spaces together so we’ve already built a great relationship on our Twitter podcasts.
Nick: I have been following IAMX for a bit now out of personal interest in developing identity solutions, and tuning in to the Identity Lounge whenever possible. Rob pointed me towards the ambassador program and recommended I apply. Given the positive impressions I’d had of the team, values alignment with the project, and the opportunity to use my own capabilities to help build: overall, applying was an easy decision.
You guys are co-hosts, can you tell us a bit about how you all got to know each other?
We all met through another community that we had all been involved with. We were able to develop good friendships and create together. We’ve already been working together on other Twitter Spaces and Podcasts. Through those Twitter Spaces, interviews, and co- developing creative and informative content we grew into some excellent team habits.
What do you all do outside of IAMX?
Rob: I’ve worked in law enforcement for nearly 19 years. I’m married and we have five children. We live on an acreage and have a chemical-free livestock farm.
Nick: I work with a small, non-profit museum and garden as part of its development team. Fundraising, membership, and corporate partnerships are among my primary focuses. Additionally, I spend a lot of time pushing a very traditional organization
Theo: I’m a Cardano Ambassador, and as I am originally from Greece I have taken charge in educating the Greek Cardano community through YT content and Twitter Spaces, organizing/hosting Cardano meetups, running a Stake Pool and being involved with other projects towards blockchain solutions. We’ll start accepting “digital currency” donations this month.
How did you all get into Blockchain/Crypto/Web3 and what made you stay?
Rob: Buying cows. Seriously.
Back in 2018, I was at a friend’s place to buy some of his herd. As I’d never had cattle before, I had a lot of questions. He was showing me around and we went into his machine shop. I heard a loud buzzing sound and inquired about it. He showed his crypto mining setup (over 150 miners!). I didn’t know a thing about crypto at the time. Over the next two weeks, he explained Bitcoin to me. Shortly after buying my first amount of Bitcoin, I began to research other cryptos and found Cardano. I knew that this was the future and that I wanted to be a part of it. From that moment in 2018, I’ve never looked back!
Theo: I got into crypto in 2016 because I really value decentralization and I could resonate with the movement. Owning your identity, data, wallet, voting rights etc, are big reasons that made me stay!
Nick: I remember hearing an NPR news briefing on Bitcoin in 2009. I thought over the pros and cons of decentralized currencies for 12 years and decided to get into it early 2021.The incredible solutions to global problems being built on-chain in Cardano and elsewhere are why I’m still here.
What are your hobbies and/or passions outside of web3 & Blockchain?
Theo: I like going to the gym and hikes with my wife!
Rob: I am a big fan of Professor J.R.R. Tolkien and his amazing works (not the Amazon abomination). I enjoy watching Sci-Fi (Star Trek, Babylon 5, etc) and reading (when I have time).
Nick: I enjoy reading and writing quite a bit, weightlifting, gardening, and bicycling as well. Whenever the opportunity (whether stage, screen, or airwaves) to act presents itself, I find there’s always a ton of fun, challenge, and growth to be had.
Why IAMX in one sentence?
Theo: Owning your Self Sovereign Identity and choosing who has access to it.
Rob: I believe in personal security and I am convinced that IAMX has the solution for SSI.
Nick: It’s hard to find something higher-priority or more fundamental than identity.
Ending on that note, we’ve hope you’ve all gotten to know the identity of our new Twitter Space Hosts a bit better. Make sure to tune in every Tuesday at 7PM CET/ 1PM EST 🎧☺️
About IAMX
IAMX is a token-based Self-Sovereign Identity and authentication protocol that empowers individuals with the means to own their identity. Adhering to the strictest of regulatory standards for identity protection, IAMX builds on the foundational principles of SSI to provide a robust and secure system where individuals are able to take control and manage their identity. Users of IAMX will realise significant time and cost savings through novel approaches to identity management and ecommerce transactions, like 1-click fulfilment, which are legally binding and maintain local regulatory compliance. With users in control of their identity data, time-consuming processes like Know Your Customer (KYC) or Know Your Business (KYB) become near instant, highly secure transactions.
IAMX builds upon the foundations of Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), blockchain, and DIDs, enabling individuals, organisations, or any entity to prove their identity independent of external parties or centralised authorities. This way, the authenticity of anything tied to an IAMX DID can be independently confirmed by the entity holding the DID.
IAMX is at the forefront of the Web3 revolution, bringing the world’s most secure, decentralised, and user-friendly Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) solution to the Internet. Adding the layer of identity and authentication to the Internet, with IAMX you can treat the Internet like you are always logged in. Pursuant to their mission and vision, IAMX is working to solve the problem of providing an identity to the billions of people who do not currently have a state-recognised, legal identity. Using a Biometric Identity Gateway, users with or without state-level identification can create their own identity for use online, one that relies on their unique physical attributes, including their face, iris, and fingerprints.
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