Blockchain for Financial Inclusion and Impact Investing

Speakers

• 

  Gabriela Chang Co-founder & CSO | EthicHub
  

  Gabriela Chang

  Co-founder & CSO | EthicHub

  Gabriela Chang, co-founder and CSO of EthicHub. Industrial designer, artist and writer. I worked at the Secretary of Economic Development in Chiapas, Mexico and was an organic coffee producer. Involved in Blockchain since 2017, I promote its enormous potential as a catalyst for the SDGs, based on my experience on EthicHub as pioneers on ReFi to generate triple impact by connecting complementary economic regions to enable true financial inclusion. Frequent speaker and panelist in both crypto and impact forums (most recently ETH Denver, FLII, DevCon Bogota, El Confidencial, ReFi Gathering, ETH Barcelona, ETH CC)

  I believe Web3 is a catalyst to bring tech at the service of the common good. My team and I are pioneers on ReFi: since 2018 we use smart contracts and blended finance 2.0 to secure impact lending for long-term small farmers excluded from the traditional financial system.

  Blockchain’s initial promise was to enable a financial system where no one was left excluded but so far we are getting fun with a new form of speculative casinos and new financial derivatives or monkey collectibles, which of course will open the door to new amazing tools. But the planet reminds us it is also time to use such tools for the common good, to leverage on this powerful technology to solve the pressing problems we need to face to secure a brighter future for our children and ourselves. To secure healthy food and clean water because as king Midas learned too late: we can not eat or drink money.

• 

  Mariana De La Roche Senior Regulatory Affairs Expert | IOTA Foundation & INATBA Board Member
  

  Mariana De La Roche

  Senior Regulatory Affairs Expert | IOTA Foundation & INATBA Board Member

  Mariana de la Roche is the Senior Regulatory Affairs Expert of the IOTA Foundation. Since 2021, she has been the co-chair of the INABTA Social Impact and Sustainability Working Group. She is a Colombian human rights lawyer with a law degree obtained with academic excellence, a specialization in human rights and humanitarian law, and a master’s degree in public administration. She has over nine years of experience as a project manager and legal and regulatory advisor for different NGOs and social businesses in Colombia and Germany. Mariana has been leading the actions of the social impact and climate focus of INATBA, raising awareness and advocating for blockchain for good at the global level.
  She spoke and presented blockchain use cases for good in COP27, the EU blockchain week, and the Environment Ministerial For Europe Conference, among other relevant international spaces.
  Mariana is also part of the leading team coordinating Blockchain 100+, an initiative supported by the UN’s General Assembly to create a charter for blockchain and the UN Values. Lastly, since 2023 she is one of the ambassadors of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

• 

  Michael Mazur Co-Founder | UrbanChange Protocol & COO | Colu
  

  Michael Mazur

  Co-Founder | UrbanChange Protocol & COO | Colu

  Michael Mazur, Co-Founder, UrbanChange Protocol & COO, Colu
  Michael is a dynamic and forward-thinking entrepreneur with a passion for strategy, innovation, and the intersection of blockchain and social impact. His background in strategy and finance has shaped his focus on areas such as smart cities, fintech, and electric vehicle charging.

  Michael is a co-founder of the UrbanChange Protocol, which uses web3 technology and an incentive-based dual token model to build stronger and more impactful communities and achieve UN SDGs. In his role as COO of Colu, he leads the company’s expansion efforts and manages its strategy and operational efforts, working closely with his team to develop strategies that positively impact cities and their local economies.

  Prior to joining Colu, Michael was the COO of Greenspot, where he played a key role in shaping some of the first-ever state and municipal policies related to electric vehicle charging and shared mobility. He has a deep understanding of the intersection of innovation, technology, and government, and is highly skilled in go-to-market strategy.
  Currently, Michael is an Executive MBA candidate at Columbia Business School in New York City, reflecting his continuous pursuit of professional growth. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys cooking, playing basketball, and listening to podcasts.

• 

  Sebastian Becker Managing Director | thebrainbehind & INATBA Board of Directors
  

  Sebastian Becker

  Managing Director | thebrainbehind & INATBA Board of Directors

  Sebastian Becker (49) is Managing Director of Munich-based boutique strategy consultancy thebrainbehind GmbH. He is also serving on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) in Brussels, the Head of Business Development for the German Blockchain Association and President of Berlin-based Interplanetary Database Association e.V. and an Advisory Board member at the Dutch & European 2Tokens Foundation.
  His focus in the blockchain & web3 space is in the industrial blockchain sector, but he is also active in the financial side of the industry. Sebastian’s background is international media consulting and go-to-market strategies for international PayTV operators and video streaming service providers and the evolution of this ecosystem.

• 

  Sergiu Agachi Head of Regulatory Compliance | ixfi
  

  Sergiu Agachi

  Head of Regulatory Compliance | ixfi

  Sergiu Agachi serves as Head of Regulatory Compliance for iXFI Exchange Gen 3.0, where he applies his extensive legal expertise in business and finance. Prior to joining iXFI, he was the United Nations Policy Advisor for Romania, based in New York.
  In addition to his role at iXFI, Sergiu Agachi is co-founder of OTCrypto, Romania’s largest online media platform dedicated to digital assets. His educational credentials include a Virtual Assets Blockchain license from the Romanian Banking Institute and multiple certifications in digital assets.
  Sergiu has also contributed to the development of cryptocurrency legislation in Romania as a former advisor to the Romanian ICI Institute in Bucharest.