Tavonia Evans: The Entrepreneur on the Intersection of Blockchain and Women Advocacy
by Analytics Insight
April 4, 2022
Traditionally, the crypto trade is taken into account a ‘boys club’ since many of the government roles within the trade had been undertaken by males. But now, increasingly more girls are spearheading the initiative of breaking the stereotypes and constructing an all-inclusive crypto and blockchain area. Several main tasks are being undertaken by girls entrepreneurs who’re hell-bent on breaking all of the taboos and shackles that stop girls from constructing a profession in a tech-focused space. One such entrepreneur is Tavonia Evans.
Analytics Insight has engaged in an interview with Tavonia Evans, Founder at Guapcoin & Block4Hire. During the dialog, she takes us via her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she confronted, and her curiosity in blockchain expertise.
Take us via your entrepreneurial journey and your tasks at Guapcoin and Block4Hire.com.
Tavonia Evans: I’m a founder, blockchain engineer, technologist, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of expertise. I’m the Founder and Creator of Guapcoin, a cryptocurrency targeted on closing the wealth hole and offering entry to crypto for African-Americans, Latinx folks, and the worldwide African Diaspora. I’m the Co-Founder of Block4Hire.com, a platform that connects blockchain expertise with budding entrepreneurs and corporations. I’m additionally the CTO of Black Wall Street, a cryptocurrency pockets and neighborhood aimed toward empowering buyers of colour.
As a lady of colour, I’ve needed to step up and amplify my voice in an trade the place girls (particularly Black Women) have much less visibility. My first characteristic in Glamour Magazine, amongst different girls leaders in crypto, tuned me in to the significance of the work I used to be doing, till then I actually wasn’t conscious. I assumed I used to be simply making a platform I didn’t understand how impactful I used to be in the way forward for cash usually.
I used to be additionally impacted by my go to to Congress in 2019 because the Georgia delegate to the Nat’l Policy Network WOC Blockchain based by former Obama Presidential Appointee Cleve Mesidor. During this journey, we spoke with policymakers to make them conscious of our presence, voice, and experience within the blockchain house, which is important to our inclusion within the policy-making discussions.
What are the primal challenges you encountered whereas making a basis within the crypto trade as a lady?
Tavonia Evans: The greatest problem I confronted was one of many precise adversaries I used to be trying to unravel. It is the entry to funding for founders of colours. This was my second startup, it was throughout my first startup, an organization referred to as ‘Safe2meet’, a P2P verification platform, that I found that Black girls get lower than 1% of VC or capital funding for his or her corporations. So as a founder, it was disheartening that my accomplice and I (regardless of being two profitable black girls in tech) couldn’t elevate the cash we wanted to scale our MVP. This led me to launch Guapcoin, which I felt might ultimately open up extra capital and extra choices for folks like me. After all crypto (Guapcoin) is basically cash, and because the days go by, it turns into nearer and nearer to turning into accepted as authorized tender all over the place.
I additionally encountered the problem of the shortage of blockchain and cryptocurrency consciousness and schooling amongst the neighborhood that I serve. Not solely would I’ve to develop into the pioneer in a neighborhood that didn’t have an consciousness of what cryptocurrency or decentralized is, specifically, however I additionally needed to be the evangelist that’s ready to coach plenty of individuals. I needed to mix the abilities of an educator and a marketer as a result of I might be touching all ranges of society, technical and non-technical, suddenly. It’s a frightening process to tackle with zero capital, however an absolute necessity if I had been to realize my goal of onboarding them onto Guapcoin. I discovered it in the long run to be a really liberating, thrilling, and difficult strategy to join with the folks on the grassroots degree.
My remaining problem was discovering blockchain expertise and assets to assist our mission. Blockchain assets are scarce in our trade as a result of expertise is evolving at a quick tempo. I needed to rent offshore assets on a shoestring funds. I discovered myself managing a whole bunch of servers and in addition having to offer tech assist all whereas operating a corporation for a while. The first two years had been exhausting, to say the least. Eventually, groups started to construct inside the neighborhood, however as a corporation, we’re nonetheless working nicely beneath our wants.
These challenges haven’t gone away and can proceed to be an issue for ladies and girls of colour beginning blockchain corporations. Despite all of the challenges I’ve skilled (and can proceed to), I stay bullish about the way forward for cryptocurrency and blockchain expertise. It’s clear that this trade remains to be in its early days and there’s a lot of room for innovation. These challenges have made me stronger and extra resilient, and I’m excited to see what the longer term holds for Guapcoin and my different tasks on this house.
Describe a few of the very important attributes and preferrred qualities {that a} blockchain chief ought to possess.
Tavonia Evans: Blockchain tech leaders or influencers should possess tenacity and endurance as a result of it is going to be important for them to construct the belief that can foster the adoption of their platform or blockchain usually. This house is constructed largely on belief, using a trust-less system, or a system that isn’t depending on folks or center man to be the authorities that set up belief. In the top, we within the blockchain house are pushing for the mass adoption of a brand new means of exchanging worth. That means we’ve got to largely enchantment to the widespread man and girl and tackle their considerations with the protection and safety of relinquishing a monetary system that has not benefited them equitably for a brand new system that might supply extra equity and freedom. In endeavor this process, one has to have in mind the size of time it might take earlier than your platform might really be accepted.
Bitcoin itself has been round for, nicely, over a decade now and it’s nonetheless establishing itself regardless of being the primary cryptocurrency. It additionally takes time to coach folks to the purpose the place they’re snug sufficient and savvy sufficient to navigate the crypto house like they’re used to navigating the banking system.
Where do you get the concepts to innovate and the way do you make them fruitful?
Tavonia Evans: At Guapcoin and Black Wall Street, we innovate by anticipating each attainable roadblock our audiences will encounter and creating options round these roadblocks. Our fundamental ache level is the frustration folks really feel after they encounter new tech and will not be prepared to endure sure obstacles. Many merely quit and abandon these apps or instruments. We work at defining strategies of coping with public frustrations by first acknowledging their considerations and views and lastly crafting experiences that alleviate them. We are capable of faucet into our personal tradition and translate blockchain expertise into use circumstances that match inside the confines of what we’d like as folks of colour.
How do you assume blockchain has impacted management roles within the conventional monetary world?
Tavonia Evans: Blockchain impacts us by remodeling the way in which we use and spend cash. It can also be redefining what “money” is typically. Anything monetary now has to take into accounts the blockchain means of working on this planet of finance. Old monetary methods and expertise, now, must be introduced up to the mark and it has to evolve at a quick tempo in an ever-changing means.
Leaders must develop into extra versatile and be open to vary, they usually must develop into extra technologically savvy in the event that they wish to keep aggressive. Leaders at the moment are additionally required to develop into evangelists to the general public as a requirement in establishing belief of their tech.
How do you envision Guapcoin remodeling the decentralized ecosystem?
Tavonia Evans: I see Guapcoin as a monetary voice for the widespread folks sooner or later. We are continually increasing our imaginative and prescient to be extra inclusive of everybody, notably these whose voices have but to be heard within the blockchain. We are nonetheless pretty early on this house so nearly all of the people who find themselves impacted haven’t proven up but, however they may. When they present up, we wish to have constructed an ecosystem that fits their consolation degree and most significantly has invested in constructing the belief they should thrive in it. We are going to have a world of blockchains and blockchain ecosystems that interconnect and make everybody really feel valued in a roundabout way.
As a remaining be aware, share your preferrred recommendation for budding blockchain leaders and influencers.
Tavonia Evans: My recommendation to rising leaders within the blockchain is to remain on target, this is likely one of the most transformative areas in tech. There is a number of work to be achieved and there’s a want for folks to step as much as the plate and do it. You must diversify your data and your connection to folks. As a pacesetter in blockchain, you put on many hats, you’re a pioneer, a instructor, a technologist, and a philanthropist.
