This is a special episode from our recent visit to NYC during NFT.NYC week in June of 2022. We partnered with some awesome collaborators during this week to let you hear some of the best voices spreading the word about web3 today. This particular episode features content from The Baddies Summit. A stellar event brimming with incredible feminine energy of founders and creators. The event brought together the top woman in web3 groups, supported by their allies in the space. There were impactful panels to share learnings, inspire and build an equal future. The event was brought to you by NFT Girl Gang and The Locker Room, along with other supportive partners like us at Edge of NFT! Tune in to hear the freshest ideas and happenings in Web3 from Lisa Carmen Wang (Bad Bitch Empire), Dani Slocki (vSpace) & Chelsea Freeborn (Ava Labs). Enjoy!
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Listen to the podcast here
Edge Of NYC, June 2022: Baddie Summit Compilation Feat. Lisa Carmen Wang (Bad Bitch Empire), Dani Slocki (vSpace) & Chelsea Freeborn (Ava Labs)
This particular episode is a special one, featuring content we’re gathering within NFT NYC week at a very cool event called The Baddies Summit, which is featuring a ton of incredibly impressive women in Web 3.0. Stay tuned. We’ll cut from one quick interview to the next, bringing you these interesting conversations and giving you that feeling like you’re right here with us at this awesome event. We’ll kick off with the interviews.
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I’m here with Lisa. We’ve met before and had some cool conversations. Where did we meet?
It was Bitcoin Miami 2021.
I’m going to let her introduce herself. She’s got some cool brands she’s building for women. We’ll get in some questions once we get there. Why don’t you introduce yourself and what you’re up to? What should people know about you?
I’m Lisa Carmen Wang, the Founder of the Bad Bitch Empire. We’re building unapologetic worth and wealth for women. We are launching our Bad Bitch Empire Fund to invest in women in Web 3.0 companies to make sure more women get on the cap tables of the next billion-dollar companies, and that we are becoming active players and integral investors in Web 3.0.
You want to say, “Fuck your ass.” The way you laid it out, the way you said it and the way you composed all the thoughts around that, I love it. We’re going to kick off this with some questions about the context here. What are you most excited about NFT NYC? What brings you here?
I am super excited to meet other investors in the space and other women who are interested in investing in Web 3.0 projects. I’m also interested in discovering more female-led projects that are creating an impact and also have a real business model behind them in terms of a clear vision of what they want to achieve.
It sounds like you’re in the right place for that thing. Now, the market at large is a bit deflated or maybe there’s a buzz outside of Web 3.0 space, and things aren’t going well with crypto markets. At events like this, we’re seeing a lot of energy. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of things. What are you doing now? How are you seeing the market’s state?
Forget the bear market. It’s the bad bitch market. The markets are going up and down because of a lot of irrational fear around the volatility of the space and the viability of crypto in general. At the end of the day, if you are a believer in blockchain technology, which has the ability to create access, transparency, and democratization of assets, if you are a woman, underrepresented, have been part of a non-wealthy, haven’t been in those rich circles of primarily white men, this is a real opportunity to create transformational technology and transformational businesses, and invest in the types of companies that you think are going to make a big difference.
If you’re building a long-term project that is looking at value long-term rather than in the short-term volatility cycles, this is an exciting time. Every time the markets crash and there’s a crypto winter, a lot of the bullshit hype dies off and the real projects and real values sustain and come out. They’re born out of winters.
We talked about this a bit on the show. There’s this almost authenticity and a very special kind of energy around the folks that are around this market condition. I love it. Tell us a little bit more about what you’re working on, about the Bad Bitch Empire, and how incredible life it’s going to get.
If you are new to the Bad Bitch Empire, you can engage through our podcast. Our podcast comes out every Wednesday. It talks about incredible topics from investing to how you address misogyny in the workplace. How do you candidly speak up as a bad vision and call out bullshit? It’s an awesome podcast. Our communities or Telegram is all bringing that together. Above that community, our anchor is the fund.
We are building out Bad Bitch Empire Fund One. This is allowing more Bad Bitch LPs to become investors in the fund and invest together. We’re bringing more women onto the cap table, and more underrepresented individuals. Allies can invest and be a part of the fund as well. That fund will be launching in October. We’ll be actively investing in early-stage companies that are creating a positive global impact for women by leveraging the power of blockchain technology.
It makes me want to be a bad bitch myself.
You could be a bad bitch ally.
Can you tell me your advice for people that are wanting to get into Web 3.0 and do something impactful?
Don’t let the jargon of the Web 3.0 space scare you because there is a lot of jargon. Typically, whenever there are these new communities that jargon becomes a deterrent for this space. If you’ve got curiosity and passion, and believe things are going to change for the better, get in, jump in and make it happen.
Maybe I have picked up a little bit of the jargon. It’s so fascinating having friends come into this space and learn all the things that are your common parlance. I remember the first time I learned diamond hands. It’s interesting. There’s jargon and there’s vocab as well. It’s interesting to wrap your head around.
It’s important always to understand the basics of any industry you’re going into, but the idea of being like find your niche. I guarantee you that with the expertise I have around the psychology of how women invest and how you communicate and educate new women investors, you might be a dGen in the crypto space and have zero ideas about how to talk to women. That’s a huge market and opportunity. It’s also knowing your target audiences as you enter the space. What do you want to accomplish? Who do you want to help? Who do you want to create impact? What are your communities? Also, not having FOMO because if you’re not part of a new NFT project or something else.
JOMO, Joy Of Missing Out, got to get a little bit of that. I know being the super productive and exciting person you are, you got some other stuff to ship out and do. Let’s wrap it up by making sure where they can find out more, follow you, and all that good stuff.
You can find me @LisaCarmenWang on every single social channel, and then BadBitchEmpire.com. You can sign up for our newsletter or podcast. Find more information about our fund and our academy. We are on Instagram @TheBadBitchEmpire and Twitter @BadBitch_Empire.
You got it all in. You got it all under control. It was a pleasure to see you again and have you with us.
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We’re back again at the Baddies Summit with some dope women in Web 3.0. We’re about to have a convo with Dani. I’m going to let her introduce herself and then we’ll dive in. Dani, tell us about what you’ve been up to.
I’m Dani Slocki, the Cofounder and CEO VSpace, which is a cross-reality experience platform. What all that mumble jumble means is that it’s a metaverse-based platform that brings accessibility and hybrid experiences to the space for web and mobile base. There’s no app download, no headgear, no nothing. We support from the community to corporate. We do a lot of NFT galleries. We also work with L’Oreal. We did something with SOBs. We recreated House of Yes in Bushwick and Brooklyn.
SOBs like the club?
Yeah. For SOBs, there was a director for Kanye West’s docu-series Genius. They wanted to do an exclusive workshop. What we did is we put all these photos of Kanye West in the virtual space. For three hours, people can go in and buy the physical merch. What we did is we regraded the merch to be virtual. The conversion rate for merch drops in a virtual space like VSpace is 10X what a digital campaign can do. That’s what we do. VSpace is becoming and we feel this gray space between Web 2.0 and 3.0 for folks that are like, “I want to explore Web 3.0, but I’m not fully there yet.” We provide the tool where it’s like you can connect your crypto wallet. You can do Shopify. You can also see each other face to face.
Web 3.0: The markets are going up and down because of the irrational fear around Web 3.0 and crypto’s volatility.
What brings you here? What are you excited about in New York?
I’m from New York in Brooklyn. I came in 2021 to NFTC and the first thing I noticed was, “Lord, everybody needs my help with experiences.” What gets me excited is to see what people are working on. Even though I just made that comment, I like to see and be able to offer my experience. It’s like, “Are you doing an in-person event? Would you like to do something virtual? I’m excited to see more of the crossover and cross-reality experiences that are popping up across the space.
The market is something that people are talking about now. Maybe it’s not doing so well or values have dropped. How do you see the future of Web 3.0 in this context?
The folks who are doing things now, myself included, are all pioneering and learning. It’s at some moments going to be sloppy or feel like it’s falling. What’s exciting is that, like the crypto market, I believe the market itself is the same thing. It fluctuates and it goes up and down. With NFT and crypto, we’re going to see the same thing. There might be more drastic highs and lows. However, with Web 3.0, I don’t think it’s 100% determined by NFTs and crypto. With VSpace, we are considered a Web 3.0 platform, but we’re not being hurt by the market because we are web-based. That being said, if people don’t have funds to play, then they don’t have funds to play. However, we’re coming in and supporting people with virtual alternatives.
They don’t need to spend all this enormous money to have in-person events to educate people. What’s exciting is that no matter what, we’re this safe norm as experiential. Personally, regardless of the market, I’m excited because my company is adaptable. In general, people are adaptable. What’s going to be important is for more people, to be honest, communicate and be educated on what’s going on so that people don’t just put all of their money into something and feel jaded or hurt when they lose. It’s educating people on how crypto markets fluctuate like the regular markets.
You talked about it a little bit up front, but any more details you want to give on what you’re up to with your projects?
We’re doing an NFTC event. We’re live streaming these Twitter spaces talks, which are usually on Twitter but it’s actually an IRL panel. We’re going to livestream it into VSpace with 24 pieces and 100% of the proceeds are being donated to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which is for children’s cancer research. It is exciting. We’re able to provide this space where people can learn and also connect to something that feels good for them.
You’ve got some awesome confidence like moving into Web 3.0. I love how you were able to say you feel good about your flexibility as a company. What would you advise someone who is wanting to get into Web 3.0 at this moment in time?
It’s always the who, what, where, when and why. If someone wants to get into Web 3.0, it needs to have a strong why. Not like, “I want a bandwagon.” It could be, “I see that the industry is going this way. I want to learn.” Step one is figuring out your why. From there, you can most likely research and find communities that are attached to that why or that moral compass. For myself, what got me excited about Web 3.0 was all of the women that were coming into the spaces and helping to create a platform for more women that are looking for funding, for the promotion of their events or their projects or whatnot.
I got into this space. When I went to events that were NFT or Web 3.0 specific, I saw it after women’s groups. I found the Bad Bitch Empire from Lisa Carmen Wang, who’s amazing. I went to the event, physically showed up, and connected with them. If I weren’t physically there, I would miss out on that opportunity. Connect with me at VSpace.live. We have a lot of experiences and events that we’re doing. You don’t have to be privileged to be in New York, LA or Miami. There are spaces online that people can tap into.
I know you’re busy. You have something you got to run to, but let’s make sure we get social handles and web links that you want people to go to value.
Our website is VSpace.live. As you can see a video there of what the heck I’m talking about because everyone says virtual Web 3.0 metaverse. For handles, it’s @VSpace.live on Instagram and VSpace_live on Twitter.
Thanks so much.
Thank you.
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We’re back here at the Baddies Summit and talking to some awesome folks in Web 3.0. Next up, we have Chelsea. I’m going to let Chelsea introduce herself and we’ll have a chat.
Thanks for having me. My name is Chelsea Freeborn. I’m a Senior Producer in Community Development at Avalanche or AVAX. I’m excited to be here and grateful to be in the communities.
The context of this is NFT NYC. We start with NFT LA when you have these big events. That’s a huge thing that spreads out all around it. Tell me what you’re looking forward to hearing in this event, things beyond this event, and what you love about NFT NYC?
What I love about NFT NYC is a lot of female presence, a lot of the community development because it’s part of my job, and Avalanche’s presence because they work for the brand. I’m excited about that. I think one of the most beautiful things about this event and experience in and of itself is everybody that shows up in the community that’s dedicated to it, especially during a bear market. I’m very grateful to be able to be here and show up.
That’s a good transition to my next question about the market conditions and the future of Web 3.0, and how various people are putting those two things in context with each other. What are your thoughts on this?
There are definitely two thoughts that I have on this market. One from the brand side and one from a personal side. I’ve been in the industry for a little bit longer than I probably would want to admit. This isn’t my first dip or my first see of recycling and leveling out of different brands and tokens in the economy. It’s not only in tokenomics and crypto, it’s a global economic situation that is happening right now. We have a lot of devastation and depravity. We just came out of a massive pandemic. We have huge rates of inflation. This is happening not just in this space, but it’s happening in a global space as well.
The first point is on that side, but on a personal level, this is good for the market. It allows a lot of people that didn’t want to get invested in being involved to come in. It does a clearing of tokens that are based on utility and/or have a real purpose in the space. You see a lot of the DOGE INU. All these kinds of shit coins dissipate, which is what we needed.
We don’t underestimate DOGE, but you knew that. We have no idea what to do with those.
I definitely have been in the space for a little bit. I think the crypto markets and tokenomics are MLM for older boys. It’s nice to have the women coming in and shaping up the market. That’s my opinion. It’s what I’m doing in 2016. it’s what I’m doing now. Also, be cash positive. It’s not all digital yet. We still have about 5 to 10 years to go fully digital. On the brand side, it’s engaging your community as much as you can. That’s what they’re there for.
Nice themes developed when we do an episode like this where we talk to a bunch of people and ask similar questions. I love that theme of all these people who are excited about Web 3.0 and NFTs in this whole space and they’re still saying, “Don’t commit all of your funds into this space. There’s a risk.” It’s having a startup company or something like that. You’ve got to have some diversification. I love that that theme is rising because people wouldn’t necessarily expect it.
That’s what this market is about. Its risk and volatility. If you have these first generations that are coming into this market and seeing the first depravity that’s happening, they’re seeing their first market volatility, they have never experienced that, but I was alive in 2018. I’ve experienced a market crash and seen what has happened. You’ve been around for a little bit, you understand this. We’re young enough to be able to take that risk and still stay cash positive. If you’re under 30 or 40, take the risk and buy it. You don’t have to be fully cash positive, but have a little bit of the money in the bank.
If you’re going to live to 500 like this is a drop in the bucket. Everything is going to be fine. There’s nothing to worry about. I often think about that. It’s funny. I don’t talk about it a lot, but if I were going to live to be 500 or even longer, you wouldn’t worry so much about what’s going on now. It’s piece by piece.
Vampires all care about is eating. They don’t care about fair market. They know it’s always going to come back.
Web 3.0: Don’t let the jargons of the web space scare you. Typically, jargons become a deterrent in getting into new communities.
Tell me a little bit more about what you and the projects you’re in are focused on working
on.
I’m working on a variety of different projects. I’m not fully immersed in Web 3.0. I am teaching a marketing course on it, which I’m fortunate and grateful to be able to do. I also run a crisis management company, so addicts and women in domestic abuse or traumatic situations to change their lives and come out on the other side of that. I have another whole world that I focus on the personal side. Within Avalanche, specifically, we’re working on Subnets a lot. We’re focused on that. We’re focused on our ecosystem’s diversity and inspiring a lot of the conversations, as well as focusing on GameFi right now. Those are the main three points that we’re looking at.
I love having this show because I always meet people where I’m like, “How are you doing all of this? I have to figure out your tricks.
A lot of Celsius and sleep.
We’re having these rapid-fire interviews. Anything else you want to share with people about how you’re seeing the future of Web 3.0. What are the things you’re excited about coming down the pipe?
Some things I’m excited about coming up in Web 3.0, especially right now, people are understanding what it’s like to go through volatility and risk, and learning what life is like, the ups and downs, the ups people, the leveling out, and getting to experience the nuts and the bolts. I’m excited about, at least in our company, is definitely optioning into GameFi. I’m excited about what we’re doing in the gaming space and what’s coming transparent. It seems to make the most sense, especially for us with payment processing, and being one of the most sustainable out there and the lowest gas speeds. I’m excited to see what transpires within our company.
On my personal account, to be quite honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the metaverse. I don’t think we need to be behind more screens. I think we need to be out in nature more. I’m excited for this to hopefully get people to go outside more and have more experiences. I love that the community aspect is in full effect and force, especially post COVID. That’s good.
That’s great because when I asked that question, it was like, “I should probably say something about the metaverse and whatever.” You pull the fast one and that’s great. We want to make sure we let people know how to follow you and the projects you’re working on before we wrap here. Websites handle and stuff like that.
You should go to AVAX.network. That’s where we’re at. You can follow us on Twitter. We have an Instagram. We’re partnering with the Andretti team as well, Formula E. It’s happening. We have an event from July 15th to 16th. You should participate. We have about 1,500 people that will be coming that are all in this entire space, and a lot of amazing conversations, especially on the topic of GameFi and Subnets. Personally, I like to stay off social media. I don’t need to be found. I’d rather be lost.
It was great to have you. Thanks a lot.
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
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Important Links
- Bad Bitch Empire
- @LisaCarmenWang – Instagram
- @TheBadBitchEmpire – Instagram
- @BadBitch_Empire – Twitter
- VSpace
- @VSpace.live – Instagram
- VSpace_live – Twitter
- AVAX.network
- Twitter – Avalanche
- Instagram – Avalanche
- iTunes – Edge of NFT
- EdgeofNFT.com
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