Cardano HUB for businesses and developers in Eastern Europe

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Tudor Cotruta

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Not Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co proposers and Additional applicants

Sorin Canter

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Establish a Cardano Hub in Eastern Europe aiming to spread awareness around the Cardano ecosystem and drive its adoption within the tech and business local communities via various events.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All the materials that will be produced as part of the meetups, conferences and other events hosted within the hub, will be openly available on the Cardano Hub’s website and other social media channels. Licence: Dynamic content with Apache.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG Goals

4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

SDG Subgoals

4.4 - By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

8.3 - Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

4.4.1 - Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

8.3.1 - Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Currently, in Eastern Europe, there is very little awareness around blockchain technology and its utilities. Blockchain technologies are predominantly perceived as platforms designed for creating, storing, and transferring currency. Our primary goal is to dispel this myth and to facilitate the deeper understanding, exploration and subsequent adoption of diverse blockchain utilities among individuals, businesses and government agencies.

Our team is based in Moldova, a bilingual nation fluent in both Romanian and Russian. This linguistic advantage enables us to effortlessly engage with Eastern European countries, leveraging shared historical ties and contemporary educational values to find common ground.

Moldova stands out as an ideal location for our headquarters for a few reasons: its compact size makes it a favorable testing ground for emerging technologies as well as it fosters a vibrant and growing technical / developers community (the IT industry has become the top sector by amount of contribution to GDP, surpassing the long standing wine industry). This unique position allows us to pilot new applications with small-scale enterprises and pinpoint the exact factors that would accelerate the widespread adoption of Cardano among broader communities as well as it offers significant development potential for nurturing new startups and new applications that would further drive the expansion of the Cardano ecosystem.

While we aim to host engaging events that appeal to developers and tech students, our main KPIs are centered around technology adoption. We are looking to advance the research and development of supply chain tracking technology, engaging with businesses that stand to benefit from this technology. Our value proposition to businesses is twofold: the automation of product data reporting and the marketing benefits derived from utilizing these innovative tools. Additionally, employing blockchain technology offers businesses enhanced security, transparency and a significant reduction in operational inefficiencies, positioning them at the forefront of technological innovation in their respective industries.

In this initial six-month phase of the project, we will be conducting the following activities:

• Hosting biweekly preplanned meetups and events.
• Fostering the growth of Cardano communities across Eastern European nations and promoting local Cardano social meetups in the area
• Conducting a series of industry-specific presentations on Cardano utilities, such as supply chain tracking for the wine and grains industries.
• Engaging in communication and collaboration with government agencies to promote the use of blockchain technology to streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies within various dimensions of government activities.
• Organizing the Eastern European Cardano conference with international and local speakers.
• Evaluation of all activities and results of this first stage of the project.

This is the initial, inception phase within a bigger journey aiming to drive the Cardano ecosystem adoption in the region, with subsequent phases looking to dive deeper into the Cardano ecosystem intricacies and to explore more exotic use cases by hosting more targeted meetups and events, including hackathons and innovation labs.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

This initiative is not just about popularization and adoption; it's about demonstrating the transformative potential of Cardano to streamline operations, foster transparency, and drive innovation across the public and private sectors. The initial phase primarily focuses on spreading awareness and resonating within society. Our ambition extends beyond this: to build upon this foundation. We aim to facilitate experimentation and implement real-life solutions using Cardano technology.

Ultimately, our vision is to make the hub a self-sustainable entity that could exist based on coaching and consulting services with regards to the broader Cardano ecosystem which would be provided to a growing number of parties interested in adopting the tech and building blockchain based solutions. As we lay this groundwork, we anticipate a ripple effect that will inspire widespread use of Cardano in the area.

By engaging a new wave of developers and users in this region, we are positioning Eastern Europe prominently on the expansive Cardano map. Currently, the Americas, Western and Central Europe, the Far East, Africa, and Australia have established vibrant communities with groups of thought leaders. Meanwhile, countries like Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia are either catching up or have yet to engage in collaborative initiatives.

Our project will serve as a catalyst, bridging this gap by integrating these nations into the global Cardano ecosystem. Through our concerted efforts, we aim to transform Eastern Europe into a hub of innovation and collaboration, contributing to the diverse and rich tapestry of the Cardano community.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team comprises two dedicated professionals: Tudor, an entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in event organisation, tourism branding, catering, logistics, and Cardano projects; and Sorin, a mathematician and an engineer who is now acting as a software delivery manager within a multinational software development company and who has a proven track record of delivering custom software solutions to large businesses across a number of industry verticals. We believe the mix of skills and experience that the two of us bring together is a great blend that would enable us to overcome any potential problems be that technical or business related. 

With more than two years of active involvement in the Cardano community, our network is extensive and diverse, including developers, project founders, content creators, and ambassadors. This extensive networking ensures that we have the connections necessary to support and validate the feasibility of our ideas as well as gain access to the broader experience available within the community.

Our unique advantage lies in our Eastern European roots, sharing common cultural experiences that resonate with the local populace, from cinematic tastes to overcoming regional challenges. This shared background provides us with a deep understanding of how to effectively engage with and mobilise the community. Cardano is not just a platform for us; it is a passion. We are committed to contributing positively to its evolution. Whether through the proposed hub or other means, our endeavours are intrinsically linked to the Cardano ecosystem. Our vision is clear, our team is capable, and our dedication is unwavering. We are poised to deliver this project with the highest levels of trust and accountability.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Establishment of the hub’s Headquarters in Chisinau: Secure a physical location for the hub in Moldova, complete with necessary operational tools and technology to support activities and small events.

Community Building: while we see this as a recurring theme, the milestone refers to establishing the format and kicking off biweekly presentations and meetup events with the tech communities, tech students and professors to spread awareness around Cardano capabilities and to further inspire collaboration and experimentation on Cardano.

Industry-Specific Presentations: Deliver presentations tailored to key industries like wine and grain production (two key industries in Moldova) to demonstrate the benefits of leveraging the Cardano blockchain for supply chain tracking. Government Agencies Presentations: Hand picked blockchain utilities like fleet management systems, education and identity managment.

Events Calendar: https://bit.ly/47WasPw

At the end of the 6 months period we will crown the work with a Eastern European Cardano Conference in Chisinau where we will share via examples the power of blockchain based on Cardano ecosystem and its capabilities.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Tudor Cotruta is an enthusiastic entrepreneur who has been involved in building multiple businesses from ground up dealing with event organization, tourism branding, catering and logistics. Over the last 2 years he has been fully involved in the Web 3 space and more specifically in the Cardano ecosystem. His role will be to maintain and facilitate the interaction with the Cardano ecosystem, manage the project to ensure deadlines and commitments are met as well as actively contribute to communication with businesses, developers and other entities.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tudor-cotruta-a6661a88/

X: https://twitter.com/cotruta_tudor

Sorin Canter is licensed in applied mathematics and has a master in information technology and has over 20 years experience in the IT industry in various roles like engineer, consultant, teacher and coach, as well as extensive leadership and management experience. Throughout his experience he has worked in various industries like Financial Markets, Banking and Payments, Insurance, Retail and Logistics, Media and Publishing, Advertising and more. His role will be to provide an analytical flavor to the project, digest and leverage technical matters, and proactively get involved in the events as a speaker and coach. He will also be contributing alongside Tudor to community building by leveraging his broad network both in academical as well as governmental realms.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sorin-canter-21716327/

Pierre Dadd: An accomplished brand builder with over 20 years experience across multiple categories, audiences, and markets with household names such as LEGO, Disney, BBC, Auto Trader, Haymarket Media, and more recently metaverse platform, Virtua.

His role will be to help with marketing the Cardano hub and the underlying activities and events to ensure deep penetration into the society as well as help setting up branding elements around the Cardano hub.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierredadd/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Project Budget Allocation for Eastern European Cardano Hub

Milestone 1 - 91,300 Ada (Month 1-6)

• Office and events space rent - 30,000
• Office and Event Setup: Furniture, equipment, and materials to establish the hub for operations, coordination, and event hosting - 24,300
• Marketing Campaign: Promoting the hub's opening in Moldova, Romania, and surrounding areas, targeting potential Cardano community members - 11,000
• Expenses for legal counsel, accounting services, or consulting fees - 8,000
• Project management and execution - 18,000

Milestone completion - When all of the above have been set up or contracted.

Milestone 2 - 51,500 Ada (Months 2-5)

• Biweekly Meetups and Panels: Organizing events with presentations and discussions for businesses, developers, press, and government workers to foster a Cardano community, this activity includes multiple EE countries representatives - 24500 Events Calendar.
• Content Creation Planning and Execution, Educational Material Production: Implementing a strategy for ongoing content creation, including blogs, social media, video content and booklets, to continuously engage and grow the Cardano community - 17000
• Hub staff - 8000
• Emergency fund - 2000

Milestone completion - When 75% of the Content production is launched and we can confirm the ongoing plan for the rest 25%

Milestone 3 - 12,600 Ada (Months 2-5)

• Targeted Outreach Meetings: Conducting 21 small meetings and presentations at the locations of businesses, developers, and government agencies. These sessions are aimed at personalised engagement and education about Cardano's benefits and use cases - 12,600

Milestone completion - When 80% of the meetings have happened, reports are publicised and we have a plan for the rest - 20%

Final Milestone - 44,500 Ada (Months 5-6)

• Eastern European Cardano Conference: A major event with international speakers highlighting Cardano's capabilities and strengthening the community's network - 37.500
• Feedback and Evaluation - 7,000

Milestone completion - When the Conference's and Hub's evaluation has been documented and presented to the community in graphic form.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

We believe that this project represents significant value for money for the Cardano ecosystem via several key dimensions:

1. Community and Network Building: The emphasis on event organization and community engagement is pivotal in creating a robust network of developers, users, and enthusiasts in Eastern Europe where currently there is minimal awareness and understanding around blockchain technology in general and Cardano ecosystem specifically. This effort directly contributes to the growth and diversification of the Cardano ecosystem in a region that is well known for its tech talent, which in turn should make the ecosystem more vibrant and inclusiv
2. Strategic Outreach: The project's outreach to businesses and government agencies is another key focus are
3. Education and Promotion: Currently, the perception of most Eastern Europeans regarding blockchain technology ranges from it being a mechanism to store and transfer value to it being a scam. We will dispel this myth and facilitate a deeper understanding of the technology.

Overall, we believe that this project is designed to provide significant value for the Cardano ecosystem by expanding it in an area where there is very little penetration of blockchain technology - besides the geographical expansion, it will make Cardano one of the only blockchains that is proactively marketed and promoted in the region thus giving it a competitive advantage vs other blockchains. By strategically concentrating on areas with the greatest impact potential, it aims to expand Cardano's reach and utility through minimal yet effective implementations, establishing a strong foundation for its growth and recognition in Eastern Europe, while also providing extensive experience and know-how’s that could be applied across other geographies.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund Rules and also that data in the submission form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept