Impact Accounting Project-Based Learning

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Seira Yun

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

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

100000

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

8

[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)

Create project-based learning materials for impact accounting and issue a completion certificate as a verifiable credential on Atala PRISM.

[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 dependency. NB: Socious and Andamio depend on each other but both teams are part of this proposal. We have no external dependency.

[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

Our project is proudly open source, licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3). This license allows others to freely use, modify, and distribute our code/output, under the condition that any derivative work will also be open source under the GPLv3. This fosters collaboration and community-driven development, as it encourages other developers to contribute to our project, or to use our code/output as a starting point for their own projects, thus driving innovation in the sector.

By making our project open source, we aim to contribute to the global movement of shared knowledge and collaborative problem solving. This approach ensures transparency, promotes the sharing of knowledge, and encourages a collective approach to addressing the challenges associated with the impact job sector. Ultimately, we believe that open-sourcing our project will lead to a more robust, efficient, and impactful solution, thanks to the contributions of the global developer/contributor community.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Background

All companies are required to track and submit their financial statements to the relevant authorities in most jurisdictions. Business managers and investors rely on these financial accounting statements to make decisions. However, these statements do not take into account the impacts on employees, customers, the environment, and society as a whole. This results in decisions that have a negative impact on the environment and society.

At Socious, we recognize the imperative need for accurately measuring and valuing a company's impact on society and the environment. The absence of clear, transparent impact metrics means that decision-making is predominantly influenced by financial considerations, neglecting the broader implications on people and the planet. To address this gap, we advocate for the integration of 'impact accounting' into the standard corporate reporting framework. This approach would place the assessment of societal and environmental impacts on an equal footing with financial reporting, ensuring a more holistic and responsible approach to corporate decision-making. By embedding impact accounting into corporate obligations, akin to financial statement submissions, we aim to foster a more sustainable and conscientious business environment."

This is already happening. European companies, particularly those in the EU, are increasingly required to report on their social and environmental impact. Key obligations include:

1. Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD): This directive applies to large public-interest entities with more than 500 employees. It mandates the disclosure of information on the way they operate and manage social and environmental challenges.
2. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): Set to replace the NFRD, the CSRD will expand the scope to include all large companies and all companies listed on regulated markets (except listed micro-enterprises). It requires more detailed reporting and ensures that sustainability information is more consistent and comparable.
3. EU Taxonomy Regulation: This is a classification system, establishing a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities. It requires large companies covered by the NFRD to disclose the proportion of their activities that are aligned with this taxonomy.
4. Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR): Applicable to financial market participants and financial advisers, it requires them to disclose how they integrate ESG (environmental, social, and governance) risks in their investment decisions and advisory processes.

These regulations are part of the EU's broader strategy to incorporate sustainability into its financial policy framework and encourage sustainable investment. Their objective is to enhance transparency and provide stakeholders, such as investors and consumers, with improved information about the sustainability of businesses. Complying with these regulations not only ensures alignment with legal requirements but also contributes to the development of a sustainable, environmentally conscious brand image.

However, there is a shortage of professionals with impact accounting skills*. This is because, while the demand for impact accounting grows, particularly in sectors like impact investing, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility, the education and training of skilled professionals is not caught up with the demand. This led to a talent gap, especially because the growth in demand outpaces the development of educational and training programs to equip professionals with the necessary skills in impact accounting. This proposal aims to solve this problem.

*We use the term "impact accounting" as a general term to refer to any measurements of social and environmental impact. This includes Impact Measurement and Management (IMM), Social Return on Investment (SROI), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Metrics, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and others.

Solution

In order to tackle the shortage of skilled professionals in impact accounting, we will create project-based learning materials for impact accounting and issue a completion certificate as a verifiable credential on Atala PRISM.

Why do we need a blockchain verifiable certificate? According to a survey from StandOutCV which surveyed 1,785 Americans, 55% of respondents admitted to lying on their resumes. How can organizations determine the authenticity of resumes? Unfortunately, identifying fraudulent resumes is a challenging task, and hiring a background check agency can be costly.

To tackle this issue, we propose leveraging verifiable credentials (VCs) tied to an Atala DID. This not only enables candidates to securely share their verified certificates but also allows hiring organizations to confirm the authenticity of their credentials swiftly, fostering trust and efficiency in the hiring process.

With this system, companies can hire impact accountants who will report to authorities, such as those required by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), to fulfill their obligations. This allows companies to hire professionals with the necessary skills without the need to spend time and money on background check agencies.

In this proof-of-concept stage, we will do the following:

1 Research:

• Literature Review: Examine existing literature to understand the scope and depth of the impact accounting field.
• Market Analysis: Assess the demand for impact accounting skills and identify existing gaps in the market.
• Competitor Analysis: Evaluate similar offerings by competitors to identify differentiators and opportunities.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Engage with key stakeholders, recording their insights with dates for comprehensive analysis.
• Action Plan Development: Formulate a detailed strategy for the project's implementation based on gathered data.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Research Paper: Compile and summarize the findings from the above activities in a well-documented research paper.

2 “Introduction to Impact Accounting” Course Development:

• Curriculum Design: Develop a detailed syllabus covering key topics in impact accounting, such as ESG metrics, sustainability reporting standards, and stakeholder impact analysis.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Content Creation: Produce high-quality, engaging course materials, including lectures, case studies, interactive exercises, and assessments.
• Course Management Platform Setup: Upload and set up the course on the Andamio platform.

3 “Introduction to Impact Accounting” Student Onboarding and Analysis:

• Course & Project Management Platform subscription: The Andamio Pro Package (1 year subscription) includes:
• Course management platform
• Project management platform
• Role access
• System administrator access
• Course management access
• 50 Learners
• 50 Contributors
• 5 Course creators
• 5 Course facilitators
• Project management access
• 4 administrators
• 5 deciders
• Hosting
• Technical support
• Marketing and Promotion: Implement targeted marketing strategies to attract potential students, emphasizing the course's relevance and benefits.
• Application and Selection Process: Set up an application process to select a diverse group of students who can benefit most from the course.
• Post-Course Evaluation: Conduct a comprehensive evaluation after course completion to gather insights for improvement.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio

4 Curriculum Drafting for Full Certification and Close-out Report/Video:

• Curriculum Design: Develop a detailed syllabus covering key topics in impact accounting, such as ESG metrics, sustainability reporting standards, and stakeholder impact analysis.
• Expert Collaboration: Collaborate with industry experts and academicians to ensure the curriculum aligns with current industry standards and future trends.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Action Plan for Content Creation: Formulate a detailed strategy for content creation based on gathered data. Include practical components such as case studies and project work to provide hands-on experience.
• Close-out Report/Video: produce a close-out report and a close-out video.

Impact on the Cardano ecosystem

This initiative has the potential to make a significant global impact and specifically enhance the Cardano ecosystem. By onboarding participants who will create Atala PRISM DIDs, we are introducing new users to the Cardano community. This serves as an entry point, facilitated by Atala PRISM, that encourages these individuals to explore other Cardano offerings and delve deeper into the ecosystem.

Furthermore, this program positions Cardano as a pioneering and socially responsible blockchain ecosystem. It demonstrates Cardano's commitment to utilizing blockchain technology for the betterment of society, attracting and inspiring other "blockchain for good" projects to join and flourish within the Cardano network. This strategic move not only expands Cardano's user base but also strengthens its reputation as a leader in leveraging blockchain for positive social and environmental impact.

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

Value to the Cardano ecosystem:

This initiative has the potential to make a significant global impact and specifically enhance the Cardano ecosystem. By onboarding participants who will create Atala PRISM DIDs, we are introducing new users to the Cardano community. This serves as an entry point, facilitated by Atala PRISM, that encourages these individuals to explore other Cardano offerings and delve deeper into the ecosystem.

Furthermore, this program positions Cardano as a pioneering and socially responsible blockchain ecosystem. It demonstrates Cardano's commitment to utilizing blockchain technology for the betterment of society, attracting and inspiring other "blockchain for good" projects to join and flourish within the Cardano network. This strategic move not only expands Cardano's user base but also strengthens its reputation as a leader in leveraging blockchain for positive social and environmental impact.

Measuring Impact:

• User Engagement Metrics: Track the number of students and new users creating Atala PRISM DIDs.
• Feedback and Surveys: Conduct surveys with participants and stakeholders.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

We will share the outputs and opportunities of our project through the following methods:

• During and after the completion of the project, we plan to spread its outputs. This will include providing monthly and milestone reports, as well as regular town hall meetings.
• We will share information about the project's outputs, impact, and opportunities with community members. The close-out report and video will be publicly available on YouTube. Additionally, we will share updates on our website and social media platforms. Work opportunities for Cardano community members will be listed on our Socious platform, which is a talent marketplace.
• We will also engage with the community through community forums and social media platforms, providing regular updates and insights.

[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 is aptly suited and equipped to successfully deliver this project. We possess the requisite capabilities that uniquely position us to execute this project to high standards of trust and accountability.

Socious is a fast-growing impact startup that provides a talent marketplace, making impact work accessible and transparent. We connect purpose-driven professionals with impact organizations through AI matching. We use blockchain to trace impact work and reward contributions.

Socious is supported by 500Global, Microsoft, and Milkomeda Foundation. Our platform lists over 80k jobs, 24k organizations, and has 6.6k registered users. Our team consists of experts in impact measurement, finance, data science, and blockchain development.

Socious has extensive experience in the Cardano ecosystem, having successfully completed five Catalyst-funded projects in Fund 9 and two ongoing projects in Fund 10.

Our team members include:

• Seira Yun

Title: Founder and CEO

Role: Product Ownership, Project Management, Research

Commitment: Full-time

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seirayun/

Bio: Seira Yun is the Founder and CEO of Socious.io, a talent marketplace that makes impact work accessible and transparent. Socious connects purpose-driven professionals with impact organizations through AI matching, and uses blockchain to trace impact work and reward contributions.

Seira is a serial impact entrepreneur with years of experience in the sector. He has led teams within the ICRC, UNHCR, and social ventures. Drawing from personal experiences as a migrant, an autistic person, and a proud pansexual queer, Seira is driven to make the world a better place through social innovation. As a full-stack developer with a Master's in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge, he enjoys blending technology with purpose. Seira is also an impact angel investor, a member of Hustle Fund's Angel Squad, and a mentor for 4WARD.VC's Climate Accelerator. When not working, he enjoys shooting hoops, running, reading, spending quality time with the kids, or embracing the adventure of getting lost during travels. He is also a long-term member of the Cardano community; he’s won and managed five Catalyst projects and has completed Atala PRISM Pioneer Program.

• Minh Douangprachanh

Title: Lead Designer

Role: Design

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-douang/

Bio: With more than a decade of experience specializing in product design, Minh is a multidisciplinary artist who has always believed art has a language of its own. As a neurodiverse individual, Minh is passionate about helping people and creating sustainable and inclusive solutions.

• Ehsan Mahmoudi

Title: Lead Developer

Role: Backend/Blockchain/AI Engineering

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/ehsan-mahmoudi-611123b8/

Bio: More than 8 years of experience in Python and Machine Learning as well as extensive experience in blockchain development. Ehsan has worked for global startups including Rechat, AEC, and Navaak.

• Iman Rezasefat

Title: Senior Frontend Developer

Role: Frontend Development

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iman-rezasefat-001988121/

Bio: An experienced frontend developer with 7+ years of experience.

• Marjan Arami

Title: Senior Frontend Developer

Role: Frontend Development

Commitment: Full-time

Bio: An experienced frontend developer with 10+ years of experience.

• Azin Zare

Title: QA Engineer

Role: Quality Assurance

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/azin-zare-355a27179/

Bio: An experienced QA engineer with 9+ years of experience.

• Madi Lommen

Title: Advisor

Role: Project Management, Research

Commitment: Part-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madi-lommen-394940b0/

Bio: Madi has 10+ years experience in social entrepreneurship, impact investing, and partnership building. Madi is passionate about interdisciplinary learning / problem-solving that leverages entrepreneurship and multilingual teamwork for community development. In recent years, she founded Madibanani Co. to champion refugee youth, designed a data collection program on the Jordan-Syrian border, and coordinated military-like training for Emergency & Disaster volunteers of La Cruz Roja (Red Cross) in Ecuador. After completing a thesis on medieval Arabic poetry at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, she worked with a network of angel investors scaling women-led SMEs tackling poverty in Southeast Asia. She has experience working in four languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese) and has lived in Singapore, Jordan, Ecuador, the UK, South Africa, the USA, and Japan.

• Raphael Hode

Title: Design Advisor

Role Design Direction

Commitment: Part-time

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

Bio: Raphael is a Strategic Designer with a passion for social innovation and sustainability. After a few years in advertising agencies in Paris, Raphael moved to Tokyo in 2015 and joined Designit, a global strategic design firm. At Designit Raphael worked on growing a team and helping some of Japan’s most ambitious companies make innovation happen, leading him to endorse a variety of roles across UX design, service design, business design, and strategy.

In parallel, he has been passionately engaging in activities related to sustainability and social innovation: giving talks and workshops, mentoring early-stage social founders, and eventually co-founding a social venture. Today, he spends most of his time working with incredible social entrepreneurs to help them define, design, and launch visionary products that contribute to creating a more sustainable society.

To supplement our core team, we maintain a reserve of skilled freelancers, ready to contribute at short notice. Our talent marketplace, Socious, is a hub for over 6,600 individuals, many of whom could potentially assist in this project, if required.

Our ability to deliver is not just theoretical but backed by an impressive track record. We have successfully completed five distinct Catalyst projects funded in Fund 9, all within the projected timelines and budget. These accomplishments bear testament to our capabilities and our commitment to deliver projects as proposed.

The Fund 9 projects we’ve completed are as follows:

1. Recognize Impact through DIDs https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-dapps-products-and-integrations/recognize-impact-through-dids
2. Atala Integration with Milkomeda https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-dapps-products-and-integrations/atala-integration-with-milkomeda
3. Decentralized Escrow for Remote Job https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-developer-ecosystem/decentralized-escrow-for-remote-job
4. Impact lending for the unbanked https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-dapps-products-and-integrations/impact-lending-for-the-unbanked
5. Scoring Social/Environmental Impact https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-catalyst-natives-x-cardashift-demonstrating-and-monetizing-impact/scoring-socialenvironmental-impact

We’ve also been funded two projects in Fund 10:

1. Work History as Verifiable Credentials https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/102247
2. Decentralized Referral System for DAOs https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/103005

The trustworthiness in our fund management processes is grounded in our serious adherence to legal and financial compliance. Each transaction conducted is meticulously documented with tangible evidence and audited internally for accuracy. To bolster our commitment to financial transparency, we have established collaborations with external accounting firms that assure compliance. Our Japanese entity works with Tatsumi Accounting Firm (https://kessan-online.jp/company), while our Singaporean entity partners with BBCIncorp (https://bbcincorp.com/offshore/accounting-and-auditing).

Additionally, we liaise with an external law firm, Enlighten Law Group (https://www.enlightenlaw.com/), to ensure full legal compliance. This meticulous, multilayered approach to fund management reflects our dedication to maintaining high levels of trust and accountability.

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

Milestone 1: Research

Outputs

Milestone 1 includes the following key activities:

• Literature Review: Examine existing literature to understand the scope and depth of the impact accounting field.
• Market Analysis: Assess the demand for impact accounting skills and identify existing gaps in the market.
• Competitor Analysis: Evaluate similar offerings by competitors to identify differentiators and opportunities.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Engage with key stakeholders, recording their insights with dates for comprehensive analysis.
• Action Plan Development: Formulate a detailed strategy for the project's implementation based on gathered data.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Research Paper: Compile and summarize the findings from the above activities in a well-documented research paper.

Acceptance criteria

The research paper is finalized and published on Notion. It is accessible for community review. The research paper includes the following content:

• Literature review
• Market analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Interviews with stakeholders and their analysis (including dates)
• The results of the course content design workshop
• Detailed action plans for the project

Evidence of Milestone completion

As evidence of milestone completion, we submit the research paper publicly available on Notion. The research paper will include the following:

• Literature review
• Market analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Interviews with stakeholders and their analysis (including dates)
• The results of the course content design workshop
• Detailed action plans for the project

Expected timeline for the delivery

Month 2

Cost

16,636 ADA

% Completion

17%

Milestone 2: “Introduction to Impact Accounting” Course Development:

Outputs

This milestone includes the following key activities:

• Curriculum Design: Develop a detailed syllabus covering key topics in impact accounting, such as ESG metrics, sustainability reporting standards, and stakeholder impact analysis.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Content Creation: Produce high-quality, engaging course materials, including lectures, case studies, interactive exercises, and assessments.
• Course Management Platform Setup: Upload and set up the course on the Andamio platform.

Acceptance criteria

The acceptance criteria are as follows:

• A detailed curriculum is developed and shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Notes from the course content design workshop is shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Content (such as lectures, case studies, interactive exercises, and assessments) will be produced and shared on Google Drive (with a publicly available link)
• The course is uploaded and setup on the Andamio platform - a screenshot will be shared on Google Drive.

Evidence of Milestone completion

As evidence of milestone completion, we submit the following:

• A detailed curriculum is developed and shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Notes from the course content design workshop is shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Content (such as lectures, case studies, interactive exercises, and assessments) will be produced and shared on Google Drive (with a publicly available link)
• The course is uploaded and setup on the Andamio platform - a screenshot will be shared on Google Drive.

Expected timeline for the delivery

Month 4

Cost

29,636 ADA

% Completion

30%

Milestone 3: “Introduction to Impact Accounting” Student Onboarding and Analysis:

Outputs

This milestone includes the following key activities:

• Marketing and Promotion: Implement targeted marketing strategies to attract potential students, emphasizing the course's relevance and benefits.
• Application and Selection Process: Set up an application process to select a diverse group of students who can benefit most from the course.
• Post-Course Evaluation: Conduct a comprehensive evaluation after course completion to gather insights for improvement.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio

Acceptance criteria

The acceptance criteria are as follows:

• Promotion material is published and accessible via a publicly available link.
• Application form is setup, applicants are selected and onboarded. The analysis of the metrics will be shared via a publicly available notion document.
• Post-course evaluation is conducted and shared via a publicly available link.
• Notes from the course content design workshop is shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)

Evidence of Milestone completion

As evidence of milestone completion, we submit a publicly available Notion document which includes the following information:

• Promotion material with a a publicly available link.
• Application form, selected applicants. The analysis of the metrics.
• Post-course evaluation is conducted and its analysis.
• Notes from the course content design workshop

Expected timeline for the delivery

Month 6

Cost

29,000 ADA

% Completion

29%

Milestone 4 (Final): Curriculum Drafting for Full Certification and Close-out Report/Video:

Outputs

This milestone includes the following key activities:

• Curriculum Design: Develop a detailed syllabus covering key topics in impact accounting, such as ESG metrics, sustainability reporting standards, and stakeholder impact analysis.
• Expert Collaboration: Collaborate with industry experts and academicians to ensure the curriculum aligns with current industry standards and future trends.
• Course Content Design Workshop: PBL course content design and creation workshop (2h) conducted by Andamio
• Action Plan for Content Creation: Formulate a detailed strategy for content creation based on gathered data. Include practical components such as case studies and project work to provide hands-on experience.
• Close-out Report/Video: produce a close-out report and a close-out video.

Acceptance criteria

The acceptance criteria are as follows:

• A detailed curriculum is developed and shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• A list of experts to collaborate is produced and shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Notes from the course content design workshop is shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Action plan for content creation is produced and shared on Notion (with a publicly available link)
• Close-out report and close-out video are produced. The report will be submitted in the PDF format to the Catalyst team and will be available publicly. The video will be available on Youtube.

Evidence of Milestone completion

As evidence of milestone completion, we submit a publicly available Notion document which includes the following information:

• A detailed curriculum
• A list of experts to collaborate
• Notes from the course content design workshop
• Action plan for content creation

We will also produce a close-out report and close-out video. The report will be submitted in the PDF format to the Catalyst team and will be available publicly. The video will be available on Youtube.

Expected timeline for the delivery

Month 8

Cost

24,727 ADA

% Completion

25%

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

Socious is a fast-growing impact startup that provides a talent marketplace, making impact work accessible and transparent. We connect purpose-driven professionals with impact organizations through AI matching. We use blockchain to trace impact work and reward contributions.

Socious is supported by 500Global, Microsoft, and Milkomeda Foundation. Our platform lists over 80k jobs, 24k organizations, and has 6.6k registered users. Our team consists of experts in impact measurement, finance, data science, and blockchain development.

Socious has extensive experience in the Cardano ecosystem, having successfully completed five Catalyst-funded projects in Fund 9 and two ongoing projects in Fund 10.

Our team members include:

• Seira Yun

Title: Founder and CEO

Role: Product Ownership, Project Management, Research

Commitment: Full-time

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seirayun/

Bio: Seira Yun is the Founder and CEO of Socious.io, a talent marketplace that makes impact work accessible and transparent. Socious connects purpose-driven professionals with impact organizations through AI matching, and uses blockchain to trace impact work and reward contributions.

Seira is a serial impact entrepreneur with years of experience in the sector. He has led teams within the ICRC, UNHCR, and social ventures. Drawing from personal experiences as a migrant, an autistic person, and a proud pansexual queer, Seira is driven to make the world a better place through social innovation. As a full-stack developer with a Master's in Social Innovation from the University of Cambridge, he enjoys blending technology with purpose. Seira is also an impact angel investor, a member of Hustle Fund's Angel Squad, and a mentor for 4WARD.VC's Climate Accelerator. When not working, he enjoys shooting hoops, running, reading, spending quality time with the kids, or embracing the adventure of getting lost during travels. He is also a long-term member of the Cardano community; he’s won and managed five Catalyst projects and has completed Atala PRISM Pioneer Program.

• Minh Douangprachanh

Title: Lead Designer

Role: Design

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-douang/

Bio: With more than a decade of experience specializing in product design, Minh is a multidisciplinary artist who has always believed art has a language of its own. As a neurodiverse individual, Minh is passionate about helping people and creating sustainable and inclusive solutions.

• Ehsan Mahmoudi

Title: Lead Developer

Role: Backend/Blockchain/AI Engineering

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://linkedin.com/in/ehsan-mahmoudi-611123b8/

Bio: More than 8 years of experience in Python and Machine Learning as well as extensive experience in blockchain development. Ehsan has worked for global startups including Rechat, AEC, and Navaak.

• Iman Rezasefat

Title: Senior Frontend Developer

Role: Frontend Development

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iman-rezasefat-001988121/

Bio: An experienced frontend developer with 7+ years of experience.

• Marjan Arami

Title: Senior Frontend Developer

Role: Frontend Development

Commitment: Full-time

Bio: An experienced frontend developer with 10+ years of experience.

• Azin Zare

Title: QA Engineer

Role: Quality Assurance

Commitment: Full-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/azin-zare-355a27179/

Bio: An experienced QA engineer with 9+ years of experience.

• Madi Lommen

Title: Advisor

Role: Project Management, Research

Commitment: Part-time

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madi-lommen-394940b0/

Bio: Madi has 10+ years experience in social entrepreneurship, impact investing, and partnership building. Madi is passionate about interdisciplinary learning / problem-solving that leverages entrepreneurship and multilingual teamwork for community development. In recent years, she founded Madibanani Co. to champion refugee youth, designed a data collection program on the Jordan-Syrian border, and coordinated military-like training for Emergency & Disaster volunteers of La Cruz Roja (Red Cross) in Ecuador. After completing a thesis on medieval Arabic poetry at Yale-NUS College in Singapore, she worked with a network of angel investors scaling women-led SMEs tackling poverty in Southeast Asia. She has experience working in four languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese) and has lived in Singapore, Jordan, Ecuador, the UK, South Africa, the USA, and Japan.

• Raphael Hode

Title: Design Advisor

Role Design Direction

Commitment: Part-time

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

Bio: Raphael is a Strategic Designer with a passion for social innovation and sustainability. After a few years in advertising agencies in Paris, Raphael moved to Tokyo in 2015 and joined Designit, a global strategic design firm. At Designit Raphael worked on growing a team and helping some of Japan’s most ambitious companies make innovation happen, leading him to endorse a variety of roles across UX design, service design, business design, and strategy.

In parallel, he has been passionately engaging in activities related to sustainability and social innovation: giving talks and workshops, mentoring early-stage social founders, and eventually co-founding a social venture. Today, he spends most of his time working with incredible social entrepreneurs to help them define, design, and launch visionary products that contribute to creating a more sustainable society.

To supplement our core team, we maintain a reserve of skilled freelancers, ready to contribute at short notice. Our talent marketplace, Socious, is a hub for over 6,600 individuals, many of whom could potentially assist in this project, if required.

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

Please find below a detailed breakdown of our budget, including the number of people and hours allocated to each task. We have calculated the cost of Socious members at $40 per person per hour. The base conversion rate for ADA-USD is 0.44.

Executive summary:

Total Cost: 100,000 ADA

Milestone 1: 16,636 ADA

Milestone 2: 29,636 ADA

Milestone 3: 29,000 ADA

Final Milestone: 10,880 ADA

Budget Distribution:

Andamio: 41,000 ADA

Socious: 59,000 ADA

Please find the details of the breakdown here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Lih_9aysEZ7kf1sCcKP9rn_GEXlqGJ53ihpiICXlZtY/edit?usp=sharing

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

We believe that our project offers great value for the Cardano ecosystem in terms of the money invested.

1. Strategic Community Growth: By integrating new users into the Cardano ecosystem through Atala PRISM DIDs, our project directly contributes to expanding the Cardano community. This growth is not just in numbers; it represents an enhancement in the diversity and quality of the ecosystem, as these new users are educated in impact accounting and blockchain's potential for social good.
2. Enhanced Ecosystem Reputation: The project elevates Cardano's standing as a socially responsible blockchain platform. By focusing on impact accounting, we underscore Cardano's commitment to sustainable and ethical practices. This positioning is likely to attract further 'blockchain for good' initiatives, creating a ripple effect of positive branding and reputation enhancement.
3. Reduced Hourly Rates and Budget Transparency: Our decision to budget salaries at $40 per hour, despite the higher average salaries, is a significant factor in demonstrating value for money. This shows our conscious effort to manage costs effectively while still delivering quality results. The transparency in our budget breakdown, based on previous project experiences, further supports the notion of cost-effectiveness.

[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