Cardano Technology Workshop - Brazil

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Priscilla Baeta

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

Entity (Incorporated)

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

3

[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)

Universities shape the next generation of the market. To promote blockchain adoption, we have created workshops that introduce Cardano, using practical examples to make the technology more accessible.

[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?

No

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

The project will not include coding but will focus on lectures to help professionals understand how to develop businesses within the Cardano ecosystem. Topics include: making proposals, understanding the new business model, and adapting their existing businesses to the Cardano ecosystem.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Universities are the new generation entering the job market, and if we want widespread adoption of blockchain technology, we must incorporate this technology in the spaces where students are being developed. The viable solution we found was to create a roadmap with workshops to introduce students to Cardano’s blockchain, being more effective in how we talk about the technology by using real-world examples to address pain points.

With the understanding that these workshops are seen as extension courses in a new technology, we designed them to keep professionals engaged and to foster the Web 3 ecosystem by using Cardano and placing their projects on the platform.

We have direct connections with several universities in Brazil, where there is local institutional interest in promoting projects of this nature, but one key element is missing: financial resources to bring in professionals with significant relevance and teaching skills within the Brazilian context to conduct the workshops. With this challenge in mind, we are writing this proposal to secure funding to make these workshops possible, involving universities, professors, and professionals, both directly and indirectly, in the execution of the project.

Photos of the Unisuam University space and students during workshops in 2023:

The Importance of University Workshops for Cardano

Workshops at universities play a fundamental role in the growth and strengthening of the Cardano ecosystem. These events provide a practical and immersive learning environment for students, professors, and researchers, allowing them to explore the potential of blockchain technology. In addition to educating and developing new skills, university workshops help bridge the gap between academia and industry, connecting young talent with innovative opportunities.

Universities are hubs of knowledge and innovation, where disruptive ideas are born, and new solutions are developed. By bringing Cardano workshops to these spaces, it is possible not only to spread the technology but also to foster the creation of projects and startups that can benefit the blockchain ecosystem in the long term.

Opportunities for the Cardano Ecosystem:

1. Training New Developers:
2. Workshops offer practical technical training in Cardano tools and programming languages like Haskell and Plutus, preparing a new generation of developers to build innovative solutions on the blockchain.
3. Increasing Adoption:
4. By introducing students to Cardano’s projects and functionalities, the number of users leveraging the technology grows, both for developing dApps (decentralized applications) and creating custom solutions.
5. Connecting with Startups and Innovative Projects:
6. Workshops can encourage students and researchers to develop new projects within the Cardano ecosystem, fostering the emergence of startups that can use the blockchain as the foundation of their operations.
7. Collaboration with Researchers:
8. Universities host many researchers who can contribute to the development of Cardano, offering insights on security, scalability, and network governance.
9. Creation of Local Communities:
10. Workshops serve as a starting point for forming local communities dedicated to Cardano, with engaged participants who can organize meetups, events, and contribute to the ecosystem’s growth.
11. Development of Solutions for Public and Private Sectors:
12. Universities, in partnership with Cardano, can develop blockchain solutions for the public sector (such as digital governance) and the private sector (such as supply chain tracking).
13. Attracting Investors and Partnerships:
14. University events are ideal venues for attracting investors seeking to support innovative projects, as well as establishing partnerships with companies interested in blockchain technology.

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

• Promotion of the Cardano community, always counting on new entrants with each workshop conducted, as consistency will lead to trust in the technology.

• Inclusion of Cardano's blockchain technology within universities, where there is a vast world of talent ready to emerge in the blockchain job market, provided that the information reaches these young people correctly, enabling medium- to long-term work.

• Inclusion of already renowned professionals to get to know Cardano.

• Marketing strategy already created to demonstrate how Cardano's technology can solve real-world problems for companies already operating in the market, generating interest among students to learn more about the technology, helping them succeed in the job market.

• Integration of new projects into Cardano that can turn into startups and new businesses.

• Creating interest among students, professors, and market professionals to understand which problems Cardano solves as a blockchain and emerging technology.

• Great visibility generated by the professionals who will be invited to speak at the events.

University workshops are essential for expanding the reach and impact of the Cardano ecosystem. They create a virtuous cycle of learning, development, and innovation, strengthening the network and preparing the ground for broader adoption. These events not only educate but also connect different stakeholders, creating opportunities for growth and collaboration both inside and outside the academic environment.

[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?

About Código Brazuca

Código Brazuca is an edtech initiative born with the purpose of transforming lives and making a real impact on society. Created by professionals with over 20 years of experience in the technology market, it now focuses on a program that not only trains the workforce but also prepares individuals for the challenges of today's world.

In 2023, Código Brazuca organized an eight-month in-person Solidity course covering Programming Logic, Python, Web3 Fundamentals, and Solidity. The 15 students, who started with no programming knowledge, finished the course as developers, with 85% of them hired by other companies before the course even ended. This positive KPI validated Código Brazuca's value proposition and its teaching methodology. With over 15 years of experience teaching at colleges and universities, the team developed a more effective teaching method with better didactics, ensuring students understand the subjects thoroughly.

Blockchain technology is extremely technical, and teaching methods vary worldwide. Simply adding Portuguese subtitles to an English lesson does not provide the necessary clarity for Brazilian students to understand or absorb the content. For this reason, many courses with only Portuguese subtitles are ineffective because they lack the teaching style that Brazilian students are accustomed to.

In 2024, Código Brazuca proposed a Rust training program for Polkadot, successfully engaging 100 active online students and building a community of 780 people focused on blockchain technology development. The course is ongoing and is expected to conclude in March 2025.

To support the operations of the Código Brazuca Program, we rely on investments from companies, blockchains, and individuals to cover the specialized technical team, training with our educational method, necessary equipment for instructors to record lessons, and all other professionals involved, such as contracts, employee payments, taxes for legal course validation, online material editing, instructors, and more.

Our primary goal is Transforming Lives through technological education, generating jobs and new opportunities, while providing a qualified workforce for both the national and international job markets.

The concept proposed in this project has already been validated within the Brazilian ecosystem in 2023 through projects created and completed by Código Brazuca, which in 2024 established the Node Hub, a Web 3 innovation hub featuring the best professionals in the Brazilian market in blockchain-related areas. Throughout 2024, we hosted one event per month, promoting the blockchain ecosystem across various sectors such as DeFi, DePin, GameFi, ReFi, and others. At the Hub, we understand that Web 3 technology adoption will only occur when it addresses real-world pain points in the traditional market. However, if the traditional market does not understand the technology, how can it become the technology of the future if many have never even heard of it?

Below are the numbers and topics of the events we hosted with our Hub Node in 2024:

Projects I participated in with Código Brazuca in Brazil:

• 2023 - Selarón Pedaços do Mundo (https://selaronpedacosdomundo.com.br)
• 2023 - Arcology Brazil - Metaverse Game with The SandBox (
• )
• 2023 - 4 Metaverses on Spatial for projects and companies (2 under NDA)
• Código Brazuca Space - https://www.spatial.io/s/Space-Codigo-Brazuca-640029353aa2f200e9720e72?share=248998534784895085
• Brazuca Gallery - https://www.spatial.io/s/Brazuca-Gallery-640fc247f40f414f260387e1?share=4390257892464318142
• Praça Paris - https://www.spatial.io/s/Praca-Paris-Gloria-RJ-Codigo-Brazuca-643b3aa107adc62740c4bc1d?share=6499233989676524379
• Amstel Metaverse -
• https://www.spatial.io/s/Espaco-Master-BlockchainRio-64e667ef0939854dd197188d
• 2023 - Código Brazuca Academy - Solidity training lasting 8 months with a KPI of 85% of students employed after the course, sponsored by Transfero Group, Report from 2023 - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GYyBAGLRo_2k1C0B4BvKFf2uIu837vv0/view?usp=sharing
• 2023 - Numerous presentations on blockchain technology at the largest events in the Brazilian market
• 2023 - Extension courses for universities on blockchain technology and new markets
• 2024 - Creation of Node Hub by Código Brazuca to foster the Brazilian ecosystem on blockchain and innovation technology, reaching the national market not only for new entrants but also for companies seeking us out for blockchain technology solutions
• 2024 - 15 events on blockchain technology with entrepreneurs and businesspeople, promoting not only the Web 3 ecosystem but also bringing new entrants into blockchain monthly
• 2024 - Numerous presentations at Web 3 and Web 2 events across Brazil
• 2024 - Node Summit at the Rio Innovation Week, the largest innovation and technology event in LATAM, with 185,000 attendees. We brought blockchain technology into direct contact with the public, entrepreneurs, and companies, with an exclusive stage for two days

• 2024 - Código Brazuca Academy with active classes, a community of 850 developers, and continuously introducing new ways of working on blockchain projects
• 2024 - Liga Carioca de Blockchain, representing a league of students in Rio de Janeiro across all colleges and universities in the city, fostering blockchain technology within educational institutions
• 2024 - Partnerships with traditional companies seeking blockchain solutions, as well as with companies already in Web 3

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

Month 1

• Selection of Speakers  
• Creation of promotional material for the Workshop  
• Intensive marketing promotion at the University and online  
• Creation of the event page with a registration form for student selection  
• Selection of staff for the 2 events  

Deliverable

• Photos of the gifts made for the Workshops  
• Report on the promotions  
• Student selection

Acceptance Criteria.

Workshop completed and documented with photos and videos.

Month 2

• Classroom setup  
• Inaugural project lecture  
• Workshop  

Deliverable

• Workshop video  
• Workshop photography  
• Workshop report

Acceptance Criteria.

Workshop completed and documented with photos and videos.

Month 3

• Workshop
• Final event

Deliverable

• Workshop video
• Workshop photography
• Final workshop report

Acceptance Criteria.

Workshop completed and documented with photos and videos.

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

Antônio Marcelo - Technical Coordinator - https://www.linkedin.com/in/antfonseca/

CEO of Código Brazuca and Node Hub Web3. He has been working with Linux since 1996, focusing on infrastructure and education. He is the author of approximately 11 books on Linux, Apache, Linux Security, Squid, Postfix, and System Administration in Brazil. He worked in information security from 1999 to 2006.

He has been involved in various web3 projects since 2022, serving as an advisor on metaverse projects, tokenization, and setting up infrastructure for Blockchain. He ran two nodes for 10 months on Kusama and Polkadot. He is a speaker and biz dev at the Blockchain Festival.

He is responsible for Código Brazuca, an education project that has been operating since 2021, training developers and devops in web3 technologies. He is currently an ambassador for CESS (a project based on Polkadot technology) and Akash Insider project from Cosmos Ecosystem.

Priscilla Baeta - Operations Coordinator - https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillabaeta/

COO of Código Brazuca, COO of Node Hub Web3 and a project development specialist. She has worked in project development, education, and research for over 10 years for YouTube Brazil and Ubisoft (in various game franchises such as Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, and Tom Clancy). She has been giving lectures and classes on the Web 3 and Blockchain market since 2021.

She is the lead Voxel artist and research manager for Arcology Brazil, launched by The Sandbox in September 2023, and several metaverses on SPATIAL for business, networking, and gaming purposes. She also works with NFTs and Blockchain games since 2021. She serves as a BizDevOps in Blockchain and web 3 projects in the Brazilian ecosystem. She got a bachelor's degree in Design and Fashion at Veiga de Almeida University. She is a Cripto Researcher and specialist in cripto market.

Armando Iazzetta - Governance and Compliance - https://www.linkedin.com/in/armandoiazzetta/

CFO of Código Brazuca and governance specialist. Armando has over 20 years of experience in the infrastructure sector, 15 of them among the energy industry, leading and participating in more than 4 GW of hydroelectric, wind, solar and biomass projects in Brazil and abroad, throughout the entire project life cycle, from greenfield until disinvestment, and was part of the team whose worked with Aneel developing DG regulation in 2012.

Armando has worked also in Infrastructure Construction and Real Estate industries. He has worked for two of the biggest construction companies in Brazil, for a Private Equity Fund, a Generation Facility and as a consultant.He got a bachelor’s degree as a Civil Engineer at Mackenzie University, with MBA in Business Management (FGV), Specialization in Regulation and Business in the Electricity Sector (FGV), Board Member Preparation (Fundação Dom Cabral), Specialization in Controllership and Finance (FIPECAFI), MBA in PPPs and Concessions (FESPSP), Financial Modelling and Valuation Analysis (CFI), Specialization in Bankruptcy Trustee (TJ-RJ), and Advanced English and Spanish.

Rafael Castaneda - Educational Coordinator - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-castaneda-66776829/

Cryptologist and Techno-philosopher; Castaneda graduated with a Master's degree in Systems and Computing from IME-RJ and has more than 20 years of experience as a software engineer, technical leader, and teacher/researcher at various educational levels. He dedicated 15 years of service to the public sector as a tenured professor at CEFET/RJ, where he published more than 30 papers and supervised several student projects.

His crypto journey began in 2021, since then, he has been active in the market as a crypto asset analyst and content producer in the form of videos, news, articles, reports, podcasts, and workshops. Today, besides offering consultancy in the sector, he founded his own channel "Casta Crypto," where he works on a new way to understand the blockchain phenomenon, by integrating crypto technology with philosophical, sociological, and economic concepts.

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

Cost Breakdown

Technical Coordinator – Responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of the program, including the selection of startups, companies, or universities interested in joining. They will serve as the primary technical liaison between the program and Cardano specialists. Additionally, they will monitor the technical progress of the selected professionals involved. 

Total Funds: 9.000 ADA

Operations Coordinator – Responsible for managing the entire operation, execution, and troubleshooting of the program. This role includes coordinating schedules, resources, professionals, and activities related to the program. The Operations Coordinator will also be in charge of selecting mentors and market professionals to assist and create opportunities for the students. 

Total Funds: 9.000 ADA

Governance and Compliance – Responsible for managing all legal, accounting, and tax regulations within the Brazilian market. They will also oversee confidentiality, information protection laws, and ensure compliance regarding speakers and participants.

Total Funds: 4.334 ADA

Operations Staff – In charge of ensuring the necessary infrastructure for the program's execution. This includes supervising equipment, internet access, and other logistical needs.

 Total Funds: 2.000 ADA

Main Speaker – Will develop the educational content and learning journeys required for the program in collaboration with the Technical Coordinator. 

Total Funds: 7.334 ADA

Speakers – Professionals responsible for delivering the program’s lectures and developing educational materials alongside the Main Speaker and Technical Coordinator. 

Total Funds: 3.500 ADA

Swag, Filming, Photography, Marketing – Funds reserved for promotional campaigns to attract applications, publicity throughout the program, and generating marketing material for Cardano. 

Total Funds: 21.401 ADA

Travel and Transport Expenses for Speakers – Includes travel, accommodation, meals, and local transportation costs for the speakers invited to participate in the program. 

Total Funds: 11.100 ADA

Emergency Funds - A reserve for any unforeseen expenses that were not originally included in the project but arise, generating extra costs. Clear examples include: substitute teachers, additional teachers, teaching assistants to answer student questions, guest speakers, extra fees, etc.

Total Funds: 5.234 ADA

Contingency Fund - Always set at 10% of the total amount to account for fluctuations in the ADA token value, ensuring that the project can be completed without any financial shortfalls.

Total Funds: 7.820 ADA

Fees - There are fees in Brazil to ensure the program is fully legalized and executed without legal issues. For established companies, this fee is 15% of the total amount, so it has been calculated at the end.

Total Funds: 12.981 ADA

Total Costs: 99521 ADAS

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

The proposed project offers significant value to the Cardano ecosystem in several crucial areas:

Raising Awareness and Adoption: By introducing Cardano to over 34,000 students across two campuses, this initiative will greatly increase awareness of blockchain technology and Cardano among young individuals. This aligns with the ecosystem's objective of broadening its user base and promoting adoption, particularly among the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Education and Skill Building: Through with 3 workshops on Blockchain, Cardano, and Catalyst, students will gain valuable knowledge and skills in these emerging areas. By equipping students with the necessary tools and insights, this project will help nurture a new wave of developers, entrepreneurs, and contributors to the Cardano community.

Partnership with University: Collaborating with a renowned business school focused on sustainability and entrepreneurship will amplify the project’s impact and credibility. Aligning with the university’s values will provide institutional backing and access to a diverse and talented pool of students, further extending the project’s influence.

Fostering Catalyst Participation: Encouraging students to submit proposals for Project Catalyst Fund 13 and future rounds will empower them to share their ideas and contribute meaningfully to the Cardano ecosystem. This will not only bring fresh perspectives into the community but also inspire innovation, fueling the ecosystem’s continued growth and evolution.

In summary, this project represents a highly cost-effective investment in enhancing awareness, education, and active participation within the Cardano ecosystem. By targeting students at a pivotal point in their academic and professional journeys, it holds the potential to generate long-term benefits for the ecosystem's growth, sustainability, and overall impact.