Cardano IdeaFest Ecuador

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Cardano IdeaFest Ecuador

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

50000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

4

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

Yes

Original Language

es

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Cardano Fundation tools (Originate, Veridian, Reeve) and IOG protocols (Hydra, Midnight) are underused; wider awareness could improve Catalyst proposals and bring real value to Cardano

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://blogs.iadb.org/conocimiento-abierto/es/
,
• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VnrdCQLvmCP9bW7z2M8idqfHJ8E5Ntsn?usp=drive_link
,
• https://lu.ma/ik7lr9t8?locale=es

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

Yes

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

MIT

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Education

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

**Target:**100-150 Ecuadorians (students, entrepreneurs, non-technical professionals in agriculture, finance, education).

Reach: 2 months publicity via social media (X, Instagram), 5 university visits (Quito, Guayaqui, Cuenca), tech community partnerships.

Why it matters: Addresses global lack of awareness of Cardano’s tools (Originate, Veridian Wallet, Reeve, Hydra, Midnight), boosting adoption and high-quality Catalyst proposals starting in Ecuador.

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

• Planning & setup (venue, roadmap, speakers, judges, 5 university visits).
• Publicity (social media + outreach, Discord community).
• Virtual sessions (blockchain basics, Cardano, ecosystem tools).
• In-person ideathon in Quito (2 days, pitches, prizes).
• Post-event (share outputs on GitHub, link ideas with developers).

What are your success metrics?

Education & Awareness: 100-150 participants, 80%+ knowledge increase (pre/post surveys).

**Community Engagement:**50-100 attendees, 1,000-2,000 social reach, 100+ Discord members.

Grassroots Growth: 10-20 ideas, 5+ Catalyst Fund 15 proposals.

Onboarding: 50+ new wallets, 3+ university/tech hub partnerships.

Feedback: 80%+ positive testimonials, 20%+ social media growth.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Cardano Foundation and IOG have made enormous efforts to strengthen the ecosystem by developing technologies such as Originate (traceability), Veridian Wallet (identity), Reeve (financial transparency), Hydra (scalability), and Midnight (privacy). These represent years of innovation and investment to unlock real-world applications.

However, despite their potential, these technologies remain largely unknown and underutilized. The issue is not their quality, but the lack of awareness and progressive education. In regions like Ecuador, most people are still unfamiliar with blockchain fundamentals, which prevents them from fully understanding or applying advanced Cardano solutions.

Cardano IdeaFest Ecuador is designed as the missing bridge to close this gap. The project will guide 100–150 participants through a step-by-step educational path:

1. **Blockchain basics **→ what blockchain is and why it matters.
2. Cardano ecosystem → why Cardano is unique and the opportunities it enables.
3. Real-world applications → traceability, financial inclusion, identity, transparency.
4. Cardano Foundation & IOG technologies → practical sessions on Originate, Veridian, Reeve, Hydra, and Midnight.

This progressive structure ensures that participants build a strong conceptual foundation before engaging with advanced tools and protocols.

The initiative culminates in a 2-day in-person ideathon in Quito. Instead of separate challenges, the ideathon will host a single inclusive challenge: “Innovating with Cardano.” Teams will choose one of five thematic tracks, each showcasing a specific technology:

• Traceability & Supply Chains → Originate
• Identity & Inclusion → Veridian Wallet
• Financial Transparency → Reeve
• Scalability for Impact → Hydra
• Privacy & Trust → Midnight

To ensure inclusiveness and recognition:

3 winning teams will receive main ADA prizes.

Post-event sustainability: All materials, recordings, and generated ideas will be shared openly on GitHub under MIT/Apache 2.0 (code) and CC-BY 4.0 (educational content). The best ideas will be connected with developers, SPOs, and mentors to evolve into high-quality proposals for Catalyst Fund 15 - 16. Reports, outputs, and testimonials will also be disseminated in English and Spanish through Catalyst Town Halls, ensuring visibility and scalability across the region.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Cardano IdeaFest Ecuador will create measurable and lasting impact for the Cardano ecosystem by closing the awareness and adoption gap in Latin America. By educating 100–150 participants on blockchain, Cardano, real-world applications, and advanced technologies from the Cardano Foundation (Originate, Veridian Wallet, Reeve) and IOG (Hydra, Midnight), the project empowers new community members to transform knowledge into practical innovation.

Positive Impact for Cardano

• Education & Awareness: Builds foundational knowledge of blockchain and Cardano, ensuring participants understand both basic concepts and advanced technologies.
• Proposal Quality: Improves the quality of Catalyst submissions by equipping participants with direct knowledge of underutilized tools, creating proposals with stronger utility and alignment.
• Adoption & Growth: Expands Cardano’s grassroots presence in Ecuador and positions the region as a hub for replicable educational and innovation events across Latin America.
• Ecosystem Value: Maximizes prior investments by Cardano Foundation and IOG, ensuring their tools are not only known but applied to real-world challenges.

Measurement of Impact

Quantitative:

• 100–150 participants trained.
• 50+ new wallets created.
• 1,000–2,000 people reached through social media campaigns.
• 10–20 ideas generated during the ideathon.
• At least 5 ideas refined and submitted as Fund 15 -16 Catalyst proposals.

Qualitative:

• Pre- and post-event surveys showing 80%+ knowledge gain in blockchain, Cardano, and ecosystem technologies.
• Testimonials from participants and mentors on the value of Originate, Veridian, Reeve, Hydra, and Midnight.
• Participant feedback on the clarity of educational sessions and usefulness of tools.

Sharing of Outputs

• GitHub repository: Open-source publication of materials, ideas, and event documentation.
• YouTube recordings: All virtual sessions and ideathon pitches recorded and published.
• Catalyst reporting: Progress reports, final results, and learnings shared in Catalyst channels.
• Community dissemination: Results presented at Catalyst Town Halls, Latam Town Halls, and shared in Cardano Latam Discord groups.
• Bilingual outputs (EN/ES): Ensuring accessibility for global and regional communities.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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?

As the applicant, Soraya Ponce has organized 20+ Cardano events in Ecuador, supported Catalyst teams in Latam, and leveraged institutional relations for partnerships. Her role as an alternate delegate at Argentina’s 2025 constitutional event confirms her event management expertise.

Emilia Calvache (3+ years Cardano, technical support). Feasibility: Supported by Soraya’s event history, networks for venues/speakers, and open-source commitment (GitHub). Funds managed transparently with monthly GitHub reports, public invoices, and community audits. Steps: Secure speakers/judges early, use low-cost venues, track via Discord.

To ensure resilience and avoid dependencies, the project includes a contingency plan in case official representatives from Cardano Foundation or IOG are not available to participate as speakers or mentors. In such case, the team will activate a Plan B involving:

Cardano Ambassadors with proven expertise in education and community engagement.

Stake Pool Operators (SPOs) who have hands-on technical knowledge of Cardano’s infrastructure and tools.

Experienced community developers and educators in Latin America already familiar with Originate, Veridian, Reeve, Hydra, and Midnight.

This approach guarantees that educational content and ideathon challenges remain of high quality and aligned with Cardano’s mission, regardless of institutional availability. It also reinforces community empowerment, showing that the ecosystem is sustainable both with and beyond official presence.

Funds for contingency are already considered in the 5,000 ADA contingency/admin budget, ensuring smooth implementation without requiring additional resources.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Planning & Publicity Launch

Milestone Outputs

• Project roadmap completed.
• Quito venue secured (university space).
• 3 judges (technical, business, social impact) confirmed.
• Invitations sent to Cardano Foundation/IOG speakers (Originate, Veridian, Reeve, Hydra, Midnight).
• Publicity materials created.
• 5 university visits scheduled.

Acceptance Criteria

A detailed roadmap document is finalized, reviewed, and publicly shared on GitHub. A signed contract or agreement from the Quito venue is secured and uploaded. Confirmation emails or letters from at least 3 judges and invited CF/IOG speakers are collected and shared. Publicity flyers, digital posters, and social media campaigns are prepared and scheduled for launch, ensuring consistent branding across all channels.

Evidence of Completion

GitHub repository includes:

• The roadmap.
• Venue contract, and planning documents.
• Screenshots of confirmation emails from judges and speakers are archived.
• Digital copies of publicity flyers and links to social media announcements are provided, demonstrating that outreach and promotion have been formally initiated.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

8000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Publicity Execution & Virtual Prep

Milestone Outputs

• 5 university visits executed (Quito, Guyauquil, Cuenca )
• 100–150 participants recruited.
• Virtual session agendas finalized (blockchain, Cardano, real-world applications, Cardano tools/protocols).

Acceptance Criteria

• Reports and photos from all five university visits are collected and uploaded. A participant registration list with at least 100 confirmed individuals is created.
• Session outlines covering blockchain basics, Cardano, use cases, and Cardano technologies are finalized, validated, and shared on GitHub.

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository includes reports and photos from university visits, participant list spreadsheets, and final agendas.
• Outlines of session content are uploaded, demonstrating that educational preparation is complete.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

15000

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

Event Execution

Milestone Outputs

• 3 virtual sessions delivered and recorded.
• 2-day ideathon in Quito executed.
• Teams select 1 of 5 thematic tracks (Originate, Veridian, Reeve, Hydra, Midnight).
• 10–20 ideas generated and pitched.
• 3 winners awarded ADA prizes.
• Close-out report/video.

Acceptance Criteria

• Recordings of all three virtual sessions are uploaded to YouTube.
• Attendance lists for both online and in-person events are collected, verified, and published.
• At least 10 ideas are pitched, each documented and categorized by track. Feedback surveys show 80%+ increase in knowledge of Cardano tools/protocols. Documentation of the 3 winning team.

Evidence of Completion

• YouTube links and GitHub repository include recordings, idea documents, and final report.
• Attendance spreadsheets for online and in-person sessions are available.
• Certificates or digital badges for honorable mentions are issued and recorded.
• YouTube links Report/video.

Delivery Month

4

Cost

27000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Publicity:

• Social media ads: 5,000 ADA
• University visits: 5,000 ADA

Subtotal: 10,000 ADA

Logistics:

• Quito venue rental: 7,000 ADA
• Equipment (projectors, sound systems): 3,000 ADA

Subtotal: 10,000 ADA

Prizes:

• ADA prizes for top 3 ideas: 10,000 ADA

Subtotal: 10,000 ADA

Platform/Tools:

• Zoom subscription: 2,000 ADA
• Materials (handouts, digital assets): 3,000 ADA

Subtotal: 5,000 ADA

Mentors/Speakers:

• Travel expenses: 6,000 ADA
• Stipends: 4,000 ADA

Subtotal: 10,000 ADA

Contingency/Admin:

• Administrative costs: 3,000 ADA
• Contingency fund: 2,000 ADA

Subtotal: 5,000 ADA

Total: 50,000 ADA

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

At 50,000 ADA, the project educates 100-150 on blockchain, Cardano, applications, and tools (Originate, Veridian Wallet, Reeve, Hydra, Midnight), generating high-quality ideas and improving Catalyst proposals globally. Costs align with local wages (~$1,670 USD/month for developers, per Ecuador Labor Ministry) and prior Catalyst projects. It drives adoption, maximizes tool investments, and replicates models like Stellar LATAM Ideathon for Latam expansion.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes