ProjeX UNITRY: University Tree of Life for Students & Alumni

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

ProjeX UNITRY: University Tree of Life for Students & Alumni

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

100000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

10

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Students and Alumni lack a trusted, lifelong digital identity and transparent community space. Academic records, funding, and networks remain fragmented, unverifiable, and underutilized.

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

No

License and Additional Information

None

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Education

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).

Unlike most Catalyst education projects that focus on content delivery, information overload, or micro-credentials, Unitry addresses the motivation gap.

Social media and its negative impact of reducing study attention span and student's motivation has dulled students’ pride in academic excellence; Unitry restores it with the Tree of Life - a lifelong digital identity where verified achievements are rewarded in ADA, celebrated with NFT badges, and supported by alumni and brands.

More than edtech, it makes learning aspirational again and builds lasting communities beyond graduation.

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

The Unitry MVP starts with students and alumni.

• Students join their school’s “Tree of Life”, set academic goals, track extracurriculars, and earn NFT badges.
• Alumni (auto-upgrade of profiles post-graduation) upload certificates, showcase career milestones, and use social data to reconnect with classmates.
• Alumni can also donate to incentivize learning with ADA payouts. Academic data begins self-reported, with NFT certificates issued once universities or governments onboard.

Where it will be accessed:

Web/Mobile App with mobile-first design (for global students).

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

MVP success will be measured by adoption and on-chain impact.

Targets:

• 10 – 50 Universities onboarded via students sign up,
• 5000 –15,000 students
• 200 – 500 alumni

Key on-chain metrics include:

• Atala PRISM IDs issued,
• NFT membership badges minted,
• ADA wallets for rewards/donations payouts to students. 1 student = 1 wallet

Off-chain metrics include:

• Student goals tracked,
• Alumni reconnections via social data, and certificates verified once universities join.

Long-term success is growing 'Trees of Life' across universities, government buy-in, and boosting alumni funding.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

How do you perceive the problem you are solving?

Across the world, students are gradually losing their incentive to learn. The explosion of social media, short-form entertainment, and distractions has made instant gratification more appealing than the slow, disciplined journey of education. Grades and achievements that once carried prestige are now overshadowed by the attention economy, leaving many young people unmotivated to push themselves academically.

Traditional solutions — more edtech platforms, online courses, or digital classrooms — have not solved this decline. They focus on delivering content, which further add to duplication and information overload, but not on reigniting the desire to learn. Students increasingly see learning as an obligation rather than an achievement worth celebrating.

At the same time, universities still rely on outdated systems:

• Records are siloed, unverifiable, and prone to manipulation.
• Alumni networks are underutilized, limiting mentorship, recruitment, and funding.
• Excellence outside formal scholarships goes unrewarded.
• Donations lack transparency and direct impact.
• Rankings reward legacy institutions, ignoring real student-led innovation and contributions.

The result? A generation of learners disconnected from their institutions, their achievements undervalued, and their potential underutilized.

Unitry flips this script.

Instead of simply building another edtech platform, we’re creating the University Tree of Life — a system that turns learning itself into a source of pride, recognition, and reward.

Students don’t just study for grades — they build a lifelong record of achievement that is visible, verifiable, and celebrated. Completing goals, excelling academically, or contributing to innovation becomes a bragging right, with on-chain recognition and ADA incentives. Alumni, brands, and governments can directly reward excellence, making learning aspirational again.

With Unitry, we restore what has been lost: the idea that learning is not only valuable, but worth showing off.

Solution: What Is Unitry?

Unitry is a Hybrid DApp on Cardano that gives every student a lifelong digital identity and community space starting from their first day at university.

Unlike conventional EdTech, Unitry grows bottom-up through community participation. Every student sign-up, alumni reconnection, and donor action directly drives Cardano adoption and network utility.

As students progress, their academic achievements, career goals, extracurricular activities, and mentorship engagements are securely logged on the blockchain. Alumni, brands, international organizations and governments can fund, reward, and mentor directly, with all payouts in ADA for transparency and global reach of Cardano

Unitry evolves into a lifelong companion: a Book of Life that follows individuals through their careers, honors their milestones, and connects them to their university tree and alumni network decades after graduation.

Core Features

1. On-Chain Academic Record (Book of Life)

• Verified CGPA, achievements, and certifications stored immutably via Atala PRISM.
• Updates published each semester and visible across a student’s lifelong identity.

2. Department Alumni Trees

• Each department forms a “Tree of Life” where students and alumni connect.
• Donors can support entire departments or specific top performers.

3. Career Path Goals

• Students outline career paths and receive ADA rewards upon achieving milestones.
• Students receive curated contents, events, informations, etc. about latest trends and activities in their career and what they are passionate about. Impactful and valuable information readily available for all.

4. Funding and Sponsorship Engine

• Multi-channel intake (bank transfer, mobile money, crypto) → with all payouts in ADA.
• Enables precise philanthropy: e.g., “Top 5% per department get ADA loan offsets.”

5. Alumni and Donor Value Back

• NFT contribution badges tied to giving history.
• Early access to top students for internships or recruitment.
• Department challenges with ADA rewards and mentorship.

6. Mentorship and Networking

• Matches students and alumni by goals and expertise.
• NFT recognition for active mentors, enhancing their reputation.

7. Ranking and Recognition Layer

• Performance-based leaderboards and University Innovation Index, built on real student achievements (not outdated metrics).

8. Lifelong Digital Identity

• From first-year student → graduate → professional → mentor → donor.
• Unitry serves as a continuous record and community space, creating lasting connections and recognition.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Measuring Impact

1. Value to Cardano:

Unitry drives real-world adoption of Cardano by embedding Atala PRISM IDs, NFT membership badges, and ADA-based incentives into the daily lives of students and alumni. This onboards thousands of young, tech-savvy users into the ecosystem, proving blockchain’s role in education, philanthropy, and identity.

2. Measurement:

Quantitative:

• Number of PRISM IDs issued,
• NFT badges minted,
• ADA donations processed,
• A wallet per student model: 1 student sign up = 1 ADA wallet created since all student are to receive donations/payouts in ADA
• Active users onboarded.

Qualitative:

• Student feedback on motivation,
• Alumni satisfaction with reconnection and impact,
• And university interest in deeper integration.

3. Sharing Outputs:

• Publish open reports, dashboards, and impact case studies on Catalyst channels, Cardano Forum, and social media.
• Present findings at Cardano community events and education-focused blockchain meetups.
• Share anonymized usage data and KPIs with the Catalyst community to inspire similar adoption models in other sectors.

Community-Driven Innovation

Unitry is built as a community-first platform where students and alumni are the drivers, not passive users. Every student that signs up creates an ADA wallet, earns an NFT badge, and directly expands the Cardano community. Alumni, brands, and governments engage as donors, mentors, and recruiters, creating a self-reinforcing ecosystem of participation. All activity (wallet creation, donations, NFTs) is transparent and verifiable on-chain, giving the entire Cardano community measurable proof of impact. By starting with universities in Africa and scaling globally, Unitry offers a replicable blueprint for community-driven adoption that empowers people while strengthening the network.

[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?

I bring a proven track record in building and managing tech-driven projects across entertainment, fintech, and creative industries, alongside strong partnerships with institutions and associations. I’ve secured progressive endorsements (e.g., Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture & Creative Economy in process) and maintain strategic relationships with key bodies like COSON and AMAMN, showing my ability to engage stakeholders at scale.

Capability to Deliver:

• Experienced in project management, stakeholder engagement, and platform development.
• Access to a network of blockchain engineers, software developers, and marketing professionals.
• Deep understanding of both African and global education/creative ecosystems, positioning Unitry for expansion.

Fund Management & Trust:

• Milestone-based disbursement ensures funds align strictly with deliverables.

Feasibility Validation Approach:

1. Pilot-First Adoption:

We start with students and alumni as early adopters. They can self-report records, set career paths, and earn NFT membership badges. This ensures traction without waiting for full university buy-in.

2. Phased Integration:

Phase 1: MVP design + student/alumni onboarding.

Phase 2: Cardano testnet launch with core features (PRISM IDs, NFTs, ADA payouts).

Phase 3: University & government partnerships for verified data migration and NFT certificates.

Phase 4: Expansion across additional universities.

3. Technical Feasibility:

• Identity: Atala PRISM for verifiable IDs.
• Recognition: Cardano NFTs for membership + achievement badges.
• Payments: ADA-based incentives distributed via smart contracts.
• Access: Mobile-first web app for scale in Africa and Global student markets.

4. Validation:

• Quantitative: number of IDs issued, NFTs minted, ADA payouts processed.
• Qualitative: student feedback on motivation, alumni engagement rates, institutional interest.

5. Sustainability:

• Revenue via alumni donations, sponsorships, and platform subscriptions from universities.
• Continuous feedback loop to refine features before global rollout.

Together, this demonstrates the capacity, trust, and structure needed to deliver Unitry responsibly and effectively.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Foundational Setup (Platform Architecture & Prototype Design)

Milestone Outputs

• Fully established core project team (technical, marketing, and operational leads).

• Complete technical architecture for Unitry platform.

• UI/UX mockups of student/alumni user journeys.

• Prototype demo showcasing early Tree of Life interaction.

Acceptance Criteria

• Signed agreements with team members

• Functional prototype showing student sign-up linked to ADA wallet creation.

• User profiles, alumni connections, and mock dashboards displayed.

• Architecture and design flows documented in GitHub repo.

• Prototype demo accessible for review.

Evidence of Completion

• A published project roadmap

• Figma prototype of the platform

• GitHub repository with architecture documentation,

• Official company registration certificates.

• Scanned copies of core team agreements.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

30000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

MVP Development & Core Cardano Integration

Milestone Outputs

• MVP developed and deployed on Cardano testnet.

• Atala PRISM IDs for verifiable student identities integrated.

• NFT membership badges linked to account creation.

• ADA smart contracts for incentive payouts completed.

• Social reconnection and donor-to-student donation modules developed.

Acceptance Criteria

• Students can sign up, create accounts, and auto-generate ADA wallets.

• NFT badge minted upon account creation.

• Donor-to-student ADA test transactions executed on testnet.

• Student goal-tracking and alumni connection features active.

• MVP code and deployment documented in GitHub.

Evidence of Completion

• Live MVP demo deployed on Cardano testnet,
• GitHub repository with smart contracts and platform code.
• Screenshots of successful PRISM ID issuance and NFT minting,
• Transaction hashes proving donor-to-student ADA flows on testnet.

Delivery Month

6

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Pilot Onboarding of Students & Alumni

Milestone Outputs

• Onboard 5,000–15,000 students and 200–500 alumni.
• Automatic ADA wallet creation + NFT badge issuance for all student participants.
• Alumni reconnection features activated (via social data and uploaded certificates).
• Bulk-upload and verification module introduced for future university/government adoption.

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 5,000 students and 200 alumni successfully onboarded.

• On-chain evidence of wallets created and NFT badges minted.

• ADA donation payouts functioning between donors and students.

• Working demo of verification/bulk-upload module for easy integration of academic records.

• Adoption metrics of students and alumni recorded in platform dashboards.

Evidence of Completion

• On-chain transaction hashes proving wallet creation and NFT badge issuance.

• Transaction data of ADA donations processed.

• Screenshots showing alumni reconnection and certificate uploads.

• Pilot onboarding adoption report published and shared with Catalyst community.

• Demo recording of verification module readiness.

Delivery Month

9

Cost

25000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Final Milestone: Project Closeout & Reporting

Milestone Outputs

• Final adoption and impact report (wallet creation, NFTs, donations, engagement).

• Case study documenting lessons learned and roadmap for scaling globally.

• Data dashboards for wallet growth, NFT issuance, and transaction activity.

• Community presentation showcasing results and next steps.

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 1,000 active student/alumni wallets created and linked to NFTs.

• Confirmed ADA donations and student payouts visible on-chain.

• Comprehensive final report and case study produced.

• Final outputs publicly shared with the Cardano community.

Evidence of Completion

• Published adoption report with detailed statistics.

• On-chain dashboards showing wallets, NFTs, and ADA transactions.

• Public case study PDF (shared via GitHub/Cardano Forum).

• Presentation recording shared with Catalyst community.

Delivery Month

10

Cost

15000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1 – Platform Architecture and Prototype Design

Development Costs (Prototype and Architecture): 20,000 ADA

Funds backend prototype work, wallet auto-creation module, and student/alumni profile mockups. Includes early NFT badge logic and Atala PRISM design integration.

Operational Costs: 10,000 ADA

Covers infrastructure setup, hosting, design tools, and documentation needed for prototype delivery, adminand other expenses.

Milestone 2 – MVP Development and Core Cardano

Development Costs (MVP Build): 20,000 ADA

Funds full-stack MVP build, including Atala PRISM integration, NFT membership badge minting, ADA smart contracts for donations/payouts, and student/alumni portal.

Operational Costs: 5,000 ADA

Supports hosting, testnet deployment, and continuous development infrastructure.

Legal and Compliance: 5,000 ADA

Provides legal review of smart contracts, student data management, and wallet issuance to align with regulatory standards.

Milestone 3 – Pilot Onboarding of Students and Alumni

Marketing and Third-Party Engagement: 20,000 ADA

Supports outreach, workshops, and event sponsorships to onboard 500–1,500 students and 200–500 alumni. Funds campaigns to highlight donation features and alumni reconnection.

Operational Costs: 5,000 ADA

Ensures monitoring systems, onboarding support, and data dashboards for pilot adoption.

Milestone 4 – Project Closeout and Reporting

Reporting and Community Outputs: 10,000 ADA

Covers final adoption report, impact case study, and dashboards showcasing wallets, NFTs, and ADA donations. Shared openly with the Cardano community.

Operational Costs: 5,000 ADA

Supports compliance documentation, admin, and community presentation delivery.

Budget Breakdown

Milestone 1 – 30,000 ADA (30%)

Milestone 2 – 30,000 ADA (30%)

Milestone 3 – 25,000 ADA (25%)

Milestone 4 – 15,000 ADA (15%)

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Our project delivers maximum value for the Cardano ecosystem by unlocking adoption in one of the world’s most dynamic demographics—university students and alumni—at a fraction of the cost of comparable platforms.

Relativity Analysis

Globally, education and alumni platforms (LinkedIn, Coursera, Ellucian) have raised hundreds of millions of dollars in venture funding. LinkedIn alone raised over $100M before scaling into universities and careers.

We are delivering a Cardano-powered alternative for just 100,000 ADA, embedding blockchain utility into higher education and lifelong alumni engagement. By leveraging Cardano’s efficiency, identity frameworks (Atala PRISM), and open-source primitives, we minimize overhead while delivering impact that outpaces the spend.

Impact and Scale (Attractive Numbers)

• Global market: 264M+ higher-education students worldwide.
• Pilot phase: 5,000–15,000 students in the first batch of universities onboarded.
• Unique model: 1 student = 1 ADA wallet. Every signup means a new wallet, NFT membership badge, and a verifiable on-chain identity.
• Each alumni and student wallet becomes a transaction generator, donor/mentor gateway, and lifelong blockchain user.

On-Chain Transaction Value

• With at least 1,000 alumni onboarded in the MVP, even a modest 10 ADA/month donation or incentive flow equals 10,000 ADA in monthly transaction volume, or 120,000 ADA annually.
• Scaling to 10,000+ alumni across the Africa and the world brings 1.2M ADA annual flows, excluding NFT issuance, credential anchoring, or additional on-chain activity.
• Each milestone compounds Cardano’s real-world adoption with verifiable wallet growth.

Justification of Spend

For just 100,000 ADA, Catalyst is funding:

• The first lifelong student–alumni identity and incentive platform on Cardano.
• Direct onboarding of 5,000–15,000 wallets in MVP, with scale to millions globally.
• A replicable blueprint for other regions, from Africa to Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

The cost-to-impact ratio is unmatched: a relatively small investment activates one of the largest untapped markets in blockchain, students, who become lifelong users and ambassadors for Cardano.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

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