CardanoHTX

In the last legislative session, Texas demonstrated its intention to develop a blockchain industry in the state. To that end, it added terms to the commercial code and created a research/advisory council. Additionally, a start-up trade group, the Texas Blockchain Council (TBC), is organizing community meetings in major cities to bring industry people together. 

The Texas economy is estimated in excess of $1.9T, placing it in the top 10 economies globally.  Houston contributes more than $512B, and is home to the headquarters of 23 Fortune 500 companies.  

The TBC hosts a monthly meeting in the Woodlands, a distant suburb north of Houston.  Mostly, the attendees at this meetup seem to be either proof-of-work miners or investors ("HODLers").  However, some developers attend. While most attendees are familiar with Cardano, only a few are enthusiastic about it.  

Developing a Houston Cardano Hub presents many opportunities for the Cardano Community.  First, it establishes a presence around which Houston-based Cardano developers can coalesce.  Second, it creates the opportunity to introduce Plutus to the broader developer network in Houston. Third, it creates a pool of Cardano ambassadors to engage with the broader blockchain industry, both within Houston and throughout Texas. Finally, a Houston Hub will introduce the potential of the Cardano ecosystem to the traditional business networks, presenting opportunities for project creation where unmet needs are identified.  

I am requesting start-up funds to create and organize a Houston based Cardano Hub, CardanoHTX.  Objectives:

1. Establish social media presence around which to organize. 

1. Host monthly meetings in centralized locations in Houston, the week prior to the TBC meetings in the Woodlands; demonstrate growth in attendance.  

1. Encourage and sponsor ambassadors to attend and promote the Hub and Cardano at the TBC meetings.  

1. Identify future opportunities to establish a permanent footprint, including spaces for more frequent Hub activities, including classes. 

This proposal seeks seed money to organize monthly meetups through May 2022.  As funding requirements become more clear, supplemental proposals will be submitted in future funding rounds.  Costs for actual meetings will scale with the number of attendees.  Consequently, costs are speculative at this point.  

Proposed Budget:  

$500 - Coordination: 

$500 - Marketing and platform setup

$2500 - Food and beverages for 5 meetings at average of $500 each (February, March, April, May, June 2022).  

Unspent funds will be used for future activities.  

The project will launch immediately on receipt of funding.  

3-Month Success Milestone: completion of 2 meetings with 50 unique visitors

6-Month Success Milestone: completion of 5 meetings with sustained membership (multiple attendees) of 50 visitors and 75 unique visitors.  

12-Month Success Milestones: 1) subsequent funding, 2) completion of sustained monthly membership with 200 unique members, 3) sustained presence of 20 or more members at TBC meetings, and 4) designation of 4 ambassadors to engage with TBC.