We want to be the voice of Latin America!
The Polkadot LATAM Collective is an initiative that brings together the Polkadot Mexican Collective with prominent members of the Latam Polkadot community, who constantly contribute to building community in the region and representing this amazing community at Web3 events in Latam, the United States, and Europe.
In recent years, the Mexican Collective has closely collaborated with these ecosystem agents, working in various areas of the ecosystem. We believe that by coming together, we can do a better job in OpenGov. Therefore, we conceived the initiative to merge and create a collective that embodies the values of the Polkadot Network in the Latam region, aligning the interests of the ecosystem with those of the collective.
The ability to participate fully and freely in OpenGov is one of the main factors for social inclusion and the development of individuals within the ecosystem, which in turn strengthens the social fabric of the Polkadot community. A fair and inclusive society is built on inclusion, thus it is crucial that community members have the opportunity to express their voices, which also gives them the expectation of a better future for the ecosystem.
Our experience as Decentralized Voices by W3F
During Cohort 2, as a Mexican Collective, we gained valuable insights that we are now refining as a Latam Collective. Here are the key points we learned and implemented, which significantly helped us amplify our community’s voices.
- Community Engagement and Voting Transparency
We created a broadcast channel in the Mexican community’s Telegram, which now has over 350 active members, to share the most interesting proposals and allow members to express their opinions. For proposals requiring thorough analysis, we discussed them internally. Whenever we voted, we expressed a collective decision, never an individual one, to avoid any issues for a member of the collective.
Additionally, we reported our voting sentiments weekly by creating a thread on our official X account (@PolkadotMexico_) so that our votes could be publicly known.
- Importance of Feedback and Questions During the Voting Process
During the voting process, providing feedback and asking questions to those who submit proposals to OpenGov is crucial. Sometimes, it can be confusing or challenging to understand how each team plans to work and develop their ideas. We always strive to ask questions on every proposal we vote on, and the best platform for this is, of course, Polkassembly. Here is some proof of the work we did during the voting process.
Philosophy and Why We Should Be Considered for DV (Cohort 3)
At the Latam Collective, our priority is to create the necessary conditions for incorporating proposals from individuals who have demonstrated consistent and socially useful work. This challenge is enormous and demands a collective effort to enable us, as a responsible community, to embrace the diversity that defines us. We aim to go beyond mere discourse with concrete actions that allow everyone to exercise their right to express opinions and make proposals. These are fundamental elements for progressing toward a more just and inclusive society.
Although humans are meant to live in society and interact with their peers across various settings, many individuals are excluded due to various factors. Among them are those who, lacking necessary resources, are deprived of the opportunity to express their opinions or voice. This lack of resources makes it challenging for them to secure a place in the ecosystem, resulting in exclusion and, consequently, a lack of economic and social opportunities.
Representing a prominent community in LATAM, both in quality and number of active users, we have firmly consolidated interest in Polkadot and organically promoted the adoption of web3 technology. In every event we organize, from planning to execution, we ensure excellence in all aspects, including speakers and workshop leaders, to meet the highest standards of quality.
Background of the Members and Experience in Polkadot and Blockchain:
→ Erick has been enthusiastic about Web3 since 2020, starting in Polkadot in 2020 to learn about the ecosystem and technology that Polkadot provides. In 2022, he applied to be an ambassador for Mexico, therefore being one of the first ambassadors for Mexico to create and grow the Polkadot Mexico community and organize events within the country. He also creates content in Spanish on Youtube and Twitter. He has been present at all Polkadot events in Mexico, promoting the community and ecosystem. Erick is enthusiastic about the KILT Protocol and the official team recognizes the work he has done in Mexico. He is also the Head Ambassador of Polimec Protocol, a member of Kappa Sigma Mu (KSM), and a member of Youdledao in Astar Network. Erick has had a great journey within the ecosystem and is willing to continue building and growing the community in Mexico.
→ Javier Eli has been enthusiastic about web3 since 2020, starting in Polkadot in 2020 to learn about the ecosystem and technology that Polkadot provides. In 2022, he applied to be an ambassador for Mexico, therefore being one of the first ambassadors for Mexico to create and grow the Polkadot Mexico community and organize events within the country. He also creates content in Spanish on Youtube and Twitter. He has been present at all Polkadot events in Mexico, promoting the community and ecosystem. Javier is Talent Growth Latam at Gear Foundation where he is in charge of attracting talents and achieving approaches with universities creating alliances with IT careers, He was a Judge in several hackathons in the Polkadot ecosystem with specialization in business models, UX/UI and Dapp Design. He is also the Head Ambassador of Polimec Protocol. Javier Eli has had a great journey within the ecosystem and is willing to continue building and growing the community in Mexico.
→ Guido has been in Web3 since 2017, starting in the Polkadot’s ecosystem in 2019. Polkadot’s Ecosystem Agent (former Polkadot Ambassador). Currently, he’s Business Development & Latam Growth at Archisinal, and Global Lead Ambassador & On-Chain Council Member of the Polimec Foundation.
→ Cesar has been in the crypto ecosystem since the beginning of 2020 and that same year he got to know the Polkadot ecosystem, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he began contributing as an ambassador for some other projects in the ecosystem (Moonbeam and SubQuery). As he became more active in the ecosystem, he started to become more interested in the workings of Polkadot itself. That is why, in 2022, he and a group of friends who are also Polkadot ambassadors officially created the Polkadot community in Mexico, organizing events for the Polkadot community in Mexico. He has had the opportunity to attend other Polkadot events in the United States and Europe, where he collaborated with KodaDot and Unique Network for the Ethereum Denver and side events. That is why he has had the opportunity to meet many members of the community. He has a channel on YouTube and TikTok where he creates content related to Polkadot, and on his Twitter account, he creates threads about the ecosystem.
→ Rodrigo has been part of the Polkadot ecosystem since mid-2020. The token split movement caught their attention, motivating them to get more involved. Not knowing many people in Mexico, they decided to seek out a community, which led them to find some very pleasant individuals who had formed the Polkadot Mexico group. They were invited to join the Polkadot Ambassador program and the Polkadot Mexico group. Since then, they have been involved with their colleagues in various meetups to raise awareness about the ecosystem, its various parachains, and updates. They have always been attentive to people who have questions about Polkadot technology. Additionally, the Polkadot Mexico YouTube channel was created to upload videos on various topics related to Polkadot and practical cases, so people could more clearly understand the actions to be taken. It has been an incredible process, and the goal is for the Mexican community to become a reference both within and outside the country for educating about the Polkadot ecosystem.
→ Roco has been an active member of the Polkadot community since 2022. Starting as a native content creator, he then became an Ambassador and later an Agent of the Polkadot Ecosystem. As the Co-Founder of Dotcast, he has interviewed more than 20 founders and core team members of various projects in Polkadot and Kusama. He also serves as a Senior Ambassador for Polimec and is a member of several DAOs and influential groups within Polkadot. Recently, he joined the “DOT Latam Team” as part of the Ambassadors Program. He has participated in organizing various events and has also spoken at many, promoting Polkadot in the LATAM blockchain landscape and striving to unite the region step by step.
→ Armando has been part of the Polkadot ecosystem since 2020 and was thrilled to participate in the parachains on both Kusama and Polkadot. In 2022, they applied to become a Polkadot ambassador, and since then, they have been continuously involved with the Polkadot Mexico community, organizing events, workshops, presentations, and conferences, all with the goal of educating the Mexican community. Currently, they serve as the Head Ambassador at Polimec and the Community Manager of Tododecripto, the leading community in Mexico for Web3 education, memes, and more. They are eagerly awaiting the release of Polkadot 2.0 and everything it will bring with its new implementations.
→ Amaury as a candidate and ambassador, worked on the development of events in Mexico, serving as an assistant during Polkadot Doxxed México CDMX 2022, Hackathon UNAM 2023 (both Polkadot), Meetup Bitcoin Embassy Bar 2023, Guadalajara Polkadot Side Event Talent Land 2023, Polkadot Decoded View Party 2023, Polkadot Hub Ibero CDMX 2023, Polkadot Satellite Event CDMX 2023, Cripto México Hackathon Tijuana 2023, among many other crypto events. He is currently part of the Polkadot Mexico Collective as DV Cohort 2, Head Ambassador for the Mexican Collective, and serves as an assistant in the Bounty for the development of Spanish content and community events in the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystem, version 2.0.
→ Gabriel Bonugli (aka “Gabekoin”) Founder VDS ACADEMY, Brazilian BD team - SUNSET LABS / Regional Lead Phala Network and Ambassador Ava Protocol also have been contributing as Business Developer, Community Manager, Content Creator, Writer, Translator, marketing specialist and also with experience producing Polkadot events in Brazil.
→ Gustavo is a Polkadot community member since 2021 (former ambassador program) and a Polkadot BD (Sunset). Is a lawyer and entrepreneur with experience on startups, VC investments, business consultancy and corporate law. Have years of experience with digital transformation for big corporations, medium size companies and institutions. Its a startup builder, advisor and partner, helping build products, teams and investment. Co Founder and Board Coordinator of BI0S - Brazilian Institute of Data Science, recognized by the Brazilian Govern and with more than 100 researchers.
→ John Rhodel Bartolome, BD Sunset Labs/Polkadot, Founder of VDS Academy, Mathematician and Software Engineer with an MBA in Project Management, Artificial Intelligence Advisor of Curitiba City Hall. Also with experience producing Polkadot events in Brazil.
Latam Collective’s Multisig Wallet
13zjWUqMTWYp5TuAmXzRBFXxAfHCDdQ6AsZWn2ScpDTzsuHU
Official wallets of the integrants (here you can verify the participation in Cohort 2, OpenGov of each Mexican Collective members):
- Erick: 15XF37GkxgRJakURR4jycdrJnqWQctT5yUPzqLn81TZmwBDF
- Armando: 13pgVrB53DyS7wLeGWkDYUSBYBTageJDjEqXLqxsqJBismsV
- Javier: 1U9NbBVpku7VYWtGE5CFTyyaTVTNBrfyXDNETK89uGDD6wm
- John: 12WQMLv8itdKJ83R4y3qNGYCRrsU6bFjyd4ZvcE4tmJoSiPv
- Guido: 14GsaW16GVkVdMT2uUHeoDGnpKTmm5BfzsctzuEwiCLpGknX
- Gabriel: 14iWWjHr2VLTNW2p5ZzmqNeD1ox2udjsU9VsP5k3murqeNiJ
- Cesar: 1TtCbdG7LjYwry8bYK6zV3xq2XAnXod4jf2htxH2NE1Wf2Q
- Roco: 16LkUhjeG5WD74mYbP2V9Jx7KvJ6ENuqYFc9dxx9xyFtDkFV
- Amaury: 13JsTxizvEUEeewFagowtFQaWpHbADWCoSkTGAY7QTSkvtWF
- Rodrigo: 13xYYGtGmWFuypqtX4YH6Y1q49mMbpqyKcxoqLTSipv7SPMP
Latam Collective:
X: https://x.com/latamcollective
Cheers!
