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In episode 133, we're excited to welcome Will Le, CEO of impactMarket, the human empowerment protocol, which provides accessible financial solutions and knowledge to empower underprivileged people worldwide, unlocking opportunities and human potential. We discuss how blockchain enables more transparent and effective microcredit programs, their innovative Learn & Earn Program, decentralized unconditional basic income for the last mile, and much more.

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Three Key Takeaways

• Microcredit & UBI projects are really hard to do right, as they face a lot of financial frictions and challenges with transparency & efficiency. While the concept behind these programs is great, it's the delivery that is often the problem. By removing intermediaries and bringing all transactions on-chain, it can go a long way in removing financial frictions and creating more transparent and efficient programs.
• "Necessity breeds innovation." It can be valuable to build solutions in communities where they are needed most. When doing so, it's important to learn from the local expertise and actively engage the community in the development of the programs.
• One of the biggest challenges in the delivery of financial services to the last mile is that many participants lack proof of identity and credit histories. By bringing all of their programs on-chain, impactMarket is helping participants develop on-chain reputations which can help them access other programs & services.

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Episode Time Stamps

02:10- What was your "Ah hah" moment that got you excited about cryptocurrency and web3 in the beginning?

04:55 - You have quite the resume, with previous experience at Celo Foundation, Give Directly, and the Gates Foundations, all organizations that I respect greatly. Tell me about your journey, and how you ultimately ended up an impactMarket.

07:55 - Can you please give listeners a high-level overview of impactMarket's mission?

09:30 - About 1.5 years ago, we had the privilege of highlighting impactMarket on the Crypto Altruism podcast. At the time, the focus had been almost exclusively on the UBI program. I understand that a lot has changed since then, including the launch of a broader range of financial tools, one of these being Microcredit. Can you please explain the microcredit program to listeners?

14:40 - How can microcredit be a powerful tool for empowering unbanked borrowers and driving financial inclusion?

18:10 - How do you engage local communities in the development of your programs?

22:35 - Another unique program of impactMarket is the Learn & Earn program. I'd love to learn more about this, and your thoughts on how Web3 tools can make education more accessible for traditionally underserved communities, such as the unbanked.

26:05 - The movement around UBI has gained incredible momentum in recent years. Can you please give listeners an overview of impactMarket's UBI program, and the impact it has had so far?

28:20 - What are some of the benefits blockchain brings to UBI that can't be accomplished by traditional centralized models?

30:30 - One of the most exciting aspects of blockchain, is how it can enable transparency and the real time tracking of impact data. Tell me more about how you use blockchain to track your impact and share it with the community.

33:10 - What's the best way for listeners to learn more about impactMarket and get involved in the movement?

34:10 - To wrap things up, if you could name one thing that excites you most about the social impact potential of web3, what would it be and why?

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