In episode 137, we're excited to welcome Timothy Asiiwme, Innovation Project Manager at Mercy Corps Ventures, which invests in and catalyzes venture-led solutions to increase the resilience of underserved individuals and communities. We discuss how Web3 solutions can help alleviate poverty and build resilient communities, the role of impact entrepreneurs in addressing important social challenges, some of the incredible Web3 pilots Mercy Corps Ventures has supported, and much more.

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Three Key Takeaways

• Mercy Corps Ventures is guided by their Resilient Futures Thesis which sees technology as an important force for change in three areas: adaptive agriculture and food systems, inclusive fintech, and climate smart technologies. Many of their pilots have used Web3 and other emerging technologies to bring about positive disruption in these three areas.
• One area that blockchain can really shine, is in reducing settlement times. For example, in one of the pilots supported by Mercy Corps Ventures, that delivers crop insurance to smallholder farmers, they were able to reduce the payout time of insurance claims by 97% by automating the process with smart contracts.
• By lowering transaction costs, reducing settlement times, increasing transparency in financial systems, and increasing access to financial tools, blockchain can unlock opportunities for underserved communities that didn't exist before, helping to drive financial inclusion and build more resilient communities.

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Follow Timo and Mercy Corps Ventures

Timo - LinkedIn

Mercy Corps Venture - LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

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Episode Time Stamps

02:20 - What was your "Ah hah" moment that got you excited about cryptocurrency and web3 in the beginning?

04:30 - Can you please give listeners a high-level overview of Mercy Corps Ventures' mission?

05:50 - I understand that Mercy Corps Ventures has launched 15 Web3 pilots in emerging markets; do you mind highlighting a couple of the pilot projects?

12:25 - Mercy Corps, the organization that MCV falls within, has a mission to "alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities." How can Web3 tools be leveraged to help accomplish this mission?

14:20 - Can you tell me more about the Resilient Future Thesis?

17:45 - Mercy Corps Ventures takes a unique approach for a nonprofit, by deploying venture capital in support of entrepreneurs. What role do you see entrepreneurs playing in helping combat some of the greatest challenges of our time?

19:25 - How can blockchain help coordinate the global community in support of your work?

21:50 - Are there any novel use cases of smart contracts that you've come across that you can share?

25:00 - What have been the impacts of Mercy Corps Ventures work so far?

27:45 - What's the best way for listeners to learn more about Mercy Corps Ventures and support your work?

28:20 - 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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