Activating Universities for a High Quality Grant Applicant Pipeline

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Hello Decentraland Family,

I’ve been working hard on establishing our Decentralized News Network, and with Automated Rewards completed, and our DCL Report HQ + $REPORT Token for Content Bidding set to be complete Sept 9th (Ninesgiving), I believe we should start to think about what DCL will need to grow to the next level. I believe it has to do with accomplishing 2 things at once.

  1. Uplifting the most active DCL creators and letting them be recognized on a large scale
  2. Attracting University Students looking for grants to build/create/learn/grow

I believe by doing these 2 things we will see our community grow in a healthy way.

For that reason, I have been working hard on the pilot program for AccelerateOnEarth, an accelerator program for the DCL DAO. I’ve done 2 of 4 sessions, and upon completion, I believe we should conduct a large scale marketing effort putting up billboard around universities showcasing EVERY CREATOR who has been approved by a DCL Grant to do something amazing.

I’m talking Exodus, Golfcraft, DCL Report. We should put these amazing creators who have been funded to do amazing things up on these billboards to say “Hey, I’ve been able to create something unique and amazing, made possible by DCL”
“Find out how grant funding could help you build your vision for the metaverse”

We could shortlist the top projects and create designs. I have some great billboard connections, but maybe we shouldn’t even stop there and go full on targeted ads as well. We should hire an actual PR/Marketing company to take on this campaign with the goal of activating every university ecosystem. Imagine all the broke college kids in the US for instance (many of us have been there…) who would kill for an opportunity like this, if only they knew.

Let’s not just tell them about this, LETS SHOW THEM THE RESULTS. They will imagine for themselves what they could create.

I don’t believe in marketing just for marketing sake.

We need a higher number and consistent quality of grant applications for the DCL DAO, and the only sustainable and repeatable method is going to be targeting university programs; particularly those with great design and CS talent.

Let us work together to make this happen. HERE IS WHAT WE NEED:

  1. Identify the Agency that will take on this PR campaign. I will put myself forward to spearhead project management and making sure this gets done, but I will need the right PR agency working with me to make sure it gets done right. I do have great billboard connections so getting digital billboard up around the US will not be an issue. The Hatch Agency is one organization I’ve looked at, they are doing work with Jadu right now and really understand the art of story telling.

  2. Identify the people who have built using Grant funding the DCL DAO to highlight and put on a FREAKING BILLBOARD. Let me know your thoughts on who should be included in the replies below.

Once we iron these things out, we can start to do public interviews with the agency groups maybe? then VOTE together in the DCL Report DAO on who to go with. Snapshot

The target goal of this as mentioned would be 2 fold:

  • Raise awareness of Decentraland and it’s Top Funded Creators
  • Inspire Talent in the University/Higher Education Sector to build/grow with us in the metaverse

I believe that this is the audience that right now we need to focus on fostering at maximum velocity. I can not do this alone, so please help through your feedback, footwork, whatever we can do to make this happen and activate this growth catalyzing, high impact effort :smiley: <3

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Hello, I’m also the Director of the blockchain certificate of advanced studies at the University of Geneva and we’re going to teach Decentraland as part of the new metaverse module. I will also teach a metaverse course to Master students so I’m interested to fill an application grant to further collaborate with Decentraland. Following is a list of other technology partners: Partners of the CAS Blockchain

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Hello! This is great, you are doing the right things clearly.
My suggestion would be that there be an active “On Duty” Ambassador, which is someone who can be an “activator” for DCL to organizations like the University of Geneva. This individual would:

  1. Understand the DAO Grant process, and have been approved for a DAO Proposal before, as well as having successful outcomes in their deliverables.
  2. Be available to do Onboarding training and provide useable resources/guides on receiving Grants/Building in Decentraland.

I myself am already coordinating this, as the DCL Foundation does not have a task force in place to carry forward this directive as of yet, outside of the pipeline which exists via the DCL University District.

Our goal:
Make Creative and Ambitious University Students Aware of the Opportunity to envision the future of the metaverse, and receive funding to pioneer that vision. If possible, I would say it would be amazingly valuable if part of a student’s course/project in a metaverse related study, to carry out a DAO Grant and solve a problem.

I have already begun to publish this course/workshop series:
Session 1: How to Write a Decentraland DAO Grant | AccelerateOnEarth Program Session 1 - YouTube
Session 2: AccelerateOnEarth Session 2 - YouTube

Please feel free to join in the remaining 2 sessions, they happen 11am - 1pm EST on Thursdays at Twitch , more info at www.ImagineOnEarth.com

Our vision is to create a pipeline where in 4 weeks, we can take those who are looking to solve a problem/build in the metaverse within Decentraland, and get their DAO Grants approved within those 4 weeks. This month is our pilot month, so surly people are getting used to this format, our goal will be to be able to realize $1M in Grant Funding in a single month for creators/builders within the community. We believe the potential and opportunity is there, however there is a lack of understanding and best practices which make DAO grants successful.

Our goal is to find more talented builders, students, and creators, and empower them to be successful in this space. This is an opportunity which changed my life personally, so I am taking the effort to ensure other creatives see this through as well.

Thank you and feel free to email me at kevinonearth999@gmail.com if you would like to setup a time to talk further. I thank you for all the work you are doing which no doubt is the right efforts to be taking. I’d consider what I am doing as a targeted outcome which can be generated as a result of being in this ecosystem.

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