by 0xd6c957f9a6411f35d01baae2658758f277408878 (Rizk)
Should Maryana be added to DAO Council?
Address
0x9937e3e274be96a624d7cd00f384eb71c741dd1b
Reasons for adding
Name: Maryana
Decentraland Background:
My name is Maryana. I joined Decentraland as a user in December 2021 and have been involved in the community such as by streaming, social media/content creation, learning the SDK(6) and builder tool, and hosting events. I’ve worked with reputable brands throughout the years for events or content creation. Most recently, I’ve become the Ohio President with Stand with Crypto, which allows me to work with major crypto platforms, policymakers and wallet & crypto users in my state, as well as with the SWC executive team and Coinbase Policy Team. I recently was able to bring Stand with Crypto into Decentraland, with education as a focus in the coming year(s).
In January 2022, I got involved in the Decentraland DAO as an observer at first, and began to dive deeper into the accounting and governance issues beginning in 2023. I held a DAO position as a Revocation Committee Member from May 2023 - May 2024, where I worked with the committee to address revocations. This role required careful analysis, decision-making, and adherence to the legacy grant program.
I’ve engaged in the Financial Planning groups (moderated by @web3nit & @Fehz) throughout the year, providing insight when possible, and led the Lisbon financial planning discussions, and run ad-hoc analysis reports for myself to understand current expenditures. To this day, I’ve continued to explore and consult with other finance professionals on DAO accounting, and how we can bring financial reporting and treasury management into the DAO. My professional network is highly extensive, ranging from Big 4 professionals, to web3 finance professionals and policymakers.
As an opening to my postulation, my passion for finance, blockchain, and the Decentraland community & platform, paired with my extensive experience in financial reporting, auditing and governance positions me to contribute to the growth and sustainability of the Decentraland ecosystem as a DAO council member.
Disclaimer: I am specifically applying to be a subject matter expert for Finance & Community Building. My primary goal is to bring financial reporting policies and budgeting practices to the DAO. The finance portion is crucial to ensure DAO governance policies have appropriate funding and resources allocated to make the optimize the overall strategy we achieve. My involvement with the community also allows me to understand what our current community needs and has issues with. I have an understanding of our protocol and see the crucial need for strengthening our platform features. I am not a programmer or dev ops engineer, but understand the technology at a high-level. I’ve also been an unofficial ambassador for Decentraland in a few web3 conferences and local meet-ups discussing the technology, and DAO governance of Decentraland.
Evidence
Resume & Relevant Experience:
I hold a MBA in Accounting & BA in Accounting, and held a full-time accounting position for 8 years, ranging from public accounting (audit & analytics), internal auditing & SOX compliance in industry, and financial reporting & budgeting, and individual taxation. A portion of my 2024 has been dedicated to studying for my CPA and working with Stand with Crypto. My professional experience has allowed me to contribute to the DAO’s financial planning and treasury management discussions.
Recently, I’ve begun research with vendors that have software to record crypto transactions. As a part of the council, I’d ensure that there is a strategy in place for our crypto transactions and ensure the OpCo incorporates accounting practices from budgeting, financial reporting and treasury management, as well as prepare detailed financial statements and annual reports, which currently lack from both the DAO and Foundation. I’d also make sure that there is a clear communication channel with the Foundation regarding their expenditures to ensure the DAO is not double spending on the same initiatives.
My understanding of the COSO - Integrated Framework & COSO for Blockchain ensures that we have a proper control environment over our governance & culture (tone at the top), strategy and objective setting, risk assessment and performance, control activities and reporting (financially, to external and internal stakeholders of our DAO).
I have extensive knowledge on the application of accounting standards by FASB, the AICPA (i.e Auditing standards, reporting standards, and quality control), and IT policies for managing risk. I also stay informed on crypto regulations that are released either by the SEC or international regulating bodies. I also foster professional relationships that enhance my ability to navigate complex regulatory and financial landscapes.
Beyond Decentraland, my involvement in the a Web3 Finance community (@web3financeclub) led by Request Finance, has deepened my understanding of decentralized finance and its application in various reputable DAO ecosystems (Arbitrum, Solana), and virtual ecosystems. There are members with executive positions at these crypto companies, to crypto policy makers. Our group shares emerging accounting standards relating to crypto regulation regularly.
Overall, my experience equips me to bridge traditional financial principles with innovative DAO models, ensuring that Decentraland’s financial resources are optimized to serve its diverse stakeholders.
Alignment with Council Criteria:
Should I be elected, I commit to be accountable and transparent with my role in the council, assist with the quarterly meetings and financial reporting management, and contribute to the budgeting and financial strategy.
Application continued in comments.