Velora Growth Committee (VGC) - Application Thread Season 1

Research and Discussion
2

Velora Growth Committee (VGC) Application - Season 1

DAO-recognized Name:

Sov

Individual or Organization?:

Individual

Time Zone (For Coordination Purposes):

West Coast, USA (UTC-7)

Relevant Background and skills:

As the Head of Grants at Gitcoin, I lead BD, Partnerships, and Programs across multiple ecosystems, managing millions of dollars in funding distribution. My expertise spans protocol governance, ecosystem development, and strategic partnerships with a proven track record of:

  • Designing and implementing effective programs
  • Serving as OP govNERDs Lead, coordinating governance operations and proposal processes
  • Active delegate for multiple DAOs (Gitcoin, Optimism, ENS, Radicle) with deep governance expertise
  • Creating and curating ecosystem-wide grant resources (Grantfarm, Crypto Grant Wire, Onchain Grants Registry)
  • Over a decade of senior management experience running a profitable systems integrator before transitioning to Web3

What can you contribute to the Velora Growth Committee?:

I bring three key strengths to the VGC that align perfectly with Velora’s growth needs:

  1. Partnership Expertise: My extensive network across DeFi protocols, L2 ecosystems, and infrastructure providers enables rapid connection-building and partnership formation. I can help Velora establish strategic DAO-to-DAO collaborations

  2. Program Expertise: I can design and implement targeted programs. My experience running grant operations at scale ensures efficient resource allocation and measurable outcomes.

  3. Cross-Ecosystem Intelligence: My active participation in multiple governance systems provides valuable intelligence for identifying growth opportunities. I understand which strategies are working across different protocols and can adapt these insights for Velora’s unique position.

What is your motivation for applying to this working group?:

Intents-based trading represents the next evolution in DeFi UX, and Velora is positioned at the forefront of this transformation. I’m excited to help shape growth strategies that accelerate adoption of this technology while leveraging my cross-DAO experience to create ecosystem-wide impact.

List your past or current association, history, role and contributions to the Velora protocol or DAO:

While I’m new to the Velora DAO specifically, I’ve been following the protocol since its ParaSwap days and have experience with DEX aggregators. My deep understanding of how these systems fit into the broader DeFi landscape will bring fresh perspectives to Velora’s growth strategy.

Other DAO roles or working groups:

  • Optimism: Currently serve as govNERDs Lead, coordinating governance operations; previously served on Grants Council (Season 6)
  • ENS: Public Goods Steward overseeing treasury allocation for ecosystem support
  • Gitcoin: Head of Grants, leading grant program strategy and operations
  • Scroll, Optimism, Arbitrum, ENS, Gitcoin: Active delegate

Conflict of Interest Declaration:

I currently hold no positions with competing DEX aggregators or intent-based trading platforms.

While I interact with various protocols through my role at Gitcoin, none represent a direct conflict with Velora’s mission or business model. I’m committed to full transparency and will recuse myself from any decisions where potential conflicts might arise.

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