Post by Ebony Thompson

Still riding the momentum after representing the City of Baltimore at an incredible convening at the U.S. Capitol with the Government Blockchain Association this past Monday! I’m so grateful Baltimore had the opportunity to showcase our blockchain-enabled vacant housing use case—work that’s about far more than modernizing systems. Under Mayor Brandon M. Scott’s leadership, Baltimore has treated vacant housing as a public health issue and committed to fighting it on every level, including responsibly leveraging emerging technology. We believe this work is about equity: building models that can allow communities that endured decades of disinvestment to participate in the redevelopment of their own neighborhoods, including through fractional ownership. Huge thank you to Gerard Dache, Kathy D., and the Government Blockchain Association for hosting such a thoughtful, high-impact event—and for bringing together public servants, technologists, academics, and industry leaders from around the world who are using blockchain to solve real problems. I left genuinely inspired by the people I met and everything I learned. The range of projects happening globally—across service delivery, infrastructure, finance, identity, and so many other areas—was nothing short of impressive. And the roundtable conversations were especially powerful: being in a room with some of the most brilliant minds in the space, trading lessons learned and practical approaches, felt like a masterclass in what’s possible when innovation is grounded in public purpose. Grateful for the connections, the insights, and the shared commitment to keep expanding this powerful technology. Paul F. Dowding, Amelia Powers Gardner, Brittany Kaiser, Jonathan Baha'i, Jim Kyung-Soo Liew, Ph.D., Jacqueline Cooper, Senator Michael "Big Mike" Fési, Michael A.F., Tamara Zeidan, Abdoul M., Ricardo Russell, Lee G., U Ann M., Virginia Huth, Weiwen Gu, Karen Vega, Anthony Howell, Christopher Smithmyer, Mark David Gaal, LaShonda C. Henderson MSc, Remi Alli, Everett Jay Morton, Aron W, Kelly Ann Collins, Grace Navas, Michael Dixon PMP CGFM CDFM, Tapiwa John Muparadzi, PMP®, Silveth Khawaja, Lindsay L., Tammy Charles, Stanley E. Taylor II, Eby Aka, Matthew A. Schneider A huge thank you to Alex Mora who captured some amazing shots at the exclusive Roundtable! #Blockchain #GovTech #HousingJustice #AffordableHousing #DigitalGovernment