Friday, February 22, 2019
If Blockchain is Not About Just Blockchain Technology, Then What is it?
by Jeffrey T. Verespej, Executive Director, Old Brooklyn Community Development Corp.
Local journalists have provided a heavy stream of reporting about Blockland. National publications churn out different news articles hourly on the blockchain technology.
Yet even more has been communicated between the lines in Cleveland’s civic circles through happy hour opining, social media posturing, raised eyebrows, table sponsorships, and ticket purchases.
What better place to bring those conversations to light than the City Club of Cleveland. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the January 29th forum but after listening and watching I jump into the conversation. I want to help, to listen, to learn, and to integrate.
Much praise is owed to the leaders behind Blockland, as should be heaped on all citizens willing to be bold, step up, organize around a cause, and believe in our future as a region. Yet the forum left me puzzled and with more questions that I hope can be answered through a dialogue.
Blockchain is a technology tool. As with any tool, how we apply and integrate is more important than the tool itself. Our region must always embrace technological change and fully integrate education, workforce, and economic development to remain competitive. Yet the panelists themselves were quick to acknowledge that neither this specific technology nor any advancement is not a panacea. In addition, the odds of any one technology failing are high. It is only through the consistent and iterative embrace of evolutions can growth happen.
So if Blockland is not about just blockchain technology, then what is it?
The panelists discussed cluster advancement. This includes bringing the newest technologies into all aspects of the Cleveland ecosystem, developing user cases for blockchain technology, talent development and recruitment, plus various stages of business financing. All of that is encouraged (and should be expected) but is not different from the cluster development applied to any other technology or industry. Further, as stated by the panel, every city in the world is doing this.
The forum also spoke heavily on education reform to better prepare Cleveland’s workforce of the future for technological innovation. Nothing could be refuted with that, but again shows more of a general strategy versus blockchain specific.
A portion of the forum described a physical location to bring all of Cleveland together with “collisions” of ideas, students, creatives, and entrepreneurs. Transformative real estate deals are exciting but how is this that different from recent projects such as the TechHive, think[box], or even the Global Center for Health Innovation?
Perhaps the panel’s strongest statement was that this is a movement: 1,700 participants on facebook, a world class conference, and hundreds participating in the nodes. For that, I wish sincere congratulations. Yet what about other movements in Cleveland in recent years? The founders of 3rdSpace Action Lab created a movement around racial equity and inclusion that has had many thousands more participate. Sustainable Cleveland 2019 kicked off ten years ago with an equally impressive headcount and is culminating with Cuyahoga50 this summer.
Barging into the room and telling others to not get in the way instead of using this technology to prop up others has hurt this movement. The panel pled – I believe genuinely – for a desire to be inclusive, to want others to be involved, and not to have all the answers. Actions will speak louder than words, and time will be the evaluator.
Technology advancement. Equity and inclusion. Resource clustering. Education reform. Movement building. This should be our regional agenda from all sectors. Perhaps that is what Blockland is trying to say. If it is, then simply say it.
