Fledge Do-Gooder Coin: Cryptocurrency for community wealth

Our solution creates assets in the form of Fledge Coin cryptocurrency and NFT trust tokens, helping individuals who lack traditional financial assets track their abundant natural, built, and human capital they do have. Through our existing financial literacy and entrepreneur education programs, we coach and build trust with community members who then, in turn, can build assets by using our blockchain to request and vote on projects to invest in. Our earned trust tokens, acting as NFTs backed by Fledge Coin, can be used to access shared resources offered by the Fledge. By backing this cryptocurrency with the financial resources of our NGO we can provide those who lack skills training, avenues of traditional start-up funding, financial literacy, and resource access – including space and equipment necessary in various industries –  with opportunities that have no barrier to access. 

Our problem is the lack of investment in our community members. We live in a city where 40% of residents fall at or under the ALICE threshold limits (United Way of South Central Michigan, 2021), 40% of residents are people of color with an African American population of 22%, and less than 30% of residents hold a Bachelor’s degree (US Census, 2020).

Making this site- and community- specific currency that anyone can invest in solves our current access problem.  Our DAO Fledge Coin creates a sustainable building, access to space and equipment via earned trust tokens, and ties our currency and its smart-system dashboard tooling to our mutual aid, direct service, and entrepreneurial programs. Our unique tooling dashboard uses a Polygon (MATIC) blockchain model that provides generative insight into the behavior and trends of our ecosystem, and is replicable in other similar geographic-based ecosystems. 

Anyone with Fledge Coin can propose projects with funding requests, as well as vote to invest in projects. Individuals can earn trust token NFTs for volunteering and completing entrepreneur programs; these trust tokens are then used to access resources available at the Fledge Foundation and in the wider community. This empowers people with ideas to use their coin to be active members of the virtual blockchain as well as our physical space – building community wealth and civic engagement while developing individuals’ asset portfolios. 

In conclusion, our solution addresses the specific problem of lack of access to resources and opportunities for individuals and communities who face  barriers to traditional financing opportunities. By creating a sustainable building that provides access to space and equipment, tying our programs to be available to anyone on our blockchain, we are empowering individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions and access the resources and training necessary to succeed in various industries. Our solution not only addresses immediate needs but also addresses systemic issues related to traditional financing and employment practices, creating a more equitable and inclusive opportunities that low-income, BIPOC, single female heads of households and LGBTQ+ will most benefit from.

The Fledge Foundation has made and is in between development and pilot rollout of a virtual decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) on blockchain technology to serve as a site-specific, values-driven cryptocurrency that will: 

Make our building 1) grid positive and 

2) create a barrier-free, collective, and public funding pool as a tool for our entrepreneurial programs participants and space renters. 

The Fledge Foundation's solution to the problem of lack of access to financial resources, training, and equipment for underrepresented communities is a virtual decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) built on blockchain technology and NFT trust tokens tied to this currency. This DAO will serve as a site-specific, values-driven cryptocurrency called Fledge Coin, which will provide a barrier-free, collective, and public funding pool as a tool for our entrepreneurial programs participants and space renters.

The Fledge Coin will enable access to resources that individuals in our community may not be able to secure through traditional financing opportunities, due to racial and class barriers, stigma, lack of financial literacy, or other reasons. By creating a currency that anyone can invest in, we can offer a new avenue for individuals to gain access to the tools and resources they need to succeed in their chosen industries.

To further incentivize participation in our entrepreneurial programs and services, trust tokens are offered as a reward for attending job skills training, entrepreneurship training, and other relevant services. Trust tokens can then be used for space rental, all-hour studio access, and other material supports. This empowers individuals with ideas to become active members of the blockchain, increasing individual and community wealth.

In addition to serving as a means of financial support, the Fledge Coin will also be used to maintain a sustainable building. The Fledge Foundation aims to make their building grid positive, and the Fledge Coin battery banks will be used to fund this initiative. We already conduct mining in order to heat the building so we have proof of concept. By doing so, the Fledge Foundation is not only providing financial support to individuals in need but also positively contributing to the social and environmental impact on our ecosystem.

By creating a collective funding pool, the Fledge Foundation is removing financial barriers and promoting a community-driven approach to entrepreneurship. Overall, the Fledge Foundation's solution is a powerful tool to address the problem of lack of access to financial resources, training, and equipment for underrepresented communities. By creating a virtual decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) on blockchain technology, the Fledge Foundation is empowering individuals to gain access to the resources they need to succeed, regardless of their background or financial status. By offering Fledge Coin as a reward for attending job skills training, entrepreneurship training, and other relevant services, the Fledge Foundation is encouraging individuals to take an active role in their own success. Finally, by using the Fledge Coin to maintain a sustainable building and create a collective funding pool, the Fledge Foundation is removing financial barriers and promoting a community-driven approach to entrepreneurship that benefits everyone involved.

At current prototype stage, our DAO system is set to serve people who utilize Fledge programs and services as well the local community, with specific subpopulations covered later in this response. Given that, once the model is replicable, our solution can be used by non-profit organizations across the country and serve hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people a year. Back in Lansing, The Fledge Foundation's solution serves a specific group of people in Lansing, Michigan: high ALICE populations, especially single mothers, single women of color, LGBTQ individuals, and felons. These are people who face significant barriers to accessing traditional funding opportunities, including business loans and rental space. By creating a virtual decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) on blockchain technology, the Fledge Foundation is providing a new way for these individuals to access the resources they need to start and grow their businesses.

For single mothers, single women of color, and LGBTQ individuals, the Fledge Foundation's solution offers a unique opportunity to break free from the financial constraints that have traditionally held them back. These groups often face discrimination and systemic barriers that prevent them from accessing traditional funding opportunities, which can make it difficult to start or grow a business. With the Fledge Foundation's DAO, they will have a new way to access the resources they need to succeed, without having to rely on traditional funding sources that may be out of reach.

For felons, the Fledge Foundation's solution offers a chance to overcome the stigma that often follows them after they have served their time. Even after completing their sentences, many felons struggle to find employment or start their own businesses due to the negative perceptions others may have of them. By providing access to the resources they need to start their own businesses, the Fledge Foundation is helping felons break free from this stigma and regain their independence.

Moreover, the Fledge Foundation's solution will have a positive impact on the entire community of Lansing, Michigan. When local innovators are able to start and grow their own businesses, they create jobs and stimulate economic growth in the area. This, in turn, benefits everyone who lives in the community and helps to improve the city's tax base. By providing a new way for local innovators to access the resources they need, the Fledge Foundation is helping to build a stronger, more resilient local economy that benefits everyone.

In summary, the Fledge Foundation's solution serves a specific group of people in Lansing, Michigan who face significant barriers to accessing traditional funding opportunities. By providing a virtual DAO on blockchain technology, the Fledge Foundation is offering a new way for these individuals to access the resources they need to start and grow their businesses. This solution will have a positive impact on the lives of single mothers, single women of color, LGBTQ individuals, and felons, while also benefiting the entire community of Lansing by creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

We aren’t proximate to the communities we serve, we are communities we serve. Everyone on this team (except our software engineer) has been an entrepreneur with little to no access to capital, connections, or competencies. 

Over the last five years our community and financial impact in our region has been significant. 660 business endeavors launched. Over 1,000 individuals who have come to the Fledge to receive shelter and other direct services, have come back to the Fledge to workshops or lectures on entrepreneurial skills. Roughly 200 youth (ages 8 - 17) participate in innovation education each summer.  During the academic year, 60 Lansing School District students partake in youth entrepreneur mentoring. Hundreds of individuals have used the recording, screenprinting, and fabric studios, media/performance spaces to produce their own profitable projects – largely for free and always on a sliding scale to the community. This system was the origin for creating the asset class of rentals paid via Fledge Coin gained from volunteer hours or workshop attendance. The conceptual impact the Fledge has had on hardworking people living in Lansing is difficult to quantify but is deeply felt in our community and by the team members of this solution. In the 48912 zip code where % of households live under the ALICE threshold, we are part of a community net that has coached single mothers, returning citizens, immigrants, BIPOC, and transgender residents who have become successful entrepreneurs and bonafide local heroes – thus is the nature of the Fledge as an ideation space and community asset generator. 

We have: built all the asset classes (Fledge Coin, is in production and working), we have an NFT project the trust tokens, an NFT project that represents ownership and stake, functioning DAO, we have built software, developed DAO tooling as educational model based on an “Inform, Discuss, Propose, Support.” These solutions do not usually happen in traditional cryptocurrency. 

Other virtual DAOs use simpler tooling to discuss and form, propose, vote, and return to discussion. This misses an important piece of the cycle in order to be impactful: the check. Our tooling includes an assessment component where results are autoreported onto the chain and can inform future proposals. How successful resource designation was. 

We’re currently testing implementation. Doing our validation and proof of working. Ready to test in second community in 2023 in Senora, Arizona with Regenerating Senora. Chris Castilles is our contact in Regenerating Sonora. 

The number of individuals who access our building for direct service and entrepreneurial education programs: 10,000 - 15,000 annually

# of DAO Members: 200  

The Fledge has incubated just over 660 entrepreneurs launch projects since 2018. Serves 10,000 people (stakeholders) annually, more through community and financial relationships in our networks.

We now need:

• funding 

• to secure an experienced developer for our DAO tooling 

• Opportunity to build relationships with cities that will test our model alongside us, and the grassroots entities there to share our tooling with – especially with organizations and movements serving populations very different from our own for cultural and geographic diversity in feedback collected during growth. 

The Solve Challenge and its resources as well as networks that would open to us and be able to advise us.

We combine regenerative principles with Blockchain and Smart Contract technologies, and use these technologies to use real world assets to back the value within the community. 

Everything we do is built on the foundation of radical inclusion. We believe that every person has something valuable to contribute, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. Our diversity and inclusion initiative involves a four-step process: attract, invite, welcome, and include. We strive to attract a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds and demographics through our programming and outreach efforts. We then invite them to participate in our events and initiatives, making sure that they feel welcome and supported throughout the process. Finally, we work to include everyone in our decision-making and problem-solving processes, cultivating safe spaces where everyone has a voice and their ideas are valued. Overall, our goal is to create a community that is truly representative of the Lansing Region, where everyone can thrive and contribute to the development of a vibrant and equitable high-tech ecosystem.

We have a social business model canvas drafted, but not complete at this point. 

We would like to see if we can mimic our success in Lansing, MI with our partner organization in Superior, AZ and coming partners in Detroit, MI and South Africa. 

We started with $1200 in Lansing and we now have assets worth more than $500,000. If we can repeat this in the above locations, we know we can scale globally. 

Please note, we are not the benefactors of this scaling, the local communities are. 

We have purchased our building outright and have zero debt left. We are starting to see results in Superior, AZ that are creating financial capital from the entrepreneurial programs, food security programs, and digital literacy courses.