The NEAR Foundation has announced the return of its Women in Web3 Changemakers list for 2023, following a hugely successful launch last year.
The initiative aims to celebrate the progress, impact, and innovation of socially mindful women in the Web3 ecosystem, spotlighting ten exceptional leaders from across the international sector and the sustainable work they do. The goal is to inspire a new generation of diverse workers to join the emerging field and help shape the future of the web.
Nominations are now open for 2023, and both men and women from the Web3 community are called on to nominate and submit the names of female colleagues who they feel should be recognized for their exemplary contribution to Web3. Women who work in Web3 can also nominate themselves.
To qualify, each nominee must meet the following criteria:
1. Inclusion – driving ideas that are good for society, sustainable, and socially impactful.
2. Influence – in the community and among peers.
3. Innovation – contributing to interesting and socially impactful projects at work or independently.
The deadline for nominations will be June 1st,2023.
A council of judges will shortlist 20 women from the nominations received, and the top ten Changemakers will be decided by the community via voting. Voting will begin on June 5th, 2023, and will end at midnight on June 19th, 2023. The 10 Changemakers for 2023 will be announced on June 29th, 2023.
Those selected will be included in the Women in Web3 Changemakers list, which will be shared with the press and the global community. NEAR will also feature the winners in a special series of video interviews that will air across NEAR’s social platforms and distribution network to share each award-winner’s story and contributions to Web3. Founders of Web3 companies that have made the list will also have the opportunity to meet with investors and pitch for funding at the event.
Nominations can be submitted online. Please share the news! NEAR is looking for as many nominations as possible.
“One of the things giving me hope for the Web3 sector is some of the trailblazing women leading it – and their vision for where the industry could go in the future,” said Marieke Flament, CEO of the NEAR Foundation. “We were blown away by the sheer number of talented applicants we received last year for our first-ever Changemakers campaign. The ten women selected for the inaugural list hailed from around the world, and their combined skill set sparked admiration and inspiration among the entire global Web3 community. We want to repeat this success this year, and are looking for the next ten exceptional women who are breaking down barriers to Web3 and shaping the future of our sector with their talent and hard work.”
Championing diversity in Web3 is vital. Currently, women make up less than five per cent of crypto entrepreneurs and founders and less than ten per cent of crypto fund partners. Women also hold significantly fewer crypto jobs than men, as early 2022 figures show the share of women working in crypto and blockchain was 26.5 per cent, which fell from 30 per cent a year ago.
Despite these figures, NEAR urges the women of Web3 and other members of the ecosystem to step forward and celebrate the remarkable women pioneering the future of Web3 and transforming our sector in a purposeful way.
Nominate your changemaker here.
The NEAR Foundation is a Swiss non-profit that supports the governance and ecosystem development of the NEAR protocol, a high-performance carbon-neutral blockchain that is designed to be super-fast, incredibly secure, and infinitely scalable. NEAR is built by an award-winning team of engineers and entrepreneurs to be simple to use, inclusive and good for the environment. The foundation aims to help raise awareness, support and grow this ecosystem and allocate grants on behalf of the ecosystem.
