Meta Gamma Delta $1M Fund for Women in Web3

Governance DAO Proposals
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Meta Gamma Delta DAO $1M Fund for Women in Web3

mgd_logo-2-e1590980835473

Taking a comprehensive approach to women-led initiatives: inspiring women to enter the world of Web3 - and making space for what they bring! A public good.

Background

Meta Gamma Delta DAO was summoned at ETHDenver in 2019. From the outset it was envisioned as a DAO with low barriers to entry, supporting those who new to onboarding. We are now 80 members strong: web3 entrepreneurs, developers, experts, and educators, women and men. In 2020 and 2021 the DAO raised money and gave grants to women-led initiatives. We also conduct regular public meetings with speakers.

MGD is well-regarded in the DAO space. We are not only an early adopter but the longest running DAO focusing on supporting women. MGD is a Moloch DAO.

Now we see that it is time to grow the scope of our initiatives. In short: if we want to fund more women-led initiatives, we’re going to need to actively invite more women in.

We are uniquely qualified to create this program, because of our reputation and the early formation of our DAO, our existing grants program, and our extensive relationships in the ecosytem.

Proposal overview

We propose to create an end-to-end solution that attracts more women into the space, creates opportunities for them to succeed and opens the way for the blossoming of the ecosystem. We see this as an essential public good. After all, the best solutions to the widest problem set will come from diverse people and perspectives. It’s not only how you coordinate, but who’s in the room when you do.

It’s an ambitious vision, but we see the need to recruit women from adjacent industries (finance, web2, etc), offer educational opportunity for different tracks of web3 and DAO work, pay them for 3-6 months so they can take time to participate in the program. At the conclusion of each cohort, we link them with jobs and/or startup development. In this way we build the pipeline to the benefit of the entire ecosystem, and create opportunity for women - our passion.

  • Find potential new talent, and knock down their barriers to entry
  • Provide robust educational opportunities through scholarships with major educational partners. (In 2021, Consensys provided scholarships for 10 Meta Gamma Delta members to Consensys Developer Bootcamp, an inspiring model.)
  • Create or partner on a basic income program that supports women while they are gaining skills and onboarding (3-6 months for women who are accepted into the program).
  • Provide mentorship and other resources from Meta Gamma Delta and partners.
  • Through these partnerships and our network, help with job placement upon completion of the program.
  • Continue to support women-led initiatives and startups, creating a wider footprint by actively sourcing more projects through hackathons and by other means.

The Plan

To create a program of this magnitude, MGD has instantiated a core team of active Meta Gamma members. We will make a formal announcement of this team soon, but it includes women with extensive web3 experience as entrepreneurs, developers, researchers, business developers, marketing and project management. The core team of 6-12 women will create the program and direct the activities and workstreams. These will be paid positions at $75/hour to start with.

In Q1 of 2022, this team will create a detailed plan for the program :

  • program development document - the whole picture
  • phases & milestones within each phase
  • budget for funds estimated for each phase, up to $1M
  • methods for tracking progress and use of funds
  • success metrics and questionnaires for an ongoing assessment of the program.

In addition, we will design a pilot program with 3-5 women, and publish the findings of the pilot.

Other key activities in Q1 2022 will include:

  • Development of key partnerships to support the women in the program in education, recruitment, job placement, startup support, UBI, etc.
  • Start a recruiting program, with methods for identifying good candidates from traditional companies, educational institutions, or related fields, and attracting them to apply.

Phases

We are in a very early stage and welcome grants that will help us build out this vision and its programming.

Development - Q1 2022
Pilot Program (Cohort 1) - Q2-Q3 2022
Evaluation & Building Next Phase - Q4 2022
Cohort 2 - Q1 & Q2 2023
Cohort 3 - Q3 & Q4 2024
Documentation: Reporting on Project Results, Plan for 2023, Sustainability Plans - Q4 2022

As these plans become more detailed, we will share them with funders and the public. We will make all of our work products public and accessible so others may track our progress and copy our models as desired.

Funds Requested

$250,000

Because this initiative is hot off the presses, the MGD Fund core team needs a chance to flesh out the plan, the primary activity of Q1 2022. We do know that this significant donation will allow us to build out the infrastructure needed, hire leads and workers for our workstreams, conduct recruiting (an element that is unique and will have a huge impact for the ecosystem), and run the pilot program and 1-2 cohorts.

We would be honored to have this support from Harmony One, and to provide information about our program, as well as exposure to the Harmony protocol to our participants. We also envision creating a pipeline of qualified workers, startups, and DAO contributors to all of our partners.

Milestones & Metrics

This is a unique program so we will need to develop relevant metrics, and look at costs to understand how much it will cost to onboard one person, as well as efficiencies that can be obtained through optimal-size cohorts. Our intent is to provide this program at no cost to the participants, and to provide benefit to all grantors and partners.

First deliverable: Detailed plan document by March 30, 2022

After this we are happy to provide ongoing reporting based on phases & milestones fleshed out in that phase. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with Harmony One, to our mutual benefit.

Thank you for your consideration!

External links

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I’ve received a suggestion to add more explicit community connection to this project, which is a great idea. To that end, we will add a community call with the core MGD fund team on a quarterly basis, with the first one to be in early April 2022. These can be AMA style and can also include open discussions with key funders and partners on relevant topics (UBI, as one example). A social media campaign and marketing workstream will be a regular part of the program, as well.

Our core team for the $1M fund consists of these MGD members:

One of our first quarter tasks will be to assess our competencies and team needs, and create up to 5 additional team positions. We also will need a variety of committees, workstreams, and partnerships, so there will be room for those who would like to contribute!

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I wholeheartedly support this initiative and team. A program that highlights and empowers females to enter the web3 ecosystem and feel supported will be a game-changer. Looking forward to supporting my fellow MGD members on this big initiative. :heart:

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Thank you for the proposal. Our foundation would like to commit $250k USD in ONE tokens, and can fund half now ($125k) to a 5-out-of-9 multisig (https://multisig.harmony.one/) once the governors have set it up.

We would like to learn more about the planned milestones, deliverables, metrics of success so that we are aligned on a common framework, while working towards more details as the initiative grows.

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This is wonderful news, and we are so pleased to work with you to create a real impact for women, and for the entire ecosystem! We do have some ideas on how the program might develop over the next two years. The working group will evaluate this and begin to implement the necessary pieces starting in January. They will shape all of this, and by the end of Q1 2022 we expect to have a robust plan and be ready to run our pilot program with the first cohort. Below are some additional details on the logistics of the project, from our current vantage point.

GOALS & MEASURES

RECRUITING: Actively recruit women from adjacent industries, and demonstrate the opportunities available in web3, why they should consider this path, and how they can accomplish it. Creating jobs and startups by women is really about seeing more women in leadership roles in companies, DAOs, startups.

This can be measured by:

  • the number of women who enter the program
  • the number of women who complete the program
  • the jobs and/or startups they move into after completion of the program - quantitative and qualitative
  • analysis of the type and level of their work - which can help us figure out where to expand & adapt the program
  • results of surveys for continous improvement of the program

EDUCATION: Partner with educational programs in a variety of disciplines, starting with developers, and including other paths such as web3 marketing, business development, project management, UI/UX, etc. We will assess the demand for different skills sets and match program entrants to paths that interest them.

This can be measured by:

  • number and type of educational opportunities we can offer, and enrollment numbers
  • completion rates
  • qualitative understanding of the role of mentorship in successful outcomes
  • job placement or startup paths upon completion of the program
  • feedback from the educational partners in the form of surveys and interviews
  • periodic surveys of the program participants after 6-12 months to explore outcomes

INCOME: Employ innovative compensation models that allow the program participants to be paid while they onboard to web3, with no strings attached.

This can be measured by:

  • financial analysis of outcomes vs average cost per participant
  • impact over time in terms of economic value to the participant
  • qualitative studies of the participants via surveys & interviews

JOB PLACEMENT & STARTUP SUPPORT: Partner with employers, DAOs with paid workstreams, and orgs that fund startups to provide access to valuable opportunities (both in terms of the interest value of the work and financial incentives). To build this piece, we will need to provide a framework about this new world of work, and how best to tap in to the resources that are available.

This can be measured by:

  • quantity and type of opportunities
  • success in completion and moving into the ecosystem
  • financial measures in terms of value to the participants over time
  • qualitative and quantitative measures of value to the ecosystem via a study of those who funded or employed the participants

MENTORSHIP & SUPPORT: This is a key part of the program that we think will optimize for success. The design of this element will not necessarily be measurable except in interviews and surveys listed in the sections above. But it will support every element of the program.

PARTNERSHIPS: we envision partnering with many different aligned parties to create a program that will be of benefit to all. We particularly see partnering with other DAOs to provide inputs to the program, as well as to have access to the pipeline generated. The incentives are educational and financial in order to provide a way in. But the results will be an influx of wonderful people who will have so much to contribute! We look forward to seeing what they will create.

ROADMAP

The Roadmap for the $1m fund has yet to be developed in detail, and is subject to change. We expect to spend about $250,000 in the first year, and to expend the rest of the funds in the second year by adding more participants and cohorts to the program.

Our request for $250,000 will take us through the critical first year.

YEAR1 Q1:

  • Design the pilot program for 3-5 women (cohort 1); document the plan
  • Set up at least 1 significant educational partnership, starting with developer education
  • Design and implement a recruiting plan, and recruit 3-5 women to attend the pilot program in Q2
  • Design and implement a compensation plan for the first cohort as well as long-range strategies for how this can be supported
  • Create a slate of mentors with an action plan for how they will work with the first cohort, and a set of best practices (a working document)
  • Based on this work, establish a detailed roadmap and milestones for the project
  • Create an overall budget for the life of the fund, with quarterly and annual projections
  • Establish a budget tracking and reporting system
  • Establish procedures for the core team to provide transparency to MGD DAO, and to engage DAO members in the project. The core team will be limited, but there will be many opportunities to contribute.
  • Set up at least 3 workstreams and appoint a leader/advisor for each workstream, recruiting people who can help execute the vision. Recruiting, marketing & social media, partnership development are likely workstreams to be set up by end of Q1.
  • Set up a treasury management plan for the fund.
  • Hold a recruiting event at ETHDenver for at least 40 women.

Costs will include: marketing social media, business & partnership development, holding a recruiting event at ETHDenver, attendance at or sponsorship of other hackathons & significant events, consultants in key areas, and hours for the core team and workstream participants. Estimated cost $50,000

YEAR1 Q2 & Q3:

  • Run a 3-month pilot program with 3-5 participants who have been recruited, and who do not have significant web3 experience already.
  • Create KPIs for the pilot program and report on these during and after the pilot program
  • Map out partnerships and bring in at least 5 new partners to provide services and benefits to the cohorts.
  • Scale up recruitment program to bring in x women in the next cohort. Present at hackathons and conferences.
  • Create NFT “diploma” and/or session POAPs
  • Create a graduates group who will participate in mentoring and workstreams going forwrd
  • Begin a sustainability plan for the program.

Costs will include all of the above, but with more workstreams and added labor, as well as income provided to the pilot program participants. For 5 women x $5000 per month x 3 months, cost is $75,000. Estimated total cost $125,000

YEAR1 Q4:

  • Revise the program as needed based on outcomes
  • Publish a public report on the program and results.
  • Social media campaign to amplify the report and recruit participants and partners for 2022.
  • Continued recruiting through hackathons & conferences, expand into other areas that target traditional industries such as employment events, and consider additional strategies such as advertising or sponsored meetups.
  • Continue to curate and build the community of graduates, mentors, and other stakeholders.

Costs will primarly be focused on revamping the program as needed, social media, and the largest cost is likely to be recruitment for 2023. Estimated total cost $75,000

YEAR 1 TOTAL COST: $250,000

**YEAR 2: **
Operations should stablize and have a well-established cost per year. Most of the funds should be directed to the participants in the form of income and/or benefits such as educational scholarships.

  • Run (2) 6-month cohorts or (3) 3-month cohorts (to be decided by outcome of study).
  • Based on the costs of the prior cohorts, and the desired income level for participants, create the program based on average cost per candidate.
  • Provide a detailed budget & plan for 2023.
  • Implement a sustainability plan and raise funds for year 3. Sustainability could have multiple elements such as treasury management.
  • Provide documentation of all program elements and results as a public good, so anyone can iterate on this program.

YEAR 2 PROJECTED COST: $750,000
Providing $5,000 to 50 women for 3 months is $750,000 alone, with no program costs included. So we’ll need to look at cost per person, effectiveness of the program, and other factors to determine the budget for year 2.

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What you focus on you create more of!
We can not bring more women into Web3 space without focusing on it. This is an incredible opportunity to support this initiative - the dedication, commitment and support of this group is what made me fall in love with Web3 and with this funding that will be a reality for countless other women. Diversity drives development - let’s see where the future of Web3 will go!

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Congrats on this propsal! So lovely to see women succeed :slight_smile: Thanks again to Harmony - walking the walk and setting such a great example for other protocols orange_heart:

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Extremely Happy to see this was approved! I met some of the wonderful gals from MGD when I was in Denver for MCON. I do have ONE question though. Will you be promoting Harmony in all Web 3 Building with this funding for the lucky gals that get grants?

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Amazing! How could I apply for this opprtunity?

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Nice stuff, fully supporting this amazing project!

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Why you focusing on women :frowning: ?

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Hi Juliet! annwillmott@gmail.com - would love to hear from you

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the journey of a thousand years begins with a single step…

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we certainly expect there to be mutually beneficial opportunities to highlight the work we are doing together!

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this is awesome. I am making mindDAO for all marginalized communities including women. Hope your project works out!

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the first half of this grant has been funded: Harmony Blockchain Explorer

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Shouldn’t this have been a launch grant instead of a DAO grant? It’s an initiative that I support though.

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Meta Gamma Delta DAO - I am on the Harmony DAO Ops team and need some info from your DAO as well as get you in the 1DAO Alliance Discord. All funded DAOs are required to be part of the Alliance and participate in weekly meetings. The link to the Discord is 1DAO Alliance. Please have all signatory governors join the Discord and I can assign you a role and add you to your DAO subchannel. This Discord will be where all DAO communications are conducted.

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This is an inactive DAO

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Hi everyone - apologies for not having updated you all sooner. The DAO was in quiet mode for part of this year while we evaluated our sustainability (not just money but also people & engagement.). We recently rebooted with two offerings this fall: a seasons structure and an education program, onboarding cohorts for each of those programs. Check out our Twitter for recent updates:

https://twitter.com/metagammadelta

Harmony invited us to apply for a grant for the education program, which we were of course happy to do, and it was funded for 50% ( $125k at the time). We appreciated the support and vote of confidence, and we promoted the initiative with Harmony.

MGD is running a pilot of the education program now. We have 21 women attending a three-month program that includes scholarships, mentorship, career sessions, and a speaker series with women from a variety of blockchain & DAO career paths. Our vision remains to recruit women from web2 and other industries and provide them quality education that sets them up to succeed in web3.

Unfortunately, we were never able to bridge the ONE tokens to another chain so we could spend them as part of our budget. We tried to move them over the Harmony bridge multiple times, but couldn’t find a workable way to do so. (I’ve documented this, but long story short, to move it to ETH had very high fees on top of the gas fee, and to move it through BSC involved moving it to a private account instead of a DAO multisig, which we didn’t feel was appropriate.) Right after those attempts, the bridge was hacked. The tokens have since dropped to less than 10% of the original value, with a long recovery ahead.

Had we been able to access those funds, we would have been able to move forward with our program as proposed. Instead, we used our original $25k grant from MetaCartel to run the pilot program, which seemed like a good choice for the bear market, in any case. With limited resources and further fundraising on hold, we were able to get this project rolling with a proof of concept that we can build on in the future.

We would be willing to support Harmony’s recovery by returning the funds, which are still in our multisig. Meta Gamma Delta has been supporting women in web3 since February of 2020, through networking, education, onboarding, and grants for women-led initiatives. We appreciate all who do this work, and wish Harmony the best.

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