MEET THE CANDIDATE: Gene Is Running For BAYC Community Council Made By Apes Liaison

After 10 years in the corporate world, helping companies with their business strategy, Bored Ape Yacht Club member Gene turned his attention to the swamp and has been investing in and advising Web3 builders in the community, from ApeWater to Bored Brewing. Now, Gene’s running to be the BAYC Council’s first Made by Apes Liaison so he can help shape this new program in a community-focused way!

This year’s BAYC Community Council elections are underway, and Apes are taking to the polls to elect a Council Co-Lead, who will act as the committee's co-leader, a Made By Apes Liaison, who will be responsible for finding ways to support and connect Made By Apes businesses, and a Clubhouse and Events Liaison, who will be responsible for setting up events between local BAYC communities and Yuga Labs!

One of the five Apes running for the Made By Apes Liaison role is Gene who wants to help MBA brands build on their IP and establish a strong connection between MBA businesses and the BAYC!

To find out more about Gene’s candidacy, his BAYC story, and why he’s the right Ape for this job, the Bored Ape Gazette reached out to him for an interview. Check it out below:

1. What's your Bored Ape story? What should the community know about you?

“My web2 background is rooted in business, having received my MBA from MIT, then working in corporate strategy for the world’s largest CPG brands (FIJI Water, Justin Wines, POM Wonderful, etc.) for 10+ years. On the web3 side, I got into NFTs with NBATopShot like most people. After plugging into Twitter, I started seeing all the buzz about these apes “minting out”. Then I saw all the Twitter PFPs starting to change and decided to ape in on May 1st, 2021 by buying 3 apes for $1500. I then got focused on IP building with early projects like Jenkins the Valet and the stuff CryptoPainter was doing. That started my heavy focus on IP, and in 2022 I started to help other Ape brands build out their businesses with ApeWater and Bored Brewing. More on that later.”

2. What’s been your favorite moment of being a BAYC member?

“So many to choose from, but one of my favorite moments was watching Snoop and Eminem drop “From the D to the LBC” at the VMAs, which was such a major cultural event for the club because it presented BAYC IP in such a beautiful way to the general public.”

 

3. What would you like to accomplish as the BAYC Council Co-Lead? 

“In general I want to establish a strong connection between all MBA brands and BAYC to make sure the program is being built in the vision of the community. Working at the Wonderful Company which owned several brands I learned that different brands need different things. So the help you provide naturally varies widely from business to business. So really I just hope to help as many businesses with as many different things as they need, and perhaps advocate for the expansion of the MBA program because it requires more than just a dedicated council member. That would be really cool to see.”

4. What makes you the right Ape for this role?

“I’ve been doing this already for the last 2 years before the MBA program was a thing. I’m investing/advising on 3 brands that eventually became MBA launch partners. Recognizing the need to push the MBA program further, I helped originally conceptualize the need for this specific role, a member of the council solely focused on strictly the MBA program because it deserved that gravity and attention. Lastly, I’ve already spoken with dozens of MBAs around the world (apes are global) to learn about their needs and struggles. From an energy drink brand from South Africa or a coffee brand from South America to a chocolate company in Europe to a beer company in China, I’ve given my time to this special community, and will continue to do so no matter the result of this election. That’s what makes me the right fit for this role.”

5. Do you have anything else you’d like to add or say? 

“I’m not the most followed ape on the ballot, so I don’t expect to win the popularity contest. However, a vote for me says that you recognize the value I’ve brought specifically to the sub-community of ape buildoors doing dope shit with their IP. And that’s what apes should be looking for in their MBA Liaison council member.”

The window to vote in the BAYC Council election is currently open and Apes can cast their votes without a wallet connection via Tokenproof between now and March 15th at 11:59 P.M. PT here: https://bayccouncil.tokenproof.xyz

The Bored Ape Gazette has reached out to all the Apes running for BAYC Council and is working to bring you interviews with everyone. Stay tuned for updates!