What if we could make space travel free (well, free-ish)? What if something like NFTs could create a store of value that subsidizes future missions to space? What if NFT-enabled communities, not the government, could decide what goes up, who goes up, and why we go up to space?

On this episode of Web 2.5, host Dana Hork sits down Tejpaul Bhatia, the Chief Revenue Officer of Axiom Space, a privately owned space infrastructure company that is building and operating the world's first privately owned commercial space station. Tej and his team are tasked with figuring out how to commercialize space, creating new business models that pioneer what it means to have an off-earth economy. Including how we can leverage web3 to get there.

And they are well on their way. Axiom's first mission to space in April of this year, Ax-1, marked the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. And during the mission, Axiom minted the very first NFT from the International Space Station.

Tej will talk with us today about how the business of space meets the blockchain and the future he sees leveraging web3 to help commercialize space.

Show Notes:

0:00 Show Intro

1:04 Tejpaul Bhatia’s Intro & Career Background

3:00 What is Axiom Space

3:48 What does generating revenue from space mean?

5:33 Examples of business models in space

5:58 Justifying the costs of space & how NFTs can help

8:40 About Axiom Space’s first NFT collection with the Ax-1 Mission & minting the first NFT from the International Space Station

11:44 Learnings & what Axiom proved from the first collection

15:05 Why does community need to be built in web3?

19:42 How Tejpaul resourced the project with expertise and advisory support

22:48 Details about the next mint

24:44 Advice for other project founders

28:30 Resources to learn more

-- 

Axiom Space, Website: www.axiomspace.com

Tejpaul Bhatia, Twitter: @tejpaul

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

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Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if there was a much simpler, cheaper, and more effective way for brands to reward and engage loyal customers?

In a world where the cost of acquiring a customer is rising, many brands are focused on retaining and enhancing relationships with their existing customer base.

But building a loyalty program is challenging. It's expensive to build from scratch, and inherited legacy systems can be clunky. Yes, you can send more marketing emails and SMS messages, but competing for attention is hard. In-person events and personalized customer outreach are great, but they are also expensive and challenging to scale.

But what if in the background, the liquidity and interoperability offered by NFTs meant that brands could create loyalty programs that are both better for consumers and better for brands.

On this episode, host Dana Hork sits down with Matt Smolin, CEO of Hang, to discuss how Hang is addressing these challenges by leveraging NFTs to help brands drive customer retention and lifetime value with simple-to-use, no-code tools.

Matt talks about his own career, how he pivoted his ticket-gated business into a token-gated one, why he's focused on selling into brands, how Hang works, his thoughts on how NFTs will transform loyalty programs, and more.

DISCLOSURE: This podcast episode was NOT sponsored by Hang, and no payment or consideration was provided. However, for full disclosure, I did want to share that between the recording and release of this episode, Hang did sponsor one edition of our weekly Web 2.5 newsletter. For more information, web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

What if our personal and professional networks could be reimagined and improved?  We're talking about networks like school alumni groups, technology accelerators, parent support groups, and more. What if we could take everything we loved about them -- how they were sources of support, comfort, knowledge, growth, and more -- and then fix some of their limitations, like making them permissionless to join and liquid to trade or even lend out.

Alex Cavoulacos, CEO of Meta Angels, talks with host Dana Hork about the NFT-enabled membership community she co-founded and how the team is building a global, digital community unlocking real-world value.

We cover Alex's career before web3, her first crypto experience, Meta Angels' quest to explore tokenized networks, the benefits of building in web3, infusing technology with values, brand partnerships, revenue opportunities, technology platforms for community building, the Angel Labs accelerator, and how newbies can get involved in web3.

DISCLOSURE: At the time of recording, host Dana Hork held 1 Meta Angels NFT. For more information, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Have you wondered why a global sports franchise would enter the world of web3? Have you ever wondered how the blockchain can be used to tackle something as important as climate change? Have you ever imagined that you could get the answer to both questions on the same podcast? 

Wonder no more. Leanne Bats, Head of Web3 Strategy for New Zealand Rugby and Founder of Tres Cool, talks with us about New Zealand Rugby’s entry into web3 and their purchase of 33 World of Women Galaxy NFTs, how she’s using the blockchain to create a perpetual funding mechanism for carbon removal, and her advice on how to educate yourself about web3.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.

Welcome to Web 2.5, a show about innovation at the intersection of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0. Join Dana Hork, a former web2 turned web3 business leader, as she interviews the Web 2.5 movers and shakers who are combining the best of both worlds to ignite new thinking and drive greater impact. Launching soon, with new episodes dropping weekly.

Show Website:
https://www.web2point5.io

Subscribe to Show Newsletter:
https://newsletter.web2point5.io/subscribe

Show Credits:
Dana Hork (Founder, Host, Producer)
Ron Passaro (Co-Producer/Editor)
Seton Rossini (Brand Design/Cover Art)

DISCLAIMER: This show is strictly educational. None of this is financial, tax, or investment advice — and not a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please always do your own research. For important disclosures, see web2point5.io/disclosures.