Meeting Minutes 05/07/2025

Attendees:

Name	Attendance	Role	Voting Seat (Y/N)
Simon F.	Yes	Interim Chair	Y
Terence ‘Tex’ McCutcheon	Yes	Interim Secretary	N
Jack Briggs	No	Secretary	N
Laura M.	Yes	Member - Cardano Foundation	Y
Nathan A.	Yes	Member - EMURGO	Y
Wes P.	Yes	Member - Rare Network	Y
Martin M.	Yes	Member	Y
Vaibhav (Gintama)	Yes	Member	Y
Mubarak O.	No	Member	Y
Tim H.	Yes	Member	Y
Rand M.	No	SME - Rare Network	N
Natalia	Yes	SME	N
John G.	Yes	SME	N
Juan S.	Yes	SME	N
Jose I.	No	SME - ADA Solar	N
JB	Yes	SME - Scrib3	N

Other Guests:

• N/A

Intros/COI

Simon: Simon 'Seomon' Fleck: Interim GMC Chair, Cardano After Dark co-founder, ODIN member Laura: Laura Mattiucci, Director Marketing and Comms at CF Nate: Nate Acton, VP of Global Marketing at EMURGO Wes: TBD Martin: TBD Vaibhav: Voting member of bootstrap growth and marketing committee. Voluntary Part of Various Working groups in intersect. Mubarak: AKA Kit Willow: Voting member of the Growth and Marketing Committee. Community member Tim: Tim Harrison, EVP Community & Ecosystem, Input | Output Rand: TBD Natalia: ADALINK, Interim GMC Non-Voting Member, CEO of AdaLink John: TBD Juan: TBD Jose: TBD Jack: TBD Tex: Open Source Program Manager (Intersect), OSC Secretary, Committee Liaison

Agenda 5.07.25

• Previous Meeting X-Space 05/02/25

• Presentation from Juan S. local events (FIU)

• Budget Discussion

Decisions/Actions

• Investigation into Election Email Source: A decision was made to investigate how candidates obtained email addresses for direct communication regarding elections, following reports of individuals receiving such emails.

• Coordination on FIU Collaboration: It was decided that Juan Sierra would connect with individuals at IOG and the Cardano Foundation to coordinate efforts related to the FIU collaboration and introduce university stakeholders.

• Exploration of Miami On-Chain Builder Fest: The committee decided to explore the concept of a "Miami On-Chain Builder Fest" and initiate contact with the Cardano Foundation regarding this idea.

• Investigation into Branded Marketing Assets: Following the failure of the proposal that included branded materials, a decision was made to investigate the possibility and cost of creating basic branded assets.

• Committee Transition Process: Decisions were made regarding the transition to the new committee, including keeping existing members on meeting invites for a handover period and updating the onboarding slides to reflect passed proposals and manage expectations.

• Clarification on Cardano Logo Usage: A decision was made to seek clarification on the guidelines and stipulations for using the Cardano logo in Intersect materials.

• Offline Review of Onboarding Document: The committee decided to take the onboarding document offline for individual review and comments before further discussion.

Topic	Discussion	Action Items
Roll Call & Welcome	Attendees joined the meeting. Informal greetings and personal updates were shared, including Gnobudy John's upcoming holiday in Scotland.	None
Committee Membership Status	Discussion around current and future committee membership, noting some members are staying (Gnobudy John - non-voting), some are not running for election (Gnobudy John), and others may be reconsidering their involvement (Martin Marinov). Laura Mattiucci is standing for election again.	None
Non-Voting Member Participation	Clarification on the role and recognition of non-voting members or SMEs in future meetings, depending on the new chair's discretion.	None
Election Communications & Data Privacy	Reports of candidates sending direct emails to individuals requesting votes. Concern raised about how candidates obtained email addresses. Tim Harrison's email was published in the voting app profile. Laura Mattiucci also reported receiving such emails.	Terence McCutcheon to investigate the source of candidate access to email addresses, requesting screenshots from those who received emails.
FIU Collaboration & Activities	Juan Sierra presented on recent activities with Florida International University (FIU), including workshops, securing five pillars of collaboration (nuclear energy traceability, formal methods curriculum, career readiness, on-campus nodes, long-term partnership/MOU including potential lab naming), and planning for future workshops.	Juan Sierra to connect with Tim Harrison IO and LZ at Cardano Foundation to coordinate efforts and introductions with FIU stakeholders.
Miami On-Chain Builder Fest	Discussion around the idea of hosting a "Miami On-Chain Builder Fest" in April 2026, similar to previous "Bidler Fest" events, to engage builders and address the lack of blockchain projects in university showcases.	Juan Sierra to reach out to Ellis at the Cardano Foundation regarding the Builder Fest concept and potential collaboration.
Branded Info Pack/Marketing Materials	Need for branded promotional materials for workshops and events was highlighted. The proposal for a global brand strategy and creative campaigns, which would have included this, did not pass. Canva was used for the FIU event materials, along with Cardano Days and Intersect materials.	Laura Mattiucci to discuss the possibility of creating basic branded assets with her team, given the previous proposal did not pass. Gnobudy John to investigate the cost and feasibility of producing branded assets.
Catalyst Funding Outcomes & Marketing Perception	Disappointment expressed regarding the low number of marketing proposals approved in the recent Catalyst funding round. The perception is that DRep voters may lack understanding of the necessity of marketing for a multi-billion dollar blockchain. Comparison made to other projects' marketing spend (e.g., Vechain/UFC deal).	Wes Parkinson to research and present data comparing Cardano's marketing spend to other blockchains to educate DReps on the importance and typical investment in marketing.
DRep Education on Marketing	Acknowledgment that there was insufficient education for DReps on the importance and nature of marketing proposals, leading them to vote for what they were familiar with (events). The need for more clear communication on "what about Cardano" is being marketed was identified.	Explore improved strategies for educating DReps on marketing concepts and the strategic value of marketing initiatives.
Future Marketing Strategy & Collaboration	Discussion on the need for a clearer marketing strategy focused on "go to market" and showcasing products/differentiation rather than just top-of-funnel activities. Suggestion to collaborate closely with the product committee and key ecosystem builders/KOLs. The idea of branding Cardano as a "place" to encompass various activities was proposed.	Tim Harrison IO (if elected to the new committee) to prioritize collaboration with the product committee and key ecosystem participants to develop a strategic marketing plan.
Research Working Group Funding	Observation that the research working group under the product committee received significant funding ($27 million), questioning why marketing is not more directly affiliated or prioritized within their plans.	Explore opportunities for collaboration or alignment with the research working group to ensure marketing considerations are included in ecosystem planning.
Committee Transition Process	Discussion regarding the transition to the new committee after elections. The current plan is for results on Monday, followed by inviting new members. A crossover period for handover was suggested based on past experiences. Concerns raised about the sufficiency of current handover documentation.	Terence McCutcheon to keep existing members on invite for a few weeks for handover. Laura Mattiucci to update onboarding slides with information on passed proposals and reset expectations regarding the full program budget.
Cardano Logo Usage in Intersect Materials	Question raised about the appropriate use of the Cardano logo in Intersect materials, noting a past distinction between the two. Martin Marinov added the Cardano logo to slides as the work is "about Cardano."	Laura Mattiucci to confirm the guidelines and stipulations for using the Cardano logo in Intersect materials with the relevant team.
Onboarding Document Review	Brief mention of reviewing the onboarding document for new committee members.	Take the onboarding document offline for individual review and comments, to be discussed further.
Positive Reflections on Committee Work	Recognition of the great job done by the current committee members despite the challenges and uncertainties. A moment to celebrate the work accomplished during this period.	None (Concluding positive reflection)