Episode 248 - From Local Hubs to Global Hackathon: Empowering the Next Generation of Web3 and AI Builders, with Dev3pack

For episode 248 of the Crypto Altruists podcast, we’re excited to welcome Solène Daviaud, founder of Dev3pack, an organization on a mission to support new builders in Web3 and AI through tools, mentorship, and hands-on learning opportunities.

This May, Dev3pack is hosting their Global Hackathon, bringing together builders from around the world to experiment at the intersection of Web3 and AI.

In today’s discussion you’ll learn:

🛠️ How Dev3pack is empowering women and students to become the next generation of Web3 and AI builders through tools, mentorship, and community

🌍 A behind the scenes look at the Dev3pack Global Hackathon: who it's designed for, what participants can expect, and how first-time builders can thrive

🌐 How a network of 50+ local hubs around the world is connecting a global movement while cultivating local talent, especially in underserved regions

👩‍💻 Practical advice for navigating Web3 as a new builder: where to start, how to cut through the noise, and common mistakes to avoid

‍

‍--Key Takeaways--

🤝 Hackathons can be intimidating, especially for those traditionally underrepresented. Intentional design matters. For first-time builders, and especially for women who are traditionally underrepresented in the space, hackathons can feel overwhelming. Dev3pack is building differently, layering in supports, mentorship, and a welcoming community to ensure newcomers don't just participate, but thrive.

🌍 Global reach requires local roots. That's where the hubs come in. While the hackathon is global, real impact happens locally. Dev3pack's 50+ hubs cultivate talent in local communities, especially in regions often overlooked. These hubs create long-term community and support, ensuring representation from around the world and building the distributed infrastructure Web3 was always meant to enable.

🚀 Hackathons are more than competitions. They're a doorway into the ecosystem. Winning is great, but it's not the point. Hackathons are an opportunity to build community, learn, connect with mentors, and get your foot in the door. Solène's biggest advice for new builders: find your community, contribute to it, and learn from it. The relationships and experience will carry you far beyond any single prize.

--Full shownotes with links--
https://www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/crypto-altruists-episode-248-from-local-hubs-to-global-hackathon-empowering-the-next-generation-of-web3-and-ai-builders-with-dev3pack

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--DISCLAIMER--
While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, do not take any of this as investment advice and make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity, before making an investment. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it’s important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More info at cryptoaltruists.com/disclaimer

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Today you'll discover how Dev3Pack is empowering women and students to become the next generation of Web3 and AI builders through tools, mentorship, and community. A behind-the-scenes look at the Dev3 Pack Global Hackathon, who it's designed for, what participants can expect, and how first-time builders can thrive. How a network of 50 plus local hubs around the world is connecting a global movement while cultivating local talent, especially in underserved regions, and practical advice for navigating Web3 as a new builder, where to start, how to cut through the noise, and common mistakes to avoid. Welcome to CryptoAltrists, where we explore the intersections of Web3 and Social Good to the stories of impact-driven builders and offer actual insights to empower your journey into the world of blockchain for good. I'm your host, Drew Simon. Now before we dive in, please remember that this is not financial or legal advice, and always do your own research on any of the projects or investment opportunities that we discuss. Welcome back to the CryptoAltruist Podcast, and thanks so much for joining us today for episode number 248, where we welcome Celène Davio, founder of Dev3Pack, an organization on a mission to support new builders in Web3 and AI through tools, mentorship, and hands-on learning opportunities. This May, Dev3Pack is hosting their global hackathon, bringing together builders from around the world to experiment at the intersection of Web3 and AI. But what makes this hackathon different is its focus on accessibility and localism. It's designed not just for experienced developers, but for newcomers who are just getting started and might find traditional hackathons a bit intimidating. One thing that really stands out about Dev3Pack is how they're connecting local to global. With around 50 hubs in communities around the world, they're cultivating local talent, supporting builders in traditionally underserved regions, and linking them into a broader global movement. It's not just about one hackathon, it's about building infrastructure and community for a more distributed and inclusive builder ecosystem. So today we're going to explore what Dev3Pack is building, what participants can expect from the hackathon, and how the community can get involved, whether it's hackers, mentors, sponsors, or supporters. We'll also dive into some practical advice for new builders, including how to navigate the overwhelming landscape of Web3, some common mistakes to avoid, and what it takes to find your footing in this space. So let's dive in. Selene, it's so amazing to have you here today on the CryptoLtrist Podcast. I'm really excited to dive into what you're building with Dev3 Pack. Really cool stuff happening with the hackathon coming up in May. A lot on the go. So I can't wait to learn about it and to hear what you're working on. So it's a pleasure to have you. Thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Thanks for the invitation. Yeah. Pleasure to talk about it, of course.

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Yeah, absolutely. And so, you know, I'd love to start by learning about your journey to this space. I mean, it's always so interesting hearing, you know, people's stories. And I'm curious if there was like a specific like aha moment or you know, something that really drew you into this work at this intersection of Web3 and AI.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Yeah, yeah, of course. Um, so I started in WebSuite six years ago uh through my student blockchain club called CryptoCenter, which is like the leading European blockchain student club actually. Um and so through that, yeah, I found like a community, people to work with, to learn from. So it was very important for my journey. And at the beginning, I was more like just exploring things until uh one day people told me, Hey, you should come to Hakaton, you know. I was like, Oh, doing my first Haton, I'm not sure I'm ready for that. And in fact, I went there um like uh to the Agathon for the first time, and by surprise, total surprise, I won it. I was like, What how it's possible? But yeah, like I won it, and then I I I said okay, maybe I should do more. Uh so I started to do more, um, and won too, like all the Agathon I've done, I won.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

It was uh a very surprise for me, uh, and it's where I found my place finally, like being among builders, uh building with them, uh finding new solutions, uh building startup too. I went through uh building a startup at a moment uh while I was still student, so it's quite it's quite intense in terms of uh journey, like accumulating student journey with a startup journey. Even my professor was like, oh lola manage that. But it was it was totally fine, I finally uh made it. Um but yeah, like I mean um the whole moment I would say it was my first academic participating to it, um, because it's also open door for me. Um like especially I was internet leader, uh so basically the first internet leader, which is like wow because uh you know that integrate this kind of company is pretty hard, like the level is pretty hard. And so the fact that I I was part of a student blockchain club, which I won a caton, it's like giving me some credibility to directly get uh hired as an intern there. So yeah, it was a really good moment for me. And so right now um I I'm needing um a specific project that I will talk about.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. And it's so cool. I mean, there's nothing more special than a hackathon to me, just the energy of it. And it's so cool that you you know have that credibility. And by the way, if I'm ever doing a hackathon, I'm gonna try to get you on my team. Um, and also uh, you know, like uh just that lived experience of going through that so many times, right? And and to have the opportunity to kind of see what works, see what doesn't, see the hackathons that have been successful and why. And I know that you've really been intentional about designing your hackathon, and we're gonna talk about that in a second, but maybe we can uh start with just like a higher-level intro to Dev3 pack. You know, what's the mission and and what problem are you trying to solve for those for new builders in AI and Web3?

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Yeah, sure. So basically the goal is like to unbody the new generation, especially women, uh, into Web3. So they're coming from Web 2 essentially, as a members, and started into Web3. And so the thing is that navigating into the space is quite complicated. Um and even more when there is a gender gap. So basically with Dev2Pak, we are like fixing some issues like uh regarding representativity uh with more women, but also like onboarding newcomers into the space. And we can we can we can see that actually into the space that last year people didn't notice at all that we have to onboard new people. But this year I think they they got it, they got it because you know, with the emergence of AI, you need more people uh coming from Way too to understand uh all these things uh going on. So yeah, I'm really glad that um I started the community one year ago. But the thing is that I've been involved in a lot of communities before, traveling a lot around the world. Um, especially my first time was thanks to an ACATOM by the way. But yeah, I I was traveling a lot, and so meeting local communities was banger for me just because um like it's where you create real uh relationships with people. Uh and so yeah, like basically with Dev2Pak, we are doing four things. So the first thing is like providing online boot camps, then after uh Agathon, Accelerator, but also Pop-up City. So we hosted like the the last pop-up city in Argentina, uh, right before Dev Connect. Uh it was a real good success. Yeah, we we brought like more than 70 people from the community. It was Kindle their first time abroad. So yeah, I'm really put up uh what we have done during a month there.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. And I love like the focus on bringing new folks into the space too. Because I know one of the like challenges in Web3 is that we can sometimes get like caught in echo chambers of just kind of like the same people at conferences talking about the same things to each other, you know, um same partnerships forming. So I think it's great that you're really focusing, you know, on that of bringing new people in and providing the support to make that happen.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

I have an I have an anecdote, like basically with the Haton happening. Uh someone applied and said, Oh, I learned about your Haton via TikTok.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Yeah, amazing.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

That's funny, like because it's where indeed uh we can onboard the next generation finally.

SPEAKER_00 8:08

Yeah, it's funny you said that because I actually we just started at CryptoAltris our TikTok like a couple weeks ago, and we're starting to engage there. Because you're right, you know, like I think we realize that being in X like focused for so long, you kind of really do get stuck in that echo chamber and that there's so much happening in other spaces uh and so much to learn and so many new people to connect with as well.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

Yeah. And I and I and I would say like um it's it's a real issue that everyone is just relying on X um into our ecosystem because basically when a foundation like for example launch an Agatam, they just promote it on uh on X. And so it's every time the same echo chamber, like one builders go to like one ecosystem to another's uh like like very uh without any attachment, attachment itself, like stone self-belinging. And so the fact that on my side, I I okay, I'm very active on X, but I'm very active also on LinkedIn too.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

Yeah, yeah, that's cool. Yeah, no, absolutely that's awesome. And I I couldn't agree more. And um, well, let's dive right into the hackathon then and kind of learn a bit more about that because that's coming up soon this May. Um, you'll be hosting the Dev3 Pack Global Hackathon. What is it? Uh who's it designed for, and what can participants expect?

SPEAKER_02 9:22

Yeah, oh uh so it's actually the biggest project that I I launched finally, like overall, because um like I onboarded already Solana, Vercel, and 11 Labs as co-host, which is like very cool because uh I would think that it's going to be the largest Web3 NAI student hackathon itself. We already have more than one five hundred applicants. Wow, yeah, why the hackathon is in uh a month, you know, so it's like uh quite exciting. And what's meter two is like the timeline. So the hackathon will be from 8 to 10 May, and during this time it's matching very well with uh Colossium Hackathon 2, so with Solana Hackathon, where there's a lot of prices, a lot of mentorships, etc. So with with the Dev2Pack, what we have done is that um the Hackathon will be online, but we also set up uh a lot of local hubs, hackerspace, let's say, uh all over the world.

SPEAKER_00 10:22

Um really over like yeah, I saw a post you made uh on X uh recently uh that all the hubs that you had.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like around 50, around 50 hubs worldwide. Uh thanks to yes, Solana Foundation, but also Super Team. Like uh I I'm I'm team up with a lot of super team uh to provide a space, etc. So which is nice, and also like I pick up the the best builders' communities that I know uh in two different cities. And as I mentioned, as I'm traveling a lot, the thing is that I'm connected with local communities, and so it's even um easier to do things bigger, you know. Um so I'm glad that we we made that happen. And so what to expect, uh who is designed for is designed for students first. Um so basically, like all people are students, but sometimes I'm also accepting women more even if they are not students itself. But yeah, it's student first. Um and so before the hackathon, we are hosting one thing called vibe coding bootcamp, which is really designed just to make sure uh they will understand how to use AI, but also how to think as a product first. Um because what matters a lot right now into Hackathon is that you should uh more think about the product than the tech first. Um I mean the fact vibecode, you can uh directly know if there is a user interested by what you are doing because before going deeper into what you are building, you know. Um so vibe coding is very useful for that. So I'm glad that we are making a vibe coding bootcamp right before to make sure everyone has Kind of an ID and also can build fast, uh iterate later. And after we have the hackathon, and after the hackathon, we also have one specific program which is called Startup 101 Accelerator. So you can think about it as a bridge between Hackathon and like real uh motorship incubator accelerator program. Because when you it's imagine like it's your first hackathon, you are like, okay, I built something, I want to continue, but I'm not eligible to anything because I'm too like too young, um, not experiment and house, uh, etc. And so basically I want uh to remove this barrier by providing this uh startup on a minute accelerator, which is more designed for young funders, people who are interested in to know what is becoming a funder finally, uh, how I can make it, how yes, all these kinds of things with some basics about fundraising, about legal, about product market fit, etc. But three basic things, um along inspiring tools are from um top like startups, but especially more people coming from emerging markets and not only for from US, because the thing is that you can ask uh someone uh like in emerging markets to go to US, you know. Like it's it's very complicated for visa process, etc. So I really care that those people can uh get the right opportunity uh by staying also where they are, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Yeah, that's amazing. That's that's so cool. Um I love that. And I love that what you said too about like you know, starting with the project versus the tech. And that's something that we often say, like uh crypto alters. So if we're working with like nonprofits or like communities on like impact projects, is like start with the benefit, not the tech, you know, um, having a very clear kind of benefit and value proposition before even talking to any communities about what blockchain or crypto is. And you know, I think one thing that I really appreciate about this too is the focus on really bringing, like I said earlier, newcomers uh into this that haven't been a part of Web3 before, uh, but also the focus on making sure we can bring more women in this space too, because the reality is that you know crypto is still a you know male-dominated space, and there's those perceptions around the crypto bro and those sorts of things out there, which I know can also be a barrier for folks too, right? And so, you know, I know that hackathons on their own can be intimidating for newcomers as well. So I'm curious, like, you know, what uh steps you're doing to really create that environment that you know helps these first-time builders feel comfortable and thrive.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Yes, that's a really good question. So actually, before before everything that's into the community, uh everything was online. Um because you know, you you can ask someone to go to a conference or whatever, because people who really need education don't have money to to go to conference, etc. Um, so the thing is that um I really wanted to create um, for example, if when I'm running boot camp, is really like um by court by small courts to make sure that people can be comfortable enough to ask for any questions, etc. So uh the learning process is one thing, but the other thing is about connecting each other. And it's where I think I'm kinda good at it, is really to make sure like everyone uh can uh interact with people like safely. Um I I mean that actually just the fact that people are from Dev2Pack, they like uh connecting by each others, uh saying, hey hi, I need help on that. So they're they're really collaborating. Um and and most of them, like right now, uh found friends into the community, which is beautiful because uh that means when one day they have to go to a conference, they will never be alone. Um even at Hackathon, I it was so so cool, uh to be honest, to see that at Def Connect for the East Global Buenos Aires Hackathon, what happened is that after a month's collaboration all together, we were all friends. And so at the end with the Hackathon, everyone was teaming, steaming up between each other. And uh wow, we we have we got 19 prices. Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone was young, most of them women. Like really I'm very proud that um just by finding the right community, everyone can find also a way to express themselves uh without any uh imposter syndrome, let's say. Uh yeah, something like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So just I'm creating an environment where people um are can be seen but also can be heard. I'm I'm very someone like if you reach out to me, I will always reply. I'm replying uh every time I'm here to help people. Um but yeah, like I feel that uh having this also mindset to help people on a daily basis help a lot for running a community uh safely.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

Yeah, absolutely. And I can vouch for that. I reached out directly on Telegram, which is probably one of the most scammiest places to reach out, and I still got a response, so that's good. Uh so and uh we're here having this conversation. So uh, but you know, the imposter syndrome, you're right, is very real in this space, right? Especially for folks that are new. I mean, it's something I experience every day, and I've been working here for you know many years in this space, but it's very real. And so I think it's great that you're providing that, you know, not only like that, you know, the accelerator and the support there, you know, after for builders, but also like that community, which is you know, that peer-to-peer support is so important in these sorts of things. And I know that also like you know, mentorship is a part of the puzzle as well. Like, what kind of role does like mentorship or mentors play in this process?

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Yeah, exactly. I I feel that even mentorship is very more important far more important than just learning. And I will always say that to the community. Um please don't come into the ecosystem just for learn. You need people to learn from. And so basically, when we have speakers, when we have people, um we every time include them directly into the chat, and so people can talk with them, of course. But yeah, just the fact that um to be here, um like to support them, uh whatever technically, uh technically just like um by I don't know, helping them or on a project especially or running an event or or whatever, uh we are here to to help. So yeah, it's just human, human, yes, are at the center of the community, actually. Uh and so that's why there is a real sense of belonging. Um belonging, yeah, really.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Yeah, absolutely. And that's amazing, and that's one of the best parts about you know a hackathon, right? And you're right, it's more than the learning and you know winning a competition, it's the connections and you know, seeing what partnerships and stuff come from that later, which is great.

SPEAKER_02 19:14

You you know that's uh into application sometimes with Agathon, like uh with my Agathon, uh I can see like I just want to want to to win prizes, things like this. And the first thing I'm doing is just like reject.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Because it's not the mean set, you know. The mean set first is like learn, connect, uh, and grow after. But not like earning un earn first. It's basically also what I'm saying to the community at first. When they are entering into DevTropack, what happened is that I I told them learning is not enough, but you have to build uh in public, you have to ship stuff uh on GitHub. Uh and don't expect having a job like this or whatever. Even for running a startup, there is a real process. And so that can take two, three years to really make it. And it's it's complicated for them to understand this process. So sometimes I'm quite desired desesperated, but uh I I feel that right now this they understand. Yeah, like no pain, no gain.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Yeah, oh absolutely, yeah, for sure. That's yeah, no, well, well said. And you know, I'm sure folks listening along, there might be some folks that are interested in uh in taking part in this, whether that's as a you know, like a mentor, like a sponsor, a supporter, a partner, or as a participant. We have many folks that are new to the space uh that listen in on the podcast as well. Um so so talk to me about like what are the different ways that they can participate um and how can the community really contribute to this movement?

SPEAKER_02 20:46

Yeah, uh so for the Akasan, basically they can just apply to become hackers, uh, if they are students, then uh for mentors. So the thing is that we will have local mentors, so people will uh go to IRA space. Like imagine someone is in Bangkok. So basically, uh these people will come uh to mentor them on site, and same thing for all local uh local hubs, and also we will have online motors. Um, so this one will be able to just help people uh like struggling uh into into the carton uh sometimes. So they can apply into the website. In fact, on the website at the at the end, there is like different rubrics, how to contribute, different sections. And so there's one like as a community partner, uh, one as a mentor judges, etc. etc. Um so community partnership. Um actually it's everyone who wants to just promote the event while doing a specify a specific referral, like creating a specific referral to for us also to track uh if it's working well, etc. And um we have judges, and so this time we will have. Two types of judge, uh AI agents and also uh local judges. So basically, we have AI and human. So um these two different things, the global judge, which will be like AI who will filter the best submission, and then after human will review um like the best one. So we have a proper leaderboard uh to do that, and then after uh also we have a country leaderboard, so that means that's also helping us to spotlight talents uh by country and provide after the right mentorship program, etc. in partnership with Super Team. Um and so we have like this kind of local judges. So when someone is not speaking English uh but wants to uh submit a project, they can because we have local judges. Uh so they will review it, review it. Um and uh and yeah, it's I mean it's a it's a good thing for them.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Yeah, that's a really cool system for doing it. And I love the like focus on like um countries as well and international and the partnership with Super Team is great. That makes sense because they're all over the world and they have these a lot of these hubs and mentors too, which is great. Um, you know, I'd love to shift the focus now a bit because another reason I really want to speak with you is because you've been in this space for you know quite some time now, and you know, participating in hackathons, both as a participant and now running them, you've seen a lot of different folks kind of come through the space and and build in different ways. And I'm curious, like for those that are just starting their Web3 journey or that are maybe participating in the hackathon, you know, for the first time, what advice would you give to new builders and and where should they begin?

SPEAKER_02 23:38

That's that's a good question because it's everything changed a lot since um especially like January, etc. I mean this year, with vibe coding. So before I I I wanted to say go through bootcamp and then find teammates there to directly uh like uh go to Hackathon, uh not start directly to Hackathon. But right now we can say that you can start directly through Hackathon if you know how to vibe camp stuff. So that's why I'm doing like this part of vibe coding bootcamps like just one week before. Um but otherwise before it was really concentrated on um, I don't know, uh learning solidity in the months, all these things. But right now it's kinda different. This part I would say come after maybe the Hackathon if you really want to have more secure stuff, uh really more complex things, etc. etc. So right now I would say just uh go to Hackathon, um, but why join in a community first? So joining a community it's where your journey will really start. On my side, it was with my student blockchain club. If I was not part of the student blockchain club, I would never go to um an academ just because like maybe I will just be too much alone doing things. Um and but what something sad today is that people are are coming to Akaton uh vibe because stuff and are solo and uh yes, are solo hackers. But I I really think that a good team is at least like two or three people. Um like even in in 2026, because it's where like uh you can really uh learn things um together, uh having a real human relationship. Uh I always say that like uh people bet on people first and not on project first. So if you just doing AI stuff with a project, that's okay, but uh you need to to have uh some uh connection, some um yes, just um a network to really make it into the space. So yeah, um just to be short, I would say you can start with um uh join your community and join an academia.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

Yeah, yeah, and those are great pieces of advice, right? And I often say to like folks that are new to space too, like yeah, yeah, find your people, find your space, you know, find something like no matter what your interest is or like what you want to build towards, there's probably a web 3 community that's like, or AI community or builder community that's focused on something similar, right? So find them, connect, you know, be a part of that, of that community, um, get to learn from them, sit in on spaces, sit in on webinars, things like that. There's so many great you know opportunities. And I think that like one of the things that I hear from folks about kind of getting into the space is that it can be very difficult to just navigate the noise, right? As we know, there's a lot of noise, there's a lot of you know, scams, there's a lot of uh opinions, tools, buzzwords, lingo, chains, you know, L2s, L1s. It can just be very confusing and just a lot of noise for folks. Um so I'm curious like what advice you have for folks on how to cut through that noise and really find their footing in the space.

SPEAKER_02 26:53

I would say that it's a more um touch equation. Um yeah, because for example, that's that depends totally of a community. Um like usually people trust communities, so they come trust them, but finally the community is not focused on the right thing, like on the right ecosystem, etc. So that can be an issue because people lost their time finally building things into the wrong chain or whatever. Um so I would say that is very depending on the leadership uh of the community on my side. I I have a lot of uh proposal from foundation, etc. ecosystem, and most of the time I'm saying no. Uh because I care about sustainability, I care about people learning things, but like with uh on the long-term perspective, not just the farming stuff, you know. Um so having community has a really huge um uh uh how to say that a really huge um thing to play, a role to play into uh the learning process of people and not being into the wrong ecosystem, run chain, etc. Um so yeah, I don't know what to say more. Um it's just that join join a community um that you can trust the leadership because this leadership will be very important uh to not think about money first and think about uh value first, what you can provide. Um so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Yeah, absolutely. Great great advice for sure. And I think that like you know, I think one of the mistakes or uh missteps that I see you know folks make that are new to the space is just yeah, like you know, underestimating the importance of these partnerships and community and web 3. And I'm curious, like, what are some of the most common mistakes that you see new builders make in in hackathons or or after hackathons as they're you know working on startups? Like, what do you see as some of the biggest mistakes or missteps that new builders often take?

SPEAKER_02 29:08

It's not mistakes itself, it's just that um there is twistings um that can be a buyer. It's like as they are located, but I mean not most of my community is located into emergent markets, there is no, for example, capital that is deployed there. So first of all, uh financial buyer. Um the other thing is like more about um network. Like there are good talents, uh local ones, but when it's come to be more seen uh into the international same, um there's an issue. Um and so that's why I I help them building their network as well to make sure like if they are building whatever, um it's something that can that can take like going viral if they have a network. Because actually people are are also building things um sometimes just because they think the market needs it. But the real question is that are you the right people to build building the right things? Because if you are the right people building the right thing, you already have the all the network around that you can uh leverage to make your project uh really good, like I mean with some users, etc. Well, I like if it's the contrary, um you are building a great thing, a great project, but if there is no user, it's because also you don't have any network. So if someone else uh who building that with the network, it can go viral, you know. But it's just depending on you. And I always take this example like don't uh create uh a running application if you are not running. Because if you are if you are not your first users, it's going to be complicated to just uh unboard people, you know. So there's a question about that about identity too. Yeah, so I would say there's three things uh like financial, uh network, identity, and maybe I can add one more is about the language. Um so basically, in uh in Latam, people make not really effort to speak in English because they don't have enough um like confidence uh about it, but English is very crucial if you want to make it into the space. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Yeah, no, those are great, great advice all around. So thank you so much for sharing that. That's awesome. And you know, I'd love to uh as we near the end of this conversation, kind of shift uh, you know, one more time and zoom out a bit to look at the space more broadly. And you know, like I said, one thing I love about this is the focus on newcomers and especially you know working to bring you know women into the space that have traditionally been underrepresented. And I think the data you know still reflects that, right? And um, so what do you think the community needs to do to make the space more accessible and equitable for women builders?

SPEAKER_02 32:08

Um so there is one thing I really care about is about common representativity into um schools, like into tech tech um space in school. Because actually that's why we also don't have enough women into the space, is that people are like at school, uh women are not inspired by other women um to take the path of going into tech itself. Uh and so I really think that on my side I'm trying to to pass that like having more uh motor, more uh women representativity into school to inspire the new generation, um like women to say, okay, maybe if if she she did it, she made it, maybe I can make it too, you know. Um and so I'm really working on this vision, and so sometimes people don't understand why I'm really focused on students too. Uh, but it's also the why. Yeah, I I really want uh to make sure like women are represented into um tech tech um tech degrees, uh yes, um into school. Yeah, I I really feel that the the crucial part is either because when when you will have this wave of women into the the into tech in school, then with time you can start having something interesting, um like as uh historically, uh it's where you can try to to create a real movement, you know. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:48

Yeah, absolutely. Well said, that's amazing. Um, so you know, of course, I'll include all the links in the show notes so folks can you know learn more, check out uh Dev3 pack, learn more about the hackathon. Um, but what is the best place that somebody should go if they want to just kind of uh connect or or or learn more about the program?

SPEAKER_02 34:07

Uh actually dev2back uh.xyz. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 34:13

Awesome. And do you have a call to action for listeners?

SPEAKER_02 34:17

Uh you mean a call to action? Yeah, you can join join uh our hackathon uh to take part. Uh I think it's a real global movement. So uh super team, uh they told me how it's possible you made that. So I'm really glad that in just a couple of days uh we managed to to onboard top players into the space and also like most of the students, like university. Uh let me check how many universities we have um represented into the carton actually. Uh wait uh duck duck duck. 720.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Wow, yes. That's amazing, that's incredible. Um, very cool. That's great. So I mean it sounds like folks will have no trouble finding a community that they can, you know, participate in the hackathon with or ways to get involved. And so I'll make sure to include all the links in the show notes so folks can easily navigate that. And you know, I was hoping we could end this conversation on kind of a you know a piece of advice or kind of uh your reflections on what you're excited for, looking forward to the hackathon, because you know, um, Web3 and AI on their own are both very powerful. And I've been spending time over the last couple of years highlighting these technologies from an impact lens, um, and they can really tackle or transform how we tackle real-world problems. And so I'm curious if you have any specific use cases or things that you're excited to see builders experiment with uh during the hackathon in May.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

So it's totally uh about what I said, like being the right people building the right thing. Like I uh for example, I can't define what is uh being built into in Uganda, let's say, because I'm not from here. But they have specific issues they can try to uh like I mean, as it's their expertise, it's not like someone in the US who will do the same, you know.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:10

It's all about context, and so the Agatha will be really focused on um like bringing um useful solutions for your country, you know. Uh because how they are all uh local talent without any specific I would say global overview, it's important to start by this way and then become an expert on this file, like a specific file, and after they can try to make um to I mean to become expert into the international scene, you know. So I uh what I'm excited about is just about real use cases, especially into their country. So it can be anything, you know, but I will provide a specific list, uh like basically uh prominent uh issues that this country has, etc. etc. By country we do things. So it's going to be exciting, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

Yeah, that's great. And so it's really about like you know, understanding you know the local context and and where you want to work before kind of thinking about what sort of solutions you know can we build. And I think uh this really kind of like thing brings me to that localism you know concept in this in this you know, around localism that's been big in Web3 lately. So um that obviously I imagine plays into the inspiration of uh of Dev3 Pack.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Like Evan, we already started to create as well local chapters too. Uh so into different uh into different countries, and we will have more because I really want to to provide just uh the right support to the right people uh at the right place, you know. So yeah, it's super important.

SPEAKER_00 37:46

That's amazing. Well, thank you so much for sharing all that. Uh it sounds like it's gonna be an incredible opportunity. Uh, I can't wait to see how it goes and to follow along. And you know, for folks listening along, whether you're a someone who wants to join the hackathon, someone who just wants to help spread the word, to be a partner, to be a sponsor, head to the show notes where we're gonna have all the links where you can figure out how to do that. So thank you so much uh for for being here, Celen, and for taking the time to uh share your wisdom with us. It was a real pleasure having you.

SPEAKER_02 38:13

You're welcome. Thanks so much too. Really appreciate the conversation.

SPEAKER_00 38:18

And that was Celine of Dev3Pack. What stands out to me is the intentionality behind Dev3 Pack. Hackathons can be intimidating, especially for newcomers, and there's pressure to have all the skills, know all the tools, and ship something impressive in a short window. But Dev3Pack is creating a different kind of environment where first-time builders can learn, experiment, and grow alongside more experienced developers. I'm also really inspired by the local to global model. With 50 plus hubs around the world, Dev3Pack isn't just running a hackathon. They're really building a network that cultivates talent in local communities, especially in regions that are often overlooked, and connects them to a global movement of builders. It's the kind of infrastructure that makes Web3 more accessible and more representative of the world we're building for. And the conversation about representation matters so much. Web3 and AI are shaping the future. If we want the future to be equitable and in the best interest of the people, we need to be intentional about who has a seat at the table and who feels welcome to build. For listeners who want to learn more about Dev3 Pack, sign up for the Global Hackathon, or connect with Celant, we've included all the relevant links in the show notes. Whether you're a builder looking to participate, a mentor who wants to support newcomers, or a sponsor who believes in this mission, there's a way for you to get involved. A huge thank you to Celine and the Dev3 Pack team for all the work you're doing to make this space more accessible and connected. And that wraps up today's episode of CryptoAltruists. Thank you so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. If you're inspired to explore more stories at the intersection of Web3 and Social Impact, be sure to visit CryptoAltruist.com for articles, resources, and more. And if you love what you heard, it would mean the world if you could rate with you and subscribe to the podcast. Your support is huge in helping us reach more listeners like you and keeping the platform going strong. Thanks again for joining us, and I look forward to having you back for the next episode. Until then, let's keep showing the world the good of crypto.