6-month renewal | Alan B. Levan - NSU Broward Center of Innovation Membership

Dear Proposer,

Thank you for your proposal. Our second vote on this proposal is NAY.

The Small Tipper track requires 30% participation and simple majority of non-abstain votes according to our voting policy v0.2, and any referendum in which the majority of members vote abstain receives an abstain vote. This proposal has received zero aye and five nay votes from ten available members. Below is a summary of our members' comments:

Voters expressed concerns regarding the unclear value delivered by the six-month renewal proposal. They stated that the report lacked sufficient demonstration of outcomes and measurable impacts from the initial investment. Members noted that while invoices and receipts were provided, there was little evidence of meaningful use of the space, such as held events or engaged businesses. They observed that ongoing leadership changes and a temporary pause on initiatives further reduced confidence in the proposal’s effectiveness. Overall, the feedback highlighted the need for clearer goals, better resource allocation, and a comprehensive impact assessment before justifying continued sponsorship funding.

The full discussion can be found in our internal voting.

Please feel free to contact us through the links below for further discussion.

Kind regards,
Permanence DAO
Decentralized Voices Cohort IV Delegate

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To address the concerns raised by PermanenceDAO - and potentially shared by other voters - I’d like to offer the following clarification. I acknowledge that the original report did not provide this level of detail, and I appreciate the opportunity to elaborate.

Purpose and Outcomes

The original proposal stated the goal of “beginning the process of establishing a physical presence to leverage connections with businesses, educational institutions, government officials, blockchain policy advocates, and the community at large to drive awareness, foster growth, and explore new integrations. Additionally, it will serve as one location to host Polkadot-branded monthly MeetUps, Hackathons, and other educational initiatives.”

Since joining, I have worked out of the Levan Center on average 2–3 days per week. The space continues to be a dynamic and high-demand facility serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Notably, no new private offices have become available since we joined, and their conference rooms are routinely booked for events, underscoring the center’s reach and relevance.

Community Engagement & Cost-Efficient Stewardship

While I have hosted one formal Polkadot MeetUp at Levan - on December 12, 2024 - the rental fee of $1,143 per event is cost-prohibitive unless I can reliably guarantee 100+ attendees. As a responsible steward of treasury funds, I opted to pause formal events at that venue until I could better justify the investment.

Instead, as outlined in my 6-month renewal proposal, I plan to shift toward more cost-effective engagement strategies modeled after successful implementations in Toronto and other Roots cities. These include co-working sessions, WUD meetups, and leveraging the Levan Center’s complimentary member conference rooms - all while maintaining a consistent presence in the space.

Ongoing Presence and Relationship Building

Maintaining a regular on-site presence has led to numerous organic conversations with members and visitors, many of whom I now regularly engage with about Polkadot. The current Levan member roster includes founders, technologists, and civic leaders across sectors - relationships that continue to deepen.

You may also watch this Levan Center Overview video to get a better sense of the space and its energy.

Additionally, I actively participate in monthly “954 Coffee Connect” events, which are exclusive to members and designed to strengthen peer-to-peer engagement within the innovation ecosystem.

Strategic Introductions and Institutional Access

I’ve also taken part in key events hosted by Levan, including the Government Procurement Workshop on May 28, where I was introduced to representatives from:

• Broward County’s Office of Economic & Small Business Development
• Broward County Purchasing Division
• Broward County Public Schools Economic Development & Diversity Compliance (EDDC)
• City of Hollywood Office of Procurement
• Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Office of Procurement Services

These connections are vital as we continue to explore Web3 integration in public sector and institutional settings.

Long-Term Opportunity

Looking ahead, the Levan Center’s 4th Annual South Florida Innovation Day - its largest gathering of the year - takes place September 17. Though we were not members during the 2024 edition, my participation enabled meaningful Polkadot introductions to business leaders, government agencies, investors, and academic institutions - relationships that remain active today.

We are also in continued discussions with Levan leadership around integrating Polkadot across their:

• Cybersecurity Lab and space initiatives (incl. NASA partnerships)
• Entrepreneurial and tech certification programs and hackathons
• Academic affiliations with NSU
• Collaborations with BitBasel and other ecosystem partners

While some progress is paused due to Levan’s interim leadership status (pending appointment of a permanent Executive Director), this is a universal delay impacting all partners - not one specific to Polkadot. The important thing is that we are in the room, part of the conversation, and positioned to move quickly when the leadership transition concludes.

Addressing the Elephant in the Room

The question of direct “business closed” as a result of this membership is a fair one. To date, no new business has been directly closed yet, nor was that a KPI outlined in the original proposal. The reality is that Polkadot’s sales and integration cycles are longer-term - but that doesn’t mean we haven’t delivered.

In fact, we have fully delivered on the stated objectives: we’ve established and sustained a physical presence, leveraged institutional and governmental relationships, built trust in the community, and laid the groundwork for deeper integrations - all for a modest $2,400 investment for the first six months.

Final Thought

This initiative is just one component of our broader South Florida strategy, which includes our partnerships with Inter Miami CF, the University of Miami, BitBasel, and countless speaking engagements and events representing Polkadot each month. The Levan Center remains a crucial part of this regional strategy.

For more perspective, I encourage you to read this June 2025 X thread from Chris Wade outlining what the Polkadot Miami model is getting right.

I respectfully request your support to continue this work for another 6 months and welcome any further questions or discussion.

Thank you for your consideration.

PolkaWorld votes NAY

The proposal did not provide any information about past usage of this venue. If it has barely been used, we see no reason to continue paying for the membership.

See full feedback here.

Sharing more Q+A that came up in KusDAO:

Q) Has there been any evaluation to costs of comparable locations in the area? Is this an indefinite funding commitment for OG? With the reference of WUD meetups is there any WUD team contributions to finances?

1. Comparable Location Cost Analysis

Yes, I’ve evaluated several alternative coworking and innovation spaces across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. While prices vary, most comparable options either exceed the $400/month cost or lack the institutional affiliations and ecosystem development mission that set the Levan Center apart. For example:

CIC Miami: Shared desk memberships start around $500/month; private offices exceed $1,500/month.

The LAB Miami: Base memberships start at $350/month, with limited access to government or academic stakeholders.

WeWork/Industrious: National chains offer professional amenities but do not provide access to local procurement teams, certification programs, or innovation-focused programming.

At $400/month, Levan offers the most value-rich and mission-aligned option - especially given access to university procurement teams, tech certification programs, public sector officials, and dedicated innovation programming.

This is not a generic coworking space. It is a state-backed innovation engine, and that distinction matters for Polkadot’s long-term positioning.

2. Is This an Indefinite Funding Request?

No. This is not an indefinite commitment.

This proposal - just like the initial six-month pilot - is time-bound and intentionally modest. It extends our presence through October 2025, after which I plan to submit a separate proposal for a 12-month membership (pending community sentiment and measurable progress). Breaking it into stages:
*** Phase 1 (Nov 2024 – Apr 2025): Initial 6-month pilot (funded).
*** Phase 2 (May – Oct 2025): Current proposal (pending).
*** Phase 3 (Nov 2025 onward)**: Potential annual request, with improved reporting, expanded KPIs, and optional upgrades to dedicated office space depending on availability and impact.

This phased approach allows OpenGov to **assess value and results **before any long-term commitment is made.

Importantly, this location could also support a potential US-based Polkadot office, should the ecosystem choose to pursue that in the future. While no formal decision has been made on that front, the Levan Center offers the infrastructure and flexibility to scale into such a role if needed.

3. WUD Meetups & Community Engagement

At present, there is** no financial contribution from the WUD team** to this proposal. That said, the intent is to host WUD meetups using the complimentary conference rooms included with the membership.

I’ve referenced this strategy based on successful implementations in Toronto and other Roots cities, and I still need to connect directly with the WUD team to better understand how to collaborate on launching the South Florida edition. Any events that exceed the free capacity will be submitted to the Events or MeetUp Bounties for separate consideration.

Final Note

This proposal is part of a broader, multi-pronged effort to grow Polkadot’s presence in Florida - aligned with our work at Inter Miami CF, the University of Miami, BitBasel, and more. I remain committed to tracking results, engaging transparently, and evolving the approach based on ecosystem feedback and local opportunity.

My door is always open for collaboration - whether you're visiting South Florida, curious about local events, or exploring physical expansion opportunities in the U.S.

Thank you again for your consideration.