Polkadot Head Ambassador Application - Mario Schraepen

gm Polkadot friends,

I’m Mario Schraepen, a serial entrepreneur with 11.000 followers on Linkedin, and the CEO of LinkedCar and founder of PolkaBiz. I am a graduate of the PBA in Hong Kong (with distinction!), have a background in IT, and hold an MBA. As a speaker at various (startup) events, including Decoded Brussels, I bring a wealth of experience and a passion for innovation to the table.

As the founder of PolkaBiz, Christian Casini and I have successfully launched a program in just 3 months that helps Polkadot starters refine their pitches to attract investors. We collaborate closely with the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, even travelling to Singapore to offer one-on-one assistance to 26 students. At Decoded, PolkaBiz organises a side-investor night with 60 founders and 40 (!!) investors, followed by a sold-out Groove Night for 300 people.
I am an active member of various European organisations such as INATBA, MyData Global, EBSI, 2Tokens, the European Blockchain Regulatory Sandbox, Crypto Valley Association and DSSC. I closely follow European regulations like the EU Data Act and eIDAS2, focusing primarily on Europe but remaining open to global opportunities.
I'm excited to bring my experience and vision to the role of Polkadot Head Ambassador. By consistently prioritising Polkadot, I have earned the community's trust. My collaborative spirit and PBA expertise empower me to effectively communicate Polkadot's strengths and unite diverse individuals toward common goals.

My Involvement

I firmly believe that a Head Ambassador (HA) should be a connector, building bridges both internally and externally to attract more people to Polkadot. I have already demonstrated what I can achieve in the short term within Polkadot, and now I want to extend that impact over the long term. One of my ultimate goals is to bring Polkadot believers together. A decentralised community like ours thrives on listening to different perspectives and understanding what drives each person. I am passionate about creating an environment where everyone feels heard and valued, as unity enables us to achieve remarkable things together.
I also believe that an HA should, when necessary, speak openly and provide critical opinions on OpenGov, always grounded in facts.

Collaborative Working Groups

While the Head Ambassador is the “face”, the role is far from a one-person job. It involves a collective effort. These selected “senior ambassadors” and “ambassadors” will be divided into various working groups. These meetings will be invitation-only and compensated in DOTs, supporting the ecosystem and recognizing the ambassadors' contributions. This amount will come from the monthly fee I receive as HA.

Working Groups I propose :

1. Old Ambassador (Temporary):
   We shouldn't lose the knowledge and expertise of former head ambassadors. I want to set up meetings to learn from their experiences and challenges. (and eventually pick up where they left)
2. Investor Relations:
   By inviting 40 investors to the Decoded event, I am well-positioned to maintain these relationships. Within this working group we want to reduce the pressure on the treasury and connect our Polkadot startups with investors quickly.
3. Business Development & Marketing:
   Our goal is to promote Polkadot to the outside world, including at external events where I can speak (or other senior ambassadors / ambassadors), and to market our ecosystem effectively. Our marketing message must be consistent; promoting Polkadot as mere "software" can be improved. Currently, every treasury request seems to start from scratch. We can definitely optimise this.
4. Accountability & Reputation Management:
   I strongly advocate for reputation management. Those who positively contribute to the community should be rewarded, while scammers should be removed. I believe in facts and figures, follow-up, and milestone-based payouts to improve our ecosystem.
5. Ecosystem Support:
   There are many parachains and applications that are often left alone. We need community assistance to ensure they thrive. Startups need to be visible during webinars or events. In this working group we will discuss how we can achieve more visibility for selected startups/parachains/apps at a fraction of the cost..
6. Technical Support:
   While my technical contribution may be minimal, given my PBA background, I acknowledge its importance and will support it with a working group.

All findings from the 6 working groups will be discussed centrally with all HAs, allowing us to make better-informed decisions for the community's benefit.
Thank you for considering my application. I am confident that, together with the right senior ambassadors and ambassadors, I can make a positive impact on the ecosystem. I have already demonstrated this over the past few months.

**Please read the full manifesto : **
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sxJLBFqN1cdA4pcq756NN5RCP7GoWVF36rMEeLkWdUM/edit?usp=sharing

Warm regards,
Mario Schraepen