Alaeris
Overview
Alaeris was a Web3/blockchain initiative that I co-founded in 2021, aimed at offsetting carbon emissions and empowering global communities by incentivizing tree planting. Unfortunately, the project never fully materialized (we attempted to bootstrap the company just as Crypto Winter was taking shape), but it was a fun experience nonetheless. I served as Chief Creative Officer, helping to staff a creative team via Upwork and AngelList (now Wellfound). I also came up with the name 'Alaeris', finalized the logo design, developed an executive summary and pitch deck, and created technical illustrations.
- Creative Direction
- Team Management
- Brand Design
- Creative Concepting
- Entrepreneurship
- Illustration
- Graphic design
Background
When the founder/CEO reached out to me on Upwork and pitched the idea, I was immediately sold. I had been looking for a segue into blockchain for a while, and the opportunity to do so while also helping the environment seemed too good to pass up. We got to work and began fleshing out ideas for how it might function. The idea was that users would purchase NFTs representing physical acreage around the globe. Those proceeds would be used to remunerate workers in developing countries in exchange for planting trees, and the NFTs could be used as proof of carbon offset. I led the brainstorming that resulted in the name 'Alaeris'. It's actually a combination of a Swahili word and a Spanish word, put together to create one memorable name that translates to 'Air Tool'.
The Challenge
As with any startup, the number one challenge was acquiring funding. I helped develop our pitch deck and executive summary, along with a suite of technical illustrations explaining our vision. We pitched to several investors and were getting some positive feedback, but then the market crashed and the appetite for web3-related projects just wasn't there. All in all, it was a fun challenge and I met some amazing folks along the way.