National and State Leaders Featured at UW’s Wyoming Blockchain Stampede

Building trust in the digital world, the end of scarcity, the latest efforts to transform finance, supply chain challenges and Wyoming’s leadership in digital innovation will be discussed by education, technology, business and government leaders during the 2023 Wyoming Blockchain Stampede and Wyobuildathon Sept. 11-15 at the University of Wyoming.

Presented by the UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation (CBDI), the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged. To preregister and view the agenda, visit www.uwyo.edu/stampede.

Featured speakers include Charles Hoskinson, founder and CEO of Input Output Global; Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce; Allan Day, retired U.S. Air Force major general and vice president of logistics and sustainment of global public sector at Salesforce; Kristen Ragusin, author of “The End of Scarcity: The Dawn of the New Abundant World”; Caitlin Long, founder and CEO of Cheyenne’s Custodia Bank; Gov. Mark Gordon; UW President Ed Seidel; Lauren Schoenfield, executive director of the Wyoming Innovation Partnership; Robin Sessions Cooley, director of Wyoming’s Department of Workforce Services; Penelope Shihab, director of UW’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Julie Hill, a University of Alabama College of Law professor; and CBDI Director Steve Lupien.

Other speakers and panelists include David Pope, a member of the Wyoming Stable Token Commission; Wyoming Banking Commissioner Jeremiah Bishop; attorney Matt Kaufman, a member of the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology; Tyler Lindholm, state director of Americans for Prosperity; Rocky Case, director of Wyoming Manufacturing Works; Zachary Weiner, founder, and Justin Pauly, co-founder and president, VX Technologies; Christian Goodell, founder and CEO of Valeo Labs; and Derek LaSalle, founder and inventor of the Blockchain Operating Sub-System Powered Content Assurance and Provenance Protocol (CAPPStone) licensing ZeroTrust DApp technology.

Also on the agenda are Reed Scull, a UW associate professor in the School of Counseling, Leadership Advocacy and Design; Marko Ruble, co-founder and CEO of Yerguides.io; Sean Stein Smith, a Lehman College assistant professor of business and economics; Anthony Apollo, founder and CEO of Rensa; Bradley Rotter, chairman of the IPwe Board of Directors; Tony Saliba, CEO of Matrix Holding Group; and Matt Field, CEO of VMAccel.

The Wyoming Blockchain Stampede starts with a Sept. 11-12 meeting of the Wyoming Legislature’s Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology in Room 506 of Coe Library. The agenda and associated documents can be viewed at https://wyoleg.gov/Committees/2023/S19.

The remaining events will be held in the Wyoming Union.

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, the UW School of Computing’s first Wyoming Computing Symposium -- “Emerging Computing Approaches, Technologies and Applications” -- starts with registration and breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Keynote speakers are Mary Hall, director of the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah; and Rabia Yazicigil, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and faculty affiliate of the Center for Information and Systems Engineering at Boston University.

The afternoon includes a panel discussion, “Advancing the Wyoming Economy Through Computing: Vision, Opportunities and Challenges.” Diksha Shukla, an assistant professor in UW’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, will moderate the panel. Panelists include Laurel Ballard, Wyoming Department of Education innovation officer; Kristen Pudenz, director of Advanced Research Programs at Atom Computing; Gil Speyer, of the RTO Computational Research Accelerator at Arizona State University; and Gregory White, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

The 307 Startup Challenge is the second event Wednesday and will start at 4 p.m. Challenge participants each will make a pitch and face a review by a panel of judges in competing for prize money and mentoring to assist in their efforts.

The Wyoming Blockchain Stampede continues Thursday, Sept. 14, starting at 8 a.m. Lunch will feature the governor, who will be introduced by Seidel. Thursday afternoon features two tracks. Track 1 will examine Wyoming digital asset education, blockchain applications and entrepreneurship opportunities. Track 2 features presentations on digital asset entrepreneurs to enhance cybersecurity and trust, DeFi and artificial intelligence.

Events Friday, Sept. 15, start at 8 a.m. Keynote speakers include Hill, Long, Lupien, state Sen. Chris Rothfuss and Hoskinson. Following lunch, UW students are invited to an esports celebration in the Wyoming Union game room. Prizes and snacks will be available. An esports competition will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, with teams from UW, University of Colorado, Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy competing.

Country star Travis Denning will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Indoor Practice Facility in a free concert for UW students, faculty and staff, and those who registered for the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede.

Input Output Global is the title sponsor for the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede. Event sponsors are Microsoft, Custodia Bank, Crypto.com, Ava Labs and Americans for Prosperity/Wyoming. UW partners are the School of Computing; Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; School of Energy Resources; the colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Business, and Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources; the Associated Students of UW; and IMPACT 307.