This Argentinian-born American is the Founder and Chief Metaverse Officer of PHYGICODE, as well as Chief of Strategy at Faith Tribe. New York-based Andrea explains that PHYGICODE is a “consortium of industry leaders involved in various aspects of Metaverse development.”
“We help transition brands, products and experiences to a dual identity where physical and digital values coexist and enhance each other.”
Her reason for starting PHYGICODE was to “bring together executive level input from physical and digital areas of various industries,” with the aim of forging a well-crafted path to adopt web3 technologies.
Andrea is clearly passionate about helping brands connect their digital and physical identities. Her motto – “The future is Phygital” − stresses that “community building should be truly phygital,” to not be one (digital) or the other (physical) but to think of all product strategy with a dual lens.
As a Metaverse and Fashion NFT strategy expert, Andrea recently joined collaborative fashion platform Faith Tribe. This business focuses on open-sourcing fashion talent and unlocking new opportunities for creators, artists and fashion businesses everywhere.
She’s tasked with leading the development of a global creator ecosystem exclusively devoted to open sourcing of talent, tools, and collaboration for the fashion industry. It will be the first platform to offer access to best-in-class tools and fashion manufacturing and distribution resources without hierarchical barriers of entry, built as a web2 platform and enabled by web3 technology to democratize participation in a proven formula for successful fashion collaboration.
Aside from her involvement in PHYGICODE and Faith Tribe, Andrea is also a retail technology advisor and early stage blockchain investor, helping physical and digital commerce startups. She is a sought-after business executive, web3 strategist and keynote speaker.
Andrea is a Strategic Advisor to EVM blockchain Lukso and to blockchain investment fund Scytale Ventures, among others. She is a pre-seed investor in retail and fashion innovation platforms such as digital fashion NFT marketplace The Dematerialised and wardrobe rental platform Pool Berlin. She is an Ambassador at AllStar Women NFT Club and a member of Visible Women NFT.
With an extensive background as a high-ranking global executive in cross-border retail expansion strategies and partnerships, Andrea first discovered the possibilities of blockchain technology in 2018 working with friend and Scytale Ventures founder, Mark Cachia and learning about the potential of blockchain’s impact on all aspects of life after being introduced to Polkadot, Ocean Protocol and Energy Web Foundation founders, whom she still credits as her inspiration for joining the web3 space.
Her fascination with “the transformative effects blockchain could have on all aspects of our life,” led to the realization it could solve a common problem shared by both web1 and web2 – third parties, which makes systems slow, costly, and not always secure.
“At the time, I was personally and professionally involved in looking for ways to improve efficiency with supply chain and inventory management for retail, and the capabilities of this exciting new blockchain technology felt like we were at the cusp of a new era.”
Andrea describes the Metaverse as “the convergence of virtually-enhanced physical reality and a persistent virtual space,” adding it’s “the sum total of all publicly accessible virtual worlds, real-time 3D content and related media that are connected on an open global network − controlled by none and accessible to all.”
As web3 and Metaverse activities have developed rapidly in the past year, she foresees web3 is likely to cause both significant disruption and solve key problems in the fashion and retail industries.
With the fashion industry seeking more sustainable production and more efficient inventory management options, some platforms are building a long-term value proposition for fashion combining on-chain and off-chain activities and benefiting from access to virtual worlds and a new creator economy.
“Digital fashion is not limited to clothing for avatars, it is a growing fashion subculture that includes the digital design and modeling of real-world clothing, the uploading of designs for real and digital clothing onto the blockchain (so these designs can be sold as NFTs), and even digital clothes rendered onto real people. It is an expansion of fashion as a method of self-expression.”
Andrea says in her areas of work in fashion, retail and lifestyle product and experiences, Metaverse activities will “significantly improve processes while expanding inclusivity and sustainability.” Some examples include simulations between digital twins of product and human avatars advancing research and development, and web3 technology-enabled Metaverse activities improving 3D modeling and design, virtual presentations, personnel training and product testing.
Moreover, web3 and decentralization have a “truly extraordinary potential” to empower marginalized communities, particularly those with limited access to basic services like banking and healthcare.
However, adopting web3’s new tools in their infancy won’t always be easy. She says some barriers include difficulties in accessing and storing crypto currencies and tokenized tools required for participation, as well as uncertainty about regulation and current lack of interoperability.
Quipping about “web3 expansion happening at lightning speed,” Andrea is mindful of remaining open to new possibilities. She’s most excited about web3’s possibilities for expansion in democratizing access to opportunities, as this will forever erase the barriers of geography, status and economic power.
“We must remain open minded, be constantly willing to learn something new, and recognize how we shop, learn and interact with others is forever changed because our physical lives are already intertwined with our digital identities and activities.”
Focus your specific area of interest − join community groups, connect with people who can mentor you.
Explore different topics, attend industry-specific events, and participate in virtual worlds.
Look at web3-focused online executive programs offered by universities, tech hubs and foundations.
Website: phygicode.io
