As an enigmatic figure at the forefront of the web3 revolution, Hanis Harmiles, also known as the ‘NFT Queen Asia,’ has a captivating story. From her multicultural upbringing to her successful corporate journey and dive into emerging technologies, Hanis’ journey paints a vivid picture of resilience, innovation, and daring vision.
Emerging technology is pushing the boundaries of how we live and work, fundamentally reshaping the very fabric of our societies. As the founder of Reinvent DAO, Hanis is transforming the future of work, building an ecosystem that gives power back to creators and professionals.
The Crowning of the ‘NFT Queen Asia’ Born in Malaysia and having lived in Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, and Hong Kong, Hanis considers herself a global citizen, adept at adapting and blending into various cultures. Raised to lead from the heart, Hanis credits her empathetic outlook to her mother’s teachings. This perspective remains crucial in her professional life, informing her interactions and decision‑making.
After graduating with a computer engineering degree from the University of Sydney, Hanis found her calling in building products and solving problems. Her career in strategy and technology consulting within the financial services industry led her to the banking world, where her last corporate career was to manage global digital teams at HSBC Bank, transforming multi‑million‑dollar financial services products into digital banking.
During the global pandemic, her passion for blockchain technology and her conviction about the future of web3 led her to leave her corporate job in July 2022. She mentored DeFi startups via incubators, thus opening up opportunities for her to learn more about blockchain in the process. She also began educating her banking peers about web3, earning her the moniker ‘NFT Queen Asia,’ and making a significant impact as she spoke at corporations and schools about the evolution of web3.
Building the Future of Work At the heart of Hanis’ work is Reinvent DAO, an innovative project to revolutionize how professionals contribute, share, and gain from their expertise. The organization is “building the future of work for professionals, creating a collaborative knowledge‑sharing hub, by tokenizing best practices, frameworks, research, and know‑how as real‑world asset class Intellectual Property (IP) within our DAO consulting ecosystem,” Hanis states.
The goal is to democratize knowledge and ownership, transforming consulting into a collective pursuit. “Our DAO aims to return the value to the creators of the consulting and industry experts by allowing them to monetize and own their wealth via their expertise, know‑how, and best practice,” she explains.
Utilizing blockchain technology and smart contracts, Reinvent DAO is developing a decentralized knowledge‑sharing hub that is “transparent, autonomous, and able to be automated via transactions consented by our DAO members.”
This initiative doesn’t just benefit individual professionals, though. Hanis envisions a ripple effect across industries and generations, from gig economy workers and SMEs to academic scholars and the emerging Generation Z and Alpha.
“We’re building a talent pool of community, an avenue from the gig economy to the advisories firms to have access to the valuable know‑how assets of professionals or SME Firms that are being re‑iterated and governed by the community of experts in our DAO ecosystem,” says Hanis. “The journey is still long to go, but I have faith, and I believe in the product we’re building and the ecosystem we’re creating because we are building the future of work for the professionals of tomorrow.”
Using Tech to Create Positive Impact Hanis firmly believes in the power of technology as an enabler for change. “Technologies are enablers of a solution to a problem we are solving,” she shares. “Innovation happens when technology comes into play and shapes how we interact, work, and socialize with our circle.”
Hanis’ work is not just about utilizing emerging technology; it’s also about fostering innovation within the tech ecosystem. She elaborates: “Innovation happens when there is an introduction of a new product or idea that improves and redistributes value.” Her conviction is clear: “As a Founder and CEO, I believe in having a great product and also great teamwork. My team all have the same values and ability to thrive and do good for society.”
The Future: A User‑Owned World When asked about future trends in her industry, Hanis sees an exciting shift towards greater individual control and ownership, powered by web3 blockchain technology and Artificial Intelligence. “The world where you are the user, you are the investor, you are also the owner. You also own your own IP rights,” she predicts. She believes in the potential of next‑gen innovators unafraid to take on challenges and “aiming for the moon to make the world a better place.” She envisages a world where “big corporations and Central Banks are operating products with real‑world assets tokenization, like financial products, gaming, gig economy, and many more.”
Overcoming Challenges As a first‑time founder, Hanis acknowledges that she faced challenges in the early stages of her venture. From fundraising to pitching, rejection was a hard pill to swallow. However, her mental strength, her belief in herself, and the realization that she was still learning kept her going. Her advice is to “never stop believing in yourself” and to surround herself with a network of supportive people, including a mentor who can guide her through the journey.
Hanis encourages women venturing into the world of web3 to start small. Joining a web3 community, listening to podcasts, attending webinars, and networking with industry leaders is a good starting point. She believes women should remain authentic to themselves and listen to the fearless inner voice to succeed. She also advises them to have faith, trust their journey, listen to their intuition, and never be afraid to ask for help.
Hanis acknowledges that women in web3 face challenges such as the lack of representation and unconscious gender bias. She advocates for more education, encouraging young girls to learn coding and technical subjects, and mentorship programs serving passionate young girls.
Hanis sees her identity as a global citizen, with a unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures, as a strength. She advises staying true to oneself and being authentic to build a transformational relationship, especially in a business and lifelong connection.
Hanis’ journey is an inspiring testament to the power of resilience, determination, and vision in creating a niche in the emerging world of web3 technology and your Know‑How as Intellectual Property.
