Women of the Future is a project celebrating and showcasing the top female change-makers in web3 and the Metaverse, utilizing emerging technologies as a force for good in the real world. John Kraski is a proverbial thorn amongst this project’s roses – but by no means is he a thorn in the top 100 women’s sides. John believes in and tirelessly encourages women and women-led initiatives in web3 and the Metaverse.
“Finally, in web3, we have the opportunity to level the playing field for diversity and inclusion not seen in the two previous tech cycles,” he shares. “We’re still so early that we have the opportunity to finally build the right way, which should be led by as many women and women-led initiatives as possible.”
“Equity can be achieved in this new world with new technologies like web3, where the power and control of decision-making will become more decentralized and not controlled by just a few individuals and corporations like it is today. I believe many women-led initiatives are underfunded because the individuals and leaders of companies that control most of the power and money in the world aren’t women.”
Making spaces for women
John’s path to web3 and the Metaverse – and his attitude on women’s inclusion and women-led initiatives in web3 – were intrinsically shaped by his passage into this new space. He believes web3 is THE great equalizer for anyone looking for personal and professional happiness and satisfaction. It took him 25 years of never loving his career to turn up into his dream career. “Web3 finally allowed me to reinvent myself and reimagine my life and career.”
And his life and career in web3 are focused on creating opportunities for everyone in the new world. John is Director of Strategic Partnerships at LandVault, one of the world’s largest Metaverse builders with 120-plus builders and 190 builds constituting almost 10-percent of the entire Metaverse. LandVault is an end-to-end Metaverse solutions provider, and one of its latest builds is the World of Women in Sandbox.
He is also the Co-Founder of Good Morning Web3, formerly NFT Thought Leaders, which focuses on building the biggest and best web3 community in web3 through its events and education. Additionally, he co-hosts the NFT Heat podcast and TV show with Justin Shenkarow. Prior to these roles, John was the Director of Strategic Partnerships at NFTG, a Mark Cuban and Ashton Kutcher venture-backed NFT marketplace and technology platform. He has an MBA in Entertainment from the University of Southern California and has worked at prestigious organizations like KPMG, PwC, JP Morgan, Disney, and with Obama White House interior designer Michael Smith.
He shares: “The space has started to mature since the early days, which is a very exciting development. In early 2021, the NFT and web3 space was filled with mostly scammers and cash grabbers looking to make quick bucks using smoke and mirrors to artificially inflate their project values, with speculators looking to flip these NFTs for fast cash. Fast forward to today, the space is now filled with more real builders looking to solve complex problems to onboard big brands and consumers into the marketplace.”
Crossing lines
Regarding onboarding obstacles to mass adoption of web3 and the Metaverse, John says that on-ramps and infrastructure are the biggest challenges to this. He believes that the “companies that win in web3 are the ones that create products and services where big brands and customers don’t even know they are in web3.”
As an advocate supporting women and women-led initiatives in web3 and the Metaverse, John creates opportunities for women to shine in the space. John firmly believes in enabling women to cross the lines and shatter glass ceilings. He’s a collaborator who shares the objective of driving change with Women of the Future.
