{"title": "Leen Schelfhout - creating and holding space for regens to unite", "logoImg": "bafkreicwytq2nsflwtid6ykzozqm3fipgz575eus5tztvltuf62ijcvhle", "website": "https://regensunite.earth", "bannerImg": "bafkreifn7a2va2ra7wb7mclk5jd5vyl7o3e2m3iwl3wtfex3jo3nrmzhue", "createdAt": 1729797870708, "credentials": {"twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..67TtcPq1ZI3LYgvmzgPFfehR0I03bBR41qYWSUDyXCl4yhI6v1U7dX3zMZucFAjyTZnosPLUgSVmWpAwQVPoDg", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-10-24T18:30:45.817Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-10-24T18:30:45.817Z", "expirationDate": "2025-01-22T18:30:45.817Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0xF9903c5d11E8f4bFebcf02747D53319E9c4a10c6", "hash": "v0.0.0:aNTlfNbZnZbm8ZWpdKr8GrHdhvVRcCiHwHAYXyhG+6Q=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#leen_schelfhout"}}}, "description": "# Who am I?\n\nApart from being a mom, a runner, and someone torn between the city and nature (how does one choose?), I seem to naturally create and hold space wherever I go—for warm human connections and deeper democracy, guided by care, intention, and a deep belief that community is immunity.\n\nLife being full of surprises, I stumbled into web3 in 2020. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but soon found myself blown away by its dynamic world of opportunity and hope. I dove right in. Being lead of the All for Climate DAO team in that same year, we guided the collectives we support into the Gitcoin ecosystem to help them find more backing for their grassroots, locally-rooted projects. I also joined Gravity DAO (and TEC) and started offering deep democracy workshops and trainings in various settings and for several DAOs.\n\nAs I became more aware of the differing views between climate and social justice activists and web3 builders on the role of technology in driving systemic change, I was inspired to organize and facilitate the first Regens Unite event in Brussels in 2022. The venue was a neighborhood building we had established in 2021—an ideal place for fostering unity. Rooted locally, united globally.\n\nSince 2020, I’ve been both learning and contributing in the web3 space with growing curiosity and belief that we’re onto something. We’re building solutions, iterating, and staying close to the critical questions: What else is possible when we create new systems that honor our planet?\n\n# What have I contributed?\n\nSupporting local communities is in the core of the work I do, whether that is creating space for uniting with globally connected communities via Regens Unite, starting local community buildings (Citizen Corner and Commons Hub), facilitating online and in real life circles (from women circles to regenerative finance circles) or doing local regen projects (rewilding city projects like the Citizen Garden)\n\n## Education and growth - Uniting Regens since 2022\n\nThe in real life events I cocreated and facilitated\n - Regens Unite Brussels 2022 and 2023 (source, project lead, facilitator)\n- Regens Unite Berlin 2022 and 2023 (facilitator and core organiser)\n- Regen Hub at IBC Paris 2023 (co-organiser)\n- Regens Unite London 2023 and 2024 (facilitator and co-organiser)\n- Honour the Earth/Regens Unite Amsterdam 2024 (facilitator and co-organiser)\n- Regen Village at EthCC Brussels - weeklong Regen Hub (source, project lead, host)\nI was also the lead author of the Regens Unite handbook\n\n[All events are linked here.](https://www.regensunite.earth)\n\n\n## Impact on Local Communities and Bioregions\nA non-exhaustive glimpse of impact on local communities\n- The Regens Events in Brussels made a significant positive impression on our neighbors, enhancing the reputation of web3 and technology. Hosting the two RU events in the Citizen Corner—a hyper-local 'doorstep' project—while experimenting with a token system in the building, gave our neighbors a chance to meet builders and bring these 'tech builders' into their everyday world.\n- All Regens Unite events, whether in Brussels, in Berlin, or in London, were held in value-aligned community spaces, bringing funding and networks to these locations. A concrete example: Regen Village in Brussels 2024 raised €25k for the Commons Hub Brussels, an innovation hub and coworking space we launched this year, funneling $25k in revenue to kickstart the space.\n- At the Commons Hub Brussels, we’re experimenting with a fully onchain local economy, integrating both yin and yang economies: EUR for running a space in a competitive (yang) market, and Commons HUB Tokens (yin) to reward community work.\n\n## Some of the operational support I have been offering:\n- Executive Director of All for Climate DAO for 4 years (2019-2023), building a network of over 250 grassroots climate and social justice projects across Europe, with some in Africa. A highlight: onboarding Ayowecca into web3 and helping them succeed in their first Gitcoin round. They are still very active in the community and are building beautiful projects.\n- Building Regens Unite for the past 2.5 years into a dynamic, globally connected community of regens. We’re a small team of 4, but we have organized over 18 events across 9 countries, growing a Telegram group of 700+ participants, and we launched the permanent innovation hub in Brussels, the Commons Hub.\n- I co-founded two community buildings and am currently the driving force behind the [Commons Hub Brussels] (https://commonshub.brussels, where we hosted Regen Village in July 2024.\n\n# Why I am participating in this round\n\nBecause I need support. I am a natural community builder. I do not build tech, I focus on relationships and on building the warm welcoming spaces we need for sinking deeper into human being, and less into human doing.  To keep going, to keep sparking and holding spaces, I can use your support, as an acknowledgement for bringing a yin voice in a yang world. Thank you so much 🙏🏽 \n\n\n\n", "logoImgData": {}, "bannerImgData": {}, "projectTwitter": "leen_schelfhout"}