**Discord username: Pat Santiago#1240
**ETH Address: 0xb2D838612872586C88F4f53AF3678f7e8e54Fb39
Who am I?
Hello, my name is Patrick Santiago and I am a 24 year old human centered designer, also known as user experience designer, from New York. I’ve always been interested in tech and design, but when I found User Experience and human centered design, I felt like I really met my calling. User Experience and human centered design is a process that seeks to build empathy for the humans that use our goods and services. I believe in basing design decisions off of tangible data communicated by users, rather than having a non-diverse group of developers assume the needs of others.
Most of my friends would probably describe me as a "futurist,” as I’m constantly talking about technological breakthroughs and what the world will look like in a decade. I talk about the future so frequently because I think that we’re living in the midst of a new societal revolution. I want to take part in building new systems that will improve people’s lives for generations to come.
What is the DAO doing right?
I think that tokenizing real estate, in a form that non-accredited investors can use, has the ability to lower barriers of entry to home ownership. It could eliminate the need for real estate agents and the practice of redlining. I believe these goals are instrumental to positive forward momentum in society.
A Potential Future for CityDAO
Background
An American mining company is destroying the last of the wilderness and decreasing quality of life for citizens in Jamaica. The country’s back is against the wall because the income from selling mining leases is too appealing.
CityDAO to the rescue
We could tokenize this land for conservation, and distribute profits from carbon offset credits to Jamaican citizens who own plots. Not only would this be a huge accomplishment for CityDAO, the environmental and economic impact in Jamaica would be tremendous. These credits have the potential to produce more income than mining for the citizens of Jamaica, solving countless problems and producing a result that seems to benefit society at large.
My plan to make this happen
I believe the first step in accomplishing this would be to establish communication with Richard Currie. He is currently leading the Jamaican resistance against American mining. Subsequently, educating and networking with Jamaican citizens and potential donors would aid in getting traction on a proof of concept. Eventually, the goal is to progress the movement toward a practical solution that allows communities to crowdfund the buying back of Jamaican land, and ultimately to prevent the destructive expansion of these mining companies.
Values I believe a CityDAO council member should have
Integrity is potentially the backbone of not only CityDAO, but of the blockchain as well. Integrity is instrumental in creating trust within communities, both digitally and physically. Reliability and follow through are an integral aspect of any leadership or representative position, and CityDAO is no exception. One of the largest necessary values of a council member should be creativity. As creators on the leading edge of advancement within countless arenas, creativity and critical thinking are crucial.
Dedication, along with the belief in the CityDAO mission is what keeps the DAO alive. As long as citizens continue to bring ideas, and contributors continue to build upon these visions, the DAO, and its mission, can progress. I believe I hold all of these characteristics and I am eager to have an opportunity to prove my capabilities.
Why you should vote for me
I joined the DAO in September Of 2021, whereupon I started a Design Guild right away with a goal of implementing Human centered design practices in the developmental process of CityDAO projects. I spearheaded efforts to rebuild the website with accessibility in mind. Not only have I attended most of the community calls since joining, often sharing my opinions and ideas, I started a weekly design sync call that takes place in town square. Citizens can stay up to date with what the design guild is achieving on a weekly basis. Additionally, I created the “Dev First Quest” system that has helped to onboard over 30 new developers to CityDAO.
I appreciate both the time taken to read my application as well as considering me for CityDAO Council. I believe that the mission of CityDAO is important and powerful, and therefore I hope to be selected as a representative for the citizens of such a historically significant organization.