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Why We Need More Women in Blockchain

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/woman-working-business-woman-laptop-690036/

 

We at MarketOrders are very excited about the opportunities blockchain creates for e-commerce and gold retailers. We believe the future is blockchain and now is the best time to start learning about it and understanding the new possibilities it opens up.

 

In this post, our co-founder and COO, Sukhi Jutla, who has deep expertise and experience of blockchain technology writes about the incredible achievements women are achieving in the blockchain space and why we need to continue supporting them. 

 

She also shares tips on how to get involved in the blockchain space for beginners and why she believes we should encourage and support more women in this exciting new field.

 

You can read her guest post on Blockchain Asset Review here: 
http://blockchainassetreview.com/why-we-need-more-women-in-blockchain/This article was originally published on Blockchain Asset Review

 

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are the latest innovation in technology. There is a clear excitement about the opportunities blockchain presents and it is nearing a pivotal moment in history. And while this brand-new field is still heavily dominated by men, women are quickly closing in and making big names for themselves.

In fact, the blockchain space is the ideal place for women who want to make a big impact and shape the future of what we call as the advent of ‘the internet of value.’

Since the premise of blockchain is about democratising and giving all participants an equal and transparent playing field, this lends itself as the perfect place for women to make a real and lasting impact on this infant industry.

Blockchain no doubt is here to stay, and even traditional industries reluctant to change such as banking and insurance, are waking up to the fact that they need to pay attention to the changes blockchain can bring about.

While almost every tech sector is heavily dominated by men, women now have an opportunity to enter this dynamic industry and actively contribute to and shape the future of this technology.

 

 

Shaping the Next Era of Change

 

It’s important that women are a part of this movement so they too can shape the next era of change.

The lack of women in blockchain has nothing to do with lack of skill but lack of awareness about the technology and lack of a clear path into the emerging industries related to blockchain. It is important to encourage women to become active in the cryptocurrency space and lead by example.

The blockchain is not just the preserve of the finance industry which is heavily dominated by men. Blockchain can disrupt every industry known to humankind, including those traditionally dominated by women such as education, healthcare, social and other non-government sectors, which is all the more reason for them to get involved.

 

With the potential use cases of blockchain-based products being particularly vast, so are opportunities for women. Many professionals in the industry hold various roles. Although a technical skill-sets are most in demand, women in blockchain can take up various other roles – such as academic, commercial, regulatory, and public relations.

 

The great news is that there is an increasing number of women entering the blockchain space. Already, women are making big waves in blockchain, and leading by example. We must shine a light on their achievements because it can only help to bring more women into this field and show support and encouragement to those already breaking boundaries. Here are some of the notable women in blockchain:

• Toni Lane Casserly, CEO of CoinTelegraph: Toni is co-founder of one the biggest online publications for cryptocurrency

• Galia Benartzi, co-founder and business development of Bancor. Galia is a co-founder for Bancor, a digital token platform, which is one of the most successful initial coin offerings so far.

• Fereshteh Forough, founder and CEO at Code to Inspire: Born as an Afghan refugee in Iran, Fereshteh went on to found Code to Inspire, an after-school program that teaches girls in Afghanistan how to code and aims to decrease the gender gap in computer science fields in Afghanistan.

 

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/adult-woman-people-technology-3373639/

 

How can we get more women involved in blockchain?

As a female tech-founder working in the blockchain space, I’m often asked how I came into the blockchain space and the answer is simple: I followed my curiosity.

I spent over a decade working in finance and banking where I worked closely with the technology teams. During conversations, I would sometimes hear the word blockchain bandied around which piqued my interest. Fuelled by my curiosity I started to look into this field but only actively jumped in a year ago when I decided I wanted to become a vocal part of this rising industry.

I realized that the absence of female mentors can create a barrier to entry but this should be seen as an opportunity for future female leaders. Many women are unfamiliar with blockchain technology and obtaining technical knowledge about the technology can serve as a challenge, especially when the information is varied and scattered across the internet.

And the only way you can participate and make a difference is to get involved. Here are my tips for getting more involved in blockchain, if you are a beginner.

 

1. Join local meet-ups for blockchain

Being based in London, I am part of multiple ‘Women in Blockchain’ groups where we meet on a monthly basis and share our learning on the latest topics and trends in the blockchain space. Sometimes we invite mentors and speakers to share their experiences to learn from.

2. Attend conferences

There are hundreds of conferences happening globally on blockchain. Spend the day immersing yourself in learning about blockchain, talking to the exhibitors and other attendees. See where your curiosity is piqued and where you would like to learn more.

3. Join a start-up in the blockchain space

If you’re looking for a new opportunity, join a start-up in the blockchain space. This is the best way to get hands-on learning about this technology. You don’t have to be a tech expert but you can still help to build and shape products when you understand the basics of how blockchain works.

4. Attend courses and seminars on blockchain

Similar to attending meet-ups attending workshops on this topic will help to give you deeper insights into how this industry works and to network with other members of the industry.

5. Reach out to mentors and role models

I believe we can all learn from each other so don’t hesitate to reach out to other women working in blockchain and ask for their help. It’s important that women support other women onto the blockchain ladder especially when just starting out. If you are already a working in this space, think about mentoring other women or speak at events to raise the profile of women working in blockchain.

We can collectively help to create an atmosphere and environment which encourages more women to consider careers and opportunities in blockchain in the following ways:

  • Diversity and inclusion: Reaching out and providing opportunities for those who lack it
  • Disruption through education: Bringing blockchain education to different communities
  • Networking opportunities: Bridging information gaps to people with all educational and professional backgrounds

This is an industry where anyone with a great idea can disrupt. The possibilities for women are endless and I’m looking forward to seeing the amazing things women do to supercharge this emerging industry.

 

About the author:

Sukhi Jutla is an IBM Blockchain Foundation Developer and in April 2018 made global headlines when she became the World’s First #1 Bestselling ‘Blockchain’ Author. 

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Why Retailers should be embracing blockchain

 

 
There have been many stories in the press lately about how the high street is dead. But is this really true? Will the high street die…or is it just time for them to embrace blockchain?

 
We at MarketOrders are always keen to bring fresh ideas and new approaches to our customers, the retailers. We help them to keep up to date with the latest technology and help them to embrace the digital world.

We know from our vast experience that the use of technology in brick-and-mortar shops is vital to help drive deeper customer engagement and emotional connections with local retailers and customers. This, in turn, will elevate the customer experience and create an incentive for shopping offline and driving purchase intent.

 
At MarketOrders, we believe the future of retail sits at the intersection of e-commerce and brick and mortar. We call this the converging platform and this is what MarketOrders is doing.

 
The reason why the giants of e-commerce such as  Alibaba, Amazon and eBay are flourishing today is that they embraced technology and its potential from the very beginning.

 
This is critical. Tech cannot be an afterthought or a side dish. Retailers must embrace technology and have a digital strategy present from the very starts.

 
The rise of cryptocurrency

 
As blockchain tech turns 10 years old, it’s becoming a household word among the millennial generation. While the cryptocurrency market is establishing itself in the world of speculative trading, it has not yet been widely accepted as a viable transaction method for goods and services.

 
Undoubtedly, one of the most common questions people ask is, “How can I use my cryptocurrency aside from trading on an exchange?” Marketorders will bring a practical solution for customers to utilize cryptocurrency to buy, sell and reward in exchange for products and services, within the ecosystem of the platform.

 
Cryptocurrency is inspiring entrepreneurs to create startups, millennial generations to have ownership and association with their own currency of choices that they are craving and desire to make better choices in pursuit of their life quest.

 
Marketorders converging platform and its MOT Token [cryptocurrency] can be the lifeline the offline retailers need to transform. MOT will create the ability to transact with an opportunity to experience a smart retail phenomenon in the future of a cashless society. And we are still only at the very beginning in terms of seeing what blockchain technology can accomplish.

 

 

MOTokens [cryptocurrency] envisions and working towards a future where ultimately MOT, the native currency, will be the cryptocurrency of choice for millennials to spend, earn and transact in the digital world.

 
Our fresh and new strategic platform and approach will pave the way for offline retailers to engage with millennial generations in an experiential economy.

 
This will give millennials a direct say to how their community spends and supports the local retail scene.

 
To align the transformation of brick and mortar of the future and millennial thinkers in entering a new market free of centralization and rich with intelligence and innovation. The cryptocurrency may be just what is needed to enter the smart retail space.

 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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Creating the future of millennial retail with cryptocurrency

 

While the volatility is positive for speculative investors, it is also causing more hesitancy on the part of consumers to use it as a reliable fiat currency alternative. Unfortunately, the cryptocurrency craze has attracted too many ICO startups whose intentions are focused solely on watching their valuation being pushed to the pinnacle by the speculators. Often, there is no other utility outside of their cryptocurrency merely being a way to inflate their bank accounts.

 

MarketOrders solves the problem and challenges faced by offline retailers in dealing with millennial generations of consumers by creating a tech marketplace for them. Millenials are Smartphone driven and attention deficit and need to be able to access information on demand and on their mobiles.

 

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/office-meeting-business-partners-336368/

 

How is MarketOrders solving this challenges?

 

MarketOrders is bringing a Converging platform for offline retailers to future proof it by embracing new technologies using blockchain technology- NOT the least of which is the advent of cryptocurrency.

 

Blockchain invented a trust-less decentralized currency, owned and transacted by entire communities and movements. This could not be accomplished with traditional [fiat] currency in the circulation.

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/block-chain-shaking-hands-handshake-3468276/

 

 

For the first time in the modern history, communities can be served by currencies of choice without geographical boundaries, language, race, and religion restriction.

 

Despite a multifold of possibilities this new technology presents, it is critical that MarketOrders focuses initially on embracing this digital era and the millennial uprising that is causing disruption to offline retailers [brick and mortar].

 

This trend is being driven by a desire to tap into the rise of the experiential economy.

 

This experience became the blueprint for every brick and mortar shops. Digitization brings so much of convenience but customers are still looking for surprises and spontaneity in their shopping experience, which can only be achieved with a physical environment.

 

This actually creates positive tension between convenience and smart shopping with the experiential element to it and bring realization to an entire retail industry that in today’s digital and fast-moving technology world, only remain constant is the change.

 

Therefore, retailers are under pressure to move quickly to implement technology into their business. Retailers are constantly seeking technologies to both bolster customer experience and increase efficiency. To execute this vision of online and in-store experiences powered by technology, retailers need to leverage the critical skill sets of both business leaders and infrastructure and operations professionals, which can be very expensive for small retailers.

 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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MarketOrders News

A Winning Week for MarketOrders – Winning £100k investment + Rising Star Award

It’s been a winning week for MarketOrders who this week won first prize at the Blockchain Accelerator held in London on 6-8th July.  

Sukhi Jutla, MarketOrders co-founder and COO pitched to a panel of judges and investors and won the winning pitch from 20 other companies competing for the top prize.

This win is a further testament to the work we are doing at MarketOrders as well as the realisation that the gold industry is ripe for disruption. And this is exactly what the investors see – they see incredible growth opportunities with MarketOrders.

This win also signifies MarketOrders entry into the blockchain space where this technology will be used to create trusted transactions across the gold jewellery industry where currently only 4% of gold jewellery transactions occur online due to a lack of trust in the marketplace. MarketOrders is on a mission to change this and to bring greater transparency across the gold industry

Sukhi’s excellent pitching skills also secured MarketOrders sponsored WeWork office space a well as private mentoring from top entrepreneurs worth £20,000.

Well done Sukhi for leading the way and being an excellent role model for other female founders and entrepreneurs!

Winning the Rising Stars Award

This week, Sukhi also collected her Rising Star awards from We Are The City (WATC). 

The WATC awards received over 1250 nominations and we are really proud to announce that our co-founder and COO walked away with the winning entry for the Entrepreneurs & Startup category. 

Well done Sukhi for being a shining example and a leading role model for tech female founders. We are super proud of you!

In addition, MarketOrders and Sukhi were featured in the prestigious “The Sunday Times”.

Wow, what a winning week it has been for MarketOrders!

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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MarketOrders News

Why the future of retail sits at the intersection of e-commerce and the physical retail shop?

 

The digitisation of Gold Jewellery Industry on MarketOrders platform becomes location agnostic and open to global gold jewellery industry which can constantly evolve by investing in and building Unique IP that will add value for every participant on the platform.

 

In order to make MarketOrders a strong marketplace for the gold jewellery industry, MarketOrders must continue to invest heavily in machine learning, blockchain technology and data – analytics capabilities to gain and gather intelligence from trade data flow.

 

 

MarketOrders enhances the intersection of e-commerce and physical retail stores. Retailers understand that strong customer engagement can only be achieved by implementing new innovation and new technology. This realization causes retailers to think about the need to innovate. They are constantly seeking to evolve and innovate. To execute this vision of an in-store experience powered by technology, retailers need to leverage the capital-skill set of both infrastructure and operations which can cost them a fortune.

 

Keeping in mind that retailers are prime for fresh ideas and new approaches, MarketOrders platform introduces new technology to retailers to help elevate the customer experience and create an incentive for shopping offline and driving purchase intent by increasing the visibility of demand  by allowing retailers to discover product of relevance, reduce shoppers frustration and help create pleasing experience and increasing chance of customer delight.

 

We believe that the future of retail sits at the intersection of e-commerce and the physical retail shop. MarketOrders will bring and enhance these two experiences into a seamless integrated and complementary approach.

 

 

The ultimate goal of MarketOrders is to help retailers to leverage real-time placement for retail stores which will create a concentrated and consolidated Marketplace with retail-user interface integration with a unique point of buying. This will enable and optimize retail buying to be unique, personalized and enable customisable experiences and pushes retailers to know who is their customer in the rise of the experience economy.

 

Today, the world is entering a new phase of globalization where digital technology is rapidly changing the nature of doing business. MarketOrders platform is adopting the technology to digitize the entire end to end supply chain of the gold jewellery industry in this new world across physical and digital commerce by bringing a centralized hub and digitising it.

 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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MarketOrders News

Proud to announce MarketOrders co-founder, Sukhi Jutla, wins the Top 100 Rising Star awards!

 

We at MarketOrders are over the moon to announce that our co-founder and COO, Sukhi Jutla, won the We Are The City’s Rising Star Awards (Entrepreneur) beating over 1,250 candidates- well done Sukhi!
 

The Awards are powered by The Sunday Times and Sukhi will attend a glittering awards ceremony to pick up her award in July!

 

 

 

 

About WATC Rising Stars Awards

The Rising Star awards were introduced to showcase the UK pipeline of female talent below management and to create female 100 role models across different industries and professions.

The awards were entered by 1,250 individuals were judged by a panel of 54 independent judges. Over 35,000 public votes were received for the 200 shortlisted nominees. The awards were kindly sponsored by The Times & The Sunday Times and supported by 3M, Accenture, Aon, Barclays, Bloomberg, Cancer Research UK, CMI Women, Edit Development, EPAA, Jessica Huie Public Relations (JHPR), Jobbio, Kier, Lloyds Banking Group, Lloyd’s, Northern Trust, PedalSure, Reed Smith, Royal Navy, SAGE and Sodexo.

 

 

We at MarketOrders would like to congratulate all the winners and extend a sincere thanks to everyone who supported Sukhi’s nomination for the Rising Stars during 2018 – thank you for your support!

 

Check out the full list of winners here: https://bit.ly/2tbxYqW

 

https://risingstars.wearethecity.com/rising-stars-winners-2018/rising-stars-entrepreneurs-startups-2018/

 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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Why the gold jewellery industry must adopt a platform strategy

 

The gold jewellery industry is a very ancient industry. It is as old as civilisation itself when early humans would gift gold and adorn it on their bodies. From day one it has had a cultural and personal significance. And thousands of years later, it still remains an untapped and fragmented market where technology has yet to make it smark on this industry worth $175 billion dollar industry.

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/sculpture-museum-perth-gold-digger-1104196/

 
Today, this industry still operates in a highly fragmented and scattered manner. As a result, the industry must re-invent itself as a hub suited for the digital world.

 

Today in digitally dominated economies, marketplaces offer customers the opportunity to connect with one another. The Gold Jewelry industry must adopt this approach of a centralized marketplace. In a way, the marketplace is the most ancient way of trading goods. And this is also where the digital age has gravitated towards – a marketplace that is truly global in scale with thanks to technology.

 

A digitised centralised platform will act as a key advantage for sellers and buyers by allowing them to connect through a digitally initiated platform.

 

Today, digital technologies are changing the nature of globalization. The digital economy is driven by the rapid growth of a digital transformation and it’s happening at a breakneck speed.

 

photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/bitcoin-money-virtual-market-3137984/

 

The MarketOrders platform will be an engine of innovation for gold jewellery retailers specifically and retailers in general SME’s as it will allow them to participate in international trade without the need to invest in their own technology-driven supply chain.

 

In the changing landscape, gold jewellery retailers and the entire industry needs to re-imagine and re-invent its position in centralised platforms and leverage its current strength in physical gold trade retailing to create a new digital trade.

 

 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao

 

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Why the Gold industry needs to wake up to the reality of blockchain technology

 
I walked into the newsagent to get some water and nibbles as I was driving a long way to visit one of my customers on the outskirts of London. It should have been an uneventful occurrence to grab a bottle of water when my eyes darted to what I thought was an ATM machine. But this was no ordinary ATM.

 

It said ‘BITCOIN ATM Machine’

 

 

 

I instantly looked at the shop owner and he smiled back and said,’ I know what your thinking’ as if he had read my mind!

 

I am a passionate advocate for blockchain technology and recently qualified as an IBM Foundation Blockchain Developer to quench my growing thirst for how this technology suddenly became more mainstream and the ways in which it is already disrupting traditional industries. (see my last post where my co-founder Sukhi Jutla, became the works, first author, to have a book published on the blockchain.

http://s752989504.websitehome.co.uk/get-women-fintech-interview-marketorders-coo-co-founder-sukhi-jutla/

 

I continued to look at the Bitcoin ATM machine as I had heard about their existence but till now thought it was the myth. I didn’t realize people were using cryptocurrency to pay for their water bottles already!

 

Though blockchain tech is relatively new (it’s under a decade old), I am a newcomer to this industry but it’s changing so fast already. I have recently begun to get really inspired and excited about the way this technology can bring about huge changes especially in making things move more efficiently. In the gold industry, this means more transparency in the supply chain process as well as in confirming the origin of products.

 

So thought I was surprised to see my first Bitcoin vending machine, it certainly won’t be the last time I will see it. Perhaps next time, I may even pay for my bottle of water with a cryptocurrency!
 

 Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao
 

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How to get more women into FinTech – an interview with MarketOrders COO and co – founder Sukhi Jutla

 
In today’s post @WomenInTech interviewed our co-founder and COO, Sukhi Jutla.
 

Sukhi is passionate about helping more women get into tech and MarketOrders also aims to
promote and champion more women in tech.
 


 
Read on for the full interview in which Sukhi shares her views on:

  • the changes in the FinTech space over the last few years
  • how we can inspire more women into FinTech careers
  • the importance of equality
  • inspiring words for female founders

 

Has the gender landscape changed in the FinTech environment from what you have seen over the last few years? If so, in what way?
When I started out in banking over a decade ago I was usually the only women in the meeting room. Or one of only a handful when attending related conferences. But today, with the explosion of FinTech becoming more mainstream and more and more people entering entrepreneurship, I see more women entering the FinTech space.
This is also because FinTech has expanded out of the constraints of banking and is now spilling into other areas of our day to day lives, such as blockchain being used in the creative industries by authors and musicians. FinTech is no longer constrained to the big banking giants. It has now become more accessible and is being used in different ways. And this is great becomes it encourages more women to consider working in this area.
 

What can we do to inspire more women into Fintech?
FinTech from the outside does seem like a male-dominated industry as people tend to think its all about computing and coding. But the essence of this industry is all about how to be more creative using people and technology. And it is these skills precisely; people skills and creativity, that i think women have plenty of expertise and strengths in.
To inspire more women into FinTech, we need to highlight the key skills and aptitudes it takes to succeed in this field and let women know that they don’t have to be coders or programmers to do well in FinTech.
We need to show that FinTech is all-encompassing and welcomes all skills and backgrounds. And more importantly, that it is an industry open to anyone as long as you are creative and curious and have a desire to use technology for good.
Showcasing and highlighting women’s efforts and success in the world of FinTech is also a good way to show other women that FinTech is a viable career path for them. It’s important that we champion and support each other!
 

What does equality mean to you?
Equality means being given opportunities and awarded credit based on what you bring to the table regardless of your gender or background.
What would you like to see change in regards to equality in FinTech?
There should be more focus on showcasing all the industries that FinTech is shaking up. It’s no longer just the domain of finance. For example, blockchain is shaking things up in traditional industries such as fishing, shipping and even gold jewellery.
The more we can share about how FinTech is changing our lives, the more we can raise awareness that FinTech is not just for the banking elite, but open for anyone who is curious and creative enough to want to see how technology can be used to disrupt their industry.
For example, my company, MarketOrders is looking into how blockchain can be used in the traditional gold jewellery industry. From payments to verifying the source of the gold, there is a lot of scope for change and creating better processes and systems.
 

What inspirational words would you offer to other women?
Identify the types of skills and work you enjoy doing and that brings out the best in you. Then find work that will use those unique abilities you have. I call this your ‘Unfair Advantage’ and talk about it in my book ‘Escape The Cubicle: Quit The Job You Hate, Create A Life You Love’.
For example, if you are great at organising and getting things done, then you can look into working for a FinTech startup that needs those types of skills.
FinTech is not only for coders and programmers. Every successful company needs a balance of skills and abilities and you need to see what you are good at and how you can best contribute. And the added bonus is when you do work you, love, you never have to work a day in your life!
FinTech is going to continue to be a growing part of our lives and there has never been a more exciting time to jump in and shape this exciting future. So I welcome you to join this growing industry and put your stamp on it!
 

Written by CEO & Founder, Ram Krishnna Rao