Q&A With Eathan Janney, Co-Founder of Outer Edge LA (Formerly NFT LA)

Can you tell us about your background and how you first got interested in the Web3 space?

I’m a musician and entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. I was fascinated with Bitcoin way back in 2008 when it came on the scene. I even tried to accept it as payment for one of my businesses. That was before I learned to code and fully understood how it worked.

Alas, I got distracted by my Ph.D., and crypto left me behind for years. When I heard the buzz about NFTs among my friends, I saw the potential within the creator economy and more. Immediately, I was sold.

In March of 2021, I started the Edge of NFT Podcast with my co-founders, Jeff Kelley and Josh Kriger. The podcast led to us starting NFT LA a year later, and now we are bringing the event back to Los Angeles for another year as Outer Edge.

This year, we are expanding the event to include new, innovative aspects of our event like our Outer Edge Land Grants and our Hackathon.

What is the goal of Outer Edge LA? Who is Outer Edge LA for?

Outer Edge was designed for everyone with a desire to build at the intersection of Web3 and culture – from beginners to advanced NFT experts.

The event also targets thought-leaders from entertainment, technology, and DeFi domains who want to co-create in Los Angeles in the context of a global community of tech leaders.

When we looked at the composition of last year’s attendees, particularly speakers and sponsors, it was clear that the conversations taking place were much broader than NFTs.

The industry is expanding rapidly and so is the outer edge of what's possible with Web3, emerging technologies, and new creator economies, therefore, we adapted the name to be more inclusive and reflect that broader diversity.

Can you tell us about some of this year’s top speakers?

We’re excited to have some new heavyweights joining us this year, including:

• William Shatner,

• Investor and 10x NYT best-selling author, Neil Strauss

• LA Rams CCO, Jennifer Prince

• IBM Web3 & Blockchain Services Lead, Shyam Nagarajan

We also have some returning industry leaders:

• Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, Yat Siu

• 2-time NBA All-Star, Baron Davis

What unique experiences are you most looking forward to this year?

Overall, we’re looking forward to creating a unique and immersive experience for the highest echelons of builders and creators. It’s going to be an inspiring environment where we can work together to co-create the future of Web3.

Alongside the leading builders, we anticipate a large turnout from mainstream attendees that are curious and ready to learn and grow with us.

We are also excited about the partners that have come on board this year to help us deliver an unforgettable experience. We’ll close out Q1 and launch into Q2 headed for a bright future to last throughout  2023 and beyond.

Can you tell us about the hackathon?

The hackathon, sponsored by IBM, Animoca Brands, and Stacks, will take place the weekend before the main event, Outer Edge, on March 18-19 in Santa Monica. We want to kick things off by honoring the most dedicated of builders.

If accepted, applicants can enjoy a free hackathon experience. In addition, attendees who actually submit a project for judging are eligible for a free ticket to the main event. Winners will be featured on the main stage.

We foresee lots of incredible opportunities for hackathon participants, including job opportunities, VC exposure, and the occasion for networking with the top 1% in tech. There will be $10,000+ in prizes, bounties, giveaways, and more for participating.

Over the course of 48 hours, we want to encourage deep work in an enjoyable setting, followed by an inspiring main event experience.

Why did Outer Edge choose to create a hackathon this year?

When we think, “Outer Edge,” we think of the builders. The Outer Edge is an exciting territory, but it’s undeveloped. It takes a special kind of individual to weather the bear market conditions with their head down, working on creating something groundbreaking.

The hackathon speaks to our desire to honor builders and creators. A hackathon is a new and groundbreaking thing for us as we continue to grow the event. We are pushing the boundaries - to the outer edge - by hosting this event just as much as the attendees will be pushing theirs.

We are inspired by builders and hackers, and we hope to inspire them as well.

How can people sign up to participate in the hackathon?

Go to https://hackathon.outeredge.live, and click “apply”. We encourage anyone who thinks they can crack this code to apply. Of course, in addition to coders, this hackathon welcomes creatives, artists, no-coders, and anyone that has the chops to co-create something special.

What are Outer Edge’s expansion plans for the future?

We plan to evolve with a continual emphasis on innovating, like the Web3 industry overall. It's critical that events feel like home for newcomers to the Web3 space and that we strike the right balance across components of the event.

We will also become a home for tech innovation outside of Web3, in domains as diverse as AI, education, and cutting-edge healthcare.

How do you envision the evolution of industry events unfolding over the next decade?

We will continue to see different technologies and ideas within the Web3 space collide. Innovations will enable more personalized and immersive ways to build connections between creators, brands, audiences, and consumers.

The blockchain space will encourage more collaboration and more diversity in the ranks. We’ll be integrating the Podcast and Media divisions of our company more deeply with events this year and, ideally, for years to come.

We believe the future is in events that take full advantage of today’s tech and culture to create a year-round community experience punctuated by fantastic events that inspire and elevate us all.