Get inspired by the talent and passion that drives Validation Cloud forward. Meet Alec Korba, our skilled VP of Business Development based in Boston.
Q: What inspired you to join the Validation Cloud team and how do you see your role contributing to the mission of the company?
A: I’ve been working in crypto for a long time and have been looking for an experienced team with seasoned leadership and credibility to usher the largest businesses in the world into crypto. When I met the founders of Validation Cloud, I knew they were serious about institutional adoption and had the focus and talent to realize this vision. In my role I expect to help make our blockchain partners exceptional at onboarding institutions.
Q: What is your role at Validation Cloud, and could you share some details about your previous experience and background? (share companies, industries)
A: I am VP of Business Development at Validation Cloud. I worked in Big Data for 15 years to bring alternative business models to series A data companies, mostly orbiting around the MIT community (VoltDB and Tomorrow.io). In 2014 I helped to found a white label Bitcoin exchange and became hooked on the intersection of data and decentralized financial products. Previously I have worked for Binance.com in Central Business Development, was the Head of BD for TON Foundation, and Head of Sales for Flipside Crypto.
Q: What are your thoughts on the potential impact of Web3 technology, and how do you think Validation Cloud can help organizations tap into its potential?
A: Initially, blockchains were interesting to me because they allow for transparency and self-custody in a space where so many people are at a disadvantage. Starting with currencies themselves there is no question that the world needs a medium of exchange that is native to the internet which not only allows for more efficiencies but also exponentially more access to financial products. This can reduce fees, processing times, and allow everyone faster access and more control over their own funds. Now we’re seeing institutions move in and identify ways to create more sophisticated financial products that allow them to pass those experiences on to their clients and retail users. This extends beyond finance, or in a way, blends finance with all aspects of life. We’re even seeing young people claim custody over their own digital self-expression through things like Bitmojis.
The opportunity now is to enable use cases where people have control over what data is transparent and what data is private. Control over where money is custodied, how long it takes to transact, and opening the world a form of communication that is greatly rewarding, efficient, and equitable.
Q: What do you think sets Validation Cloud apart from other Web3 infrastructure companies?
A: Validation Cloud is about focusing on being the best at what we do. We hire the smartest people in their roles and solve some of the most complex and mission critical gaps in the industry. We make blockchains faster, more secure, more scalable, more resilient, and we make the data on those blockchains more accessible and powerful. This boils down to focus, passion, and integrity which I’m seeing in spades on this team.
Q: Which team values resonate with you the most, and why?
A: Our core values are all important. Without one we wouldn’t be who we are and we can’t compromise on any of them. Integrity stands out as a core component of our success thus far. We’ve over indexed on things like compliance and resilience in our products to a point that the businesses we partner with can be 100% confident in our offerings.
Q: How do you plan on collaborating with other team members to deliver highly performant and customizable products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service?
A: In my role I work with the entire business — from product, engineering, marketing, leadership, and all of the operations to make sure the blocking and tackling happens to win as a team.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work? Any hobbies or interests outside of Web3?
A: My personal life is centered around my wife and two daughters. Luckily for me they’ve adopted many of my interests. We take our dogs for long hikes, mountain biking, trail riding, and lots of gardening both indoors and outdoors. We love music, travel, learning, swimming, tennis, and spicy food.
Q: How do you see enterprises benefiting from Web3 technology? Where do you see the biggest potential when bridging Web2 and Web3 technologies and organizations?
A: For the Enterprise Web3 is about getting to know your users and producing the right incentives and offerings for them. In Web2 you see much more interaction with users through data, however these systems can be exploitative and in many cases spook users away. Web3 allows enterprises to give users ownership of their data, create new methods of interacting with and incentivizing users based on their goals, and protecting those users through immutable technology to secure long term loyalty. This is what we are trying to solve.
About Validation Cloud
Validation Cloud is a Web3 data streaming and infrastructure company that connects organizations into Web3 through a fast, scalable, and intelligent platform. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Validation Cloud offers highly performant and customizable products in staking, node, and data-as-a-service. Learn more at validationcloud.io| Linkedin | X