Ven Gist

I am a researcher, designer, and organizer advancing the integration of decentralized modes of organizing and coordination throughout society. My research explores emerging forms of decentralized coordination and network formation, drawing from network science, game theory, and philosophy of technology to understand how society can evolve alongside technological systems while maintaining its autonomy. Through systems and design thinking, I develop novel frameworks and tools that enable more effective ways of working together. I bring these innovations to life by facilitating initiatives and events that advance our practical understanding of coordination at scale.

Combining strategic insight with hands-on implementation experience, I help organizations navigate the complexities of emerging coordination systems and decentralized governance. My interdisciplinary approach bridges theoretical frameworks with practical solutions, creating innovations that drive meaningful organizational change. I'm driven by the conviction that transforming how we coordinate is the key to solving our most complex challenges—and I thrive on proving it's possible through direct experimentation.

Let's cooperate

I help ecosystems and organizations navigate the complex landscape of decentralized coordination by combining deep research with practical implementation. My work spans three core pillars of interconnected contribution – research, design, and facilitation.

Let's Connect

Inquiries to: vengist[at]proton[dot]me

Research & Development

- Applied research on network formation and scaling
- Framework development and theoretical synthesis
- Publication writing and editing
- Visual documentation and diagramming
- Knowledge synthesis across disciplines

Design & Strategy

- Systems design for decentralized organizations
- Product strategy and user experience design
- Visual design and art direction
- Brand development and positioning
- Launch strategy for new initiatives

Facilitation & Implementation

- Workshop and sprint facilitation
- Cross-team coordination and sensemaking
- Governance design and implementation
- Event organization and curation
- Resource acquisition and funding strategy

Current Projects

Organizing & Events

Cosmolocal Playground

Co-organizing an experimental residency program in Amsterdam bridging local insight with global web3 innovation

cosmolocal.space
Ethereal Forest

Local DAO in Portland, Oregon. Co-organized the General Forum on Ethereum Localism (GFEL).

etherealforest.org
Genereal Forum on Ethereum Localism

Imagined as a container where the Ethereum community can elaborate for itself, in a plurality of directions, what an experimentalism of the city can mean and look like for web3.

View Website

Research Initiatives

Open Protocol Research Group (OPRG)

Comparative synthesis of technical and social protocols toward novel approaches to protocol design, governance, and scaling

Read on Mirror
Hyperactive Public Goods Funding (HPGF)

Developing frameworks combining methods of proactive, retroactive, and progressive funding into end to end solutions for public goods funding.

link forthcoming
Open Mutualism Guild (OMG)

Exploring emerging models of mutual aid and cooperation in networks

View Website

Infrastructure & Tools

Public Nouns

Nouns fork with DAO treasury directed at supporting public goods.

publicnouns.wtf
Farcastle (farcastle.net)

DAO toolkit for the Farcaster social network protocol

farcastle.net
Attractors

Developing essential infrastructure for guild operations

link forthcoming
FUX

Protocol and dapp for group commitments and peer review (allocation of fucks :)

fux.gg

Knowledge Production & Publishing

Guild Guild

Documenting and distributing best practices for guild formation and operation (ala the protocol guild form)

View website
Friends of the Outside: Control, Substrates, and the Afterlife of DAOs

Booklet of network philosophy directed at the future of DAO design, substrates and extitutions.

Read on the Open Machine
Open Machine Publishing Guild

Gonzo philosophy and speculative fiction. Emerging decentralized publishing apparatus.

theopenmachine.net
Research Foundations
Philosophy of Networks and Technology

Drawing on thinkers like Spinoza, Bergson, Deleuze, Vitale, and Simondon to understand the fundamental nature of networks, decentralized systems, and technology's relation to society.

Cybernetics, Semiotics, and Game Theory

Exploring how systems self-regulate and evolve through cybernetic principles, while using game theory and network science to understand emergent patterns of cooperation and collective behavior.

Interdisciplinary Integration

Weaving insights from other fields such as physics, sociology, and biology, with particular attention to quantum variants and their implications for network principles.

High Level Vectors

Self-Organization: Novel forms and modes of self-organization, emergence of collective intelligence, and adaptive governance systems

Public Goods: Infrastructure development, knowledge commons, and regenerative resource allocation

Funding: Capital formation and allocation mechanisms, progressive funding models, and value flow optimization

AI: Agentic governance mechanics, cyborg organizations, and human-AI coordination patterns

Sustainable Culture: Navigation of revenue/evil curve, long-term value alignment, and cultural sovereignty

Network Formation: Dynamics of guild proliferation, protocol-based coordination, and decentralized social graphs

Local-Global Integration: Cosmolocal organization patterns, bridging physical and digital commons, territorial experimentation

Collective Sensemaking: Framework development for group decision-making, knowledge synthesis, and distributed intelligence

Governance Innovation: Novel voting mechanisms, reputation systems, and algorithmic policy implementation

Mutualistic Systems: Cooperative economic models, reciprocal value creation, and networked mutual aid structures

Recent History

Ecosystem Support (2023-Present)

Co-organizer of ecosystem support initiatives focusing on coordination design and public goods funding. Conducted extensive ethnographic research within the Ethereum community, facilitating workshops and salons on topics including coordination mechanics, impact evaluation, and DAO design principles. Co-organized Public Nouns and other influential DAOs

DAO Foundations (2019-2022)
  • Co-founded DAOhaus which helped iterate and proliferate the Moloch governance framework as a foundational lego for decentralilzed governance today.
  • Genesis member of Raid Guild, a decentralized product agency that scaled to 120+ builders delivering hundreds of web3 projects and public goods globally.
  • Co-organized MetaCartel: Decentralized Grants Organization which distributed significant ecosystem support and funding across 6+ years toward the application layer of Ethereum, and later DAOs and events.
Early Web3 Experience (2016-2018)

Led product design and brand development at Odyssy, contributing research, design, and development to early dapps, DAO tools, and infrastructure. Helped to establish foundational patterns for DAO tools and governance systems.