Hello! My name is Michael Abraha and I am builder in the tech space. I enjoy researching and working in emerging tech spaces like web3 (blockchain) and AI. I figured it was easier to create a short blog post describing an overview of my experiences that I can’t all fit into a resume.
I have a background in researching foreign policy and government contracting while obtaining my MBA and bachelor's degrees. I also have learned front-end development within coding BootCamp which exposed me to the technical side of building digital products. My professional experiences are in product management, marketing, and sales.
Product
During my experience working as a product manager, I learned how to use agile and scrum methodologies to lead development and design teams while spearheading communication with clients for feedback. Notable products I have built are Tony Robbins RPM mobile and web applications as well as a game called Sharades.
Marketing
Content creation and writing aren’t my only strong skills when it comes to marketing, I have also built strategic partnerships and cross-marketing developments between partnered organizations. In my time at Fueled, I have resourced staff with our partnered organizations that I sourced to fill the gaps in our development teams. I have also bridged revenue share agreements for SAAS products that can enhance storage, crypto wallet development, and much more.
Sales
My experience encompasses working directly with using various SAAS products to track document and execute brand partnerships with the leaders in the web3 space. I have also built an outbound strategy within the sales team at Fueled to expand our client pool from web3 and government contracting. I have sourced open bids from the federal government and have properly assessed the requirements and resourced a development team to respond to various RFI’s.
Blockchain Web3
Outside of my professional experiences, I have built a wide network in the blockchain space by attending, hosting, and speaking at various blockchain conferences. Content creation is also a task I have contracted for at various expos around the world such as the annual Bitcoin Conference hosted by Bitcoin Magazine outside of being a writing contributor. Since 2017, I have been researching blockchain in crypto and have established a blockchain club at Mount St. Mary’s University. While attending various conferences as a student I built partnerships with the event coordinator at The North American BTC Conference (TNABC now known as Quantum), Futurist Conference/ETH Toronto, Black Blockchain Summit, and Bitcoin Magazine. I have introduced the showrunners to a handful of student volunteers, potential sponsors, and PR firms for promotion.
Speaking Engagements
EthCC Paris
Discussion on how web3 can help bring aid to the humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia. There is currently a man-made famine occurring in Tigray due to ethnic clashes and I describe how blockchain organizations can provide aid and education services to those in need.
ETH Denver
Group presentation on how Internet blockades can directly affect people's freedom across the world. We highlight how the conflict in Tigray Ethiopia shows the world how important accessing the internet is especially during times of conflict.
Hackathons & Workshops
Hxouse Labs is an incubator based in Toronto founded by XO and The Weeknd. The purpose is to bridge the gap between creators and entrepreneurs to the leaders in innovation and tech.
Crypto Workshop: We Engaged in the "Web3xSocial" program, a collaboration with Frothy, a creative and marketing agency specializing in Web3 ventures.
AI Workshop: Participants were selected from a competitive pool to participate in the exclusive "Neural Artists" workshop, a collaboration between Stranger Loops Studio, OpenAI, and Notch. We were Beta testers to DALL·E 2, exploring the frontiers of AI-driven art generation and prompting techniques.
NFT Hackathon: I was able to participate in a day-long hackathon with various web3 developers and 3D designers to build an NFT concept for The Weeknds’ “Dawn FM” Album. Presented our concept to the HXOUSE and XO teams, demonstrating a seamless blend of 3D design, blockchain technology, and creative strategy under time pressure. My team produced various NFT designs, a ticketed NFT escape room experience, and a 3D model in AR. We placed 1st in the competition which gave us entry into the Hxouse Labs incubator as collaborators and free tickets to his final show in L.A.
NFT Tour
In 2020, there was an unfortunate civil conflict that led to ethnic cleansing and genocide in Tigray, Ethiopia. Since that is my home, I felt the responsibility to use my resources in the blockchain space to advocate and raise awareness. Aside from speaking at conferences, I helped create an NFT collection alongside various artists called the Tigray Art Collective (twitter: @arttigray). We were able to host galleries in Chicago, D.C, Las Vegas, Denver, and Paris. Aside from raising awareness, we were able to fundraise +$30,000 which we allocated to NGOs working on the ground to distribute food in Tigray.
I hope this visual and descriptive blog/portfolio can help readers and hiring managers have a better idea of who I am outside of what I can fit on my resume and cover letter. Thanks for reading, have a blessed year!
“Embrace your strangeness. Identify what makes you different. Fuse those things together, and become an anomaly.” -Robert Greene