Finally, I am back from Devconnect, but before I share about the amazing week I had there, I would like to do some catch-up on many other topics that got neglected along the way on this blog.

Earlier this year, I was honored to speak at the United Nations Science Summit thanks to the support of Women of Web3. For me, the experience was transformative, not just for my professional journey but for my personal development in the decentralized space.

If you want the TL;DR, no worries, I've got your back with a LinkedIn post from a while ago:

Last Monday, I had the incredible opportunity, thanks to Women of Web3, to give a speech about "Communities Onchain: Tokenized Access" during the United Nations Science Summit 2025. Let me give you... | Stella Achenbach | 39 comments

Last Monday, I had the incredible opportunity, thanks to Women of Web3, to give a speech about "Communities Onchain: Tokenized Access" during the United Nations Science Summit 2025. Let me give you a quick intro on how I ended up there: Since earlier this year, I have had more run-ins than usual with some unique (sadly, only male) individuals in the Web3 space.

https://www.linkedin.com

If you are ready for a few more details and emotional hurdles of mine, let's jump right into it.

I have been part of the Web3 ecosystem for almost 7 years with increasing levels of immersion. I grew up as the daughter of an "IT Wizard" who taught me to fear no technology. Seeing some of my peers struggling tremendously with tech at different stages of my life, I am more than grateful he taught me that important lesson in a playful way early on.

My path in Web3 hasn’t been without challenges, especially this year. Too often, biases and outdated norms shape who gets seen and heard. This is what my dad couldn't prepare me for, but what eventually led me to join forces with women-led spaces like Rolemodel Rebels, SI<3>, and Women of Web3, where resilience and empathy thrive. These groups, along with inspiring figures in Women of Web3, became anchor points—reminders that no one builds the future alone.

This shift led my female peers to suggest me as a speaker at the Summit. Thank you for doing this for me. That said, I am also deeply grateful for my early male allies in the space who taught me the fundamentals and encouraged my deeper involvement. Both are what give me the strength to keep pushing the boundaries of what I do in Web3. In a recent conversation with Chris Carella, co-founder of Charmverse and Scout Game, he told me, "You are doing God's work," referring to my role in DAO* operations and coordination.

That is clearly an overstatement, but human coordination and operating DAOs really does take heavy lifting. Feeling personally safe and supported enough to pour my energy into fellow DAO members matters even more because of that.

* Decentralized Autonomous Organizations are groups that use decentralized technologies and, in some cases, automation to govern themselves and make collective decisions.

When I started preparing my 4-minute speech for the UN Summit, I honestly felt pretty overwhelmed. I knew I would speak to a very mixed audience; some might know what I am talking about, others might not. I realized the time provided is only enough to convey one message, not multiple. So I decided to focus on what I believe is the actual engine of Web3: People, many of us, or simply communities!

"The times when our future rested on a single hero riding in to save the day are over. "

There was a time when progress depended on lone heroes, but the real movement and tools being built in Web3 enable communities of every size to take charge and work together on aligned missions across borders. At the United Nations Science Summit, I shared how I believe true impact requires all of us to step out of the passive roles we have been confined to for many years. Our world has become too scary to sit back and scroll through Instagram or Facebook feeds. Aligned, decentralized communities will play a significant role in shaping our future world, but we need to give them a chance and be willing to evolve.

"Authentic communities aren’t hype-driven clubs; they’re living systems of shared purpose, responsibility, risk, and reward."

The truth is, working in novel environments as a collective without the insistence of steep hierarchies is not easy, nor is it frictionless. But here is my question to you: Just because something is difficult, should we give up even though the result can be meaningful and impactful for many people? I don't think so. Therefore, I am leaving you with one more quote from my speech:

"There is no single blueprint, and sometimes that means things get messy before they get meaningful."

Here is the full speech for those of you who share a deeper interest in my non-creative work around coordination and decentralized system design:

During the Summit, I was not just a speaker but also had the honor of listening to many more powerful voices. Some of them moved me deeply. Liz Bazurto’s story mirrored many of my own struggles, while Grace Magny-Fokam brought contagious optimism on how AI could reshape climate action.

The participation of a thoughtfully curated panel by Cyndi Coon, Sandy Martinez, Marisa “Ritzy P” Estrada Rivera, and Mauricio Cruz created a space for meaningful learning and inspiration across the board. I wish there were more stages like this one, fostering inspiration and potentially widening listeners' horizons.

If this vision inspires you, I invite you to learn more about The ALANA Project or connect with me via LinkedIn. This journey isn’t about novelty—it’s about making digital spaces work for everyone. Let’s keep the conversation going and support each other in shaping the next era of fair and creative collaboration.

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