Please describe your proposed solution

The solution combines active conference representation with an ongoing educational blogging initiative:

Conference Representation:

• Attend and present at three major identity conferences: IIW (Spring and Fall 2025), DID:UNCONF AFRICA 2025, and DICE 2025.
• Deliver compelling presentations and interactive demonstrations of Identus capabilities.
• Facilitate workshops and networking sessions to engage with the identity community.

Educational Blogging:

• Produce a series of in-depth blog posts (at least 2 per month) covering various aspects of Cardano's identity solutions.
• Topics will include:
• Technical deep-dives into Identus architecture
• Tutorials on implementing Identus in different scenarios
• Case studies and potential use cases
• Comparisons with other identity solutions
• Conference recaps and insights
• Create accompanying code samples and demos for blog posts.

Community Engagement:

• Host regular online Q&A sessions to discuss blog content and conference learnings.
• Encourage community contributions to the blog and open-source materials.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

The project will positively impact the Cardano community by:

1. Increasing visibility of Identus in the global SSI community. The Atala team missed in the past. While the Atala team developed a great technology stack in the past, large parts of the SSI have never heard about it.
2. Attracting developers to build on Cardano's identity infrastructure.
3. Fostering potential enterprise adoptions and partnerships.
4. Enhancing Cardano's reputation in the decentralized identity space.
5. Facilitating knowledge transfer between the identity community and Cardano developers.
6. Providing a continual stream of educational content, keeping the community informed and engaged with Cardano's identity solutions.
7. Creating a valuable resource library for developers and enterprises interested in implementing Identus.
8. Enhancing Cardano's reputation as a thought leader in the decentralized identity space through regular, high-quality content publication.

We will measure impact through metrics such as:

• New developers contributing to Identus post-conferences
• Increase in Identus-related discussions in Cardano forums
• Blog post views, shares, and engagement metrics
• Growth in Identus GitHub activity correlated with blog post publications
• Increase in community-contributed content and discussions stemming from blog posts

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The team consists of experienced professionals with expertise in blockchain technology, decentralized identity systems, and conference representation:

John Ndigirigi - Lead Developer, Presenter, and Primary Blog Author

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndigirigijohn/

Role: John will lead the development of presentation materials, represent Identus at conferences, and lead the content creation for the blog, leveraging his technical expertise to produce in-depth articles and tutorials. John has worked with Identus on a regular basis for over a year and has extensive experience with all aspects of the project.

John's relevant experience includes:

• Developing Cardano-based solutions for educational credential management under DirectEd Development
• <https://www.directed.dev/>
• <https://x.com/DirectEdDev/status/1716198624671973415>
• Implementing Open Badges standards in blockchain environments
• <https://github.com/bsandmann/blocktrust.CredentialBadges>
• Contributing to open-source projects in the Cardano ecosystem
• <https://github.com/hyperledger/identus-cloud-agent/issues>
• Working with the Blocktrust team to deliver identity tooling for developers.
• <https://blocktrust.dev/>
• <https://github.com/bsandmann/blocktrust.CredentialWorkflow>
• Extensive community engagement experience including speaking on Identity topics.
• [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7128315806328762368-_Zlk?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop ](<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7128315806328762368-_Zlk?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop >)
• [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7130056568833781760-MR_3?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop ](<https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7130056568833781760-MR_3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop >)

Advisor (unpaid role): Björn Sandmann has declared himself willing to support this project with some architectural and software development advice. He is a senior .NET developer with multiple years of experience in the SSI space. Particularly, he is known in the Cardano / Identus community for infrastructure projects, like the OpenPrismNode or the Blocktrust Analytics platform.

Additional roles to be outsourced:

• Graphic Designer: To create visually compelling presentation materials, demos, and blog post graphics.
• Technical Editor: To review and refine blog posts, ensuring clarity and accuracy of technical content.

To validate our approach and ensure feasibility, we will:

1. Perform dry runs of presentations and demos with the Cardano community for feedback.
2. Publish an initial set of blog posts .
3. Seek regular feedback from the Cardano community on blog topics and content depth.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Project Initiation, IIW Spring 2025, and Blog Launch (Months 1-4)

Outputs:

• Project plan and timeline
• Successful presentation and/or workshop delivery at IIW Spring 2025
• Launch of the Cardano Identity blog with at least 6 initial posts
• Comprehensive post-conference report

Acceptance Criteria:

• Completion of project plan with clear objectives and timelines
• Delivery of at least one presentation or workshop at IIW Spring 2025
• Publication of 6 high-quality blog posts covering diverse Identus topics

Evidence of milestone completion:

Well documented outputs linked through a github repository

Milestone 2: DID:UNCONF AFRICA and Content Expansion (Months 5-7)

Outputs:

• Successful presentation and/or workshop delivery at DID:UNCONF AFRICA
• Publication of at least 6 new blog posts, including African use cases
• Hosting of 2 community Q&amp;A sessions based on blog content

Acceptance Criteria:

• Establishment of at least three new connections with African identity projects
• Achieving a target readership metric for blog posts (to be defined in project plan)
• Positive feedback from community Q&amp;A sessions

Evidence of milestone completion:

Well documented outputs linked through a github repository

Milestone 3: DICE, Mid-Project Review, and Content Depth (Months 8-10)

Outputs:

• Successful presentation and/or workshop delivery at DICE
• Publication of at least 6 new blog posts, including advanced technical topics
• Comprehensive mid-project report analyzing impact of conference and blogging activities

Acceptance Criteria:

• Demonstration of increasing engagement metrics for blog posts
• Completion of a thorough analysis of project impact to date

Evidence of milestone completion:

Well documented outputs linked through a github repository

Final Milestone: IIW Fall 2025 and Project Conclusion (Months 11-12)

Outputs:

• Successful presentation and/or workshop delivery at IIW Fall 2025
• Publication of final set of blog posts, bringing total to at least 24 for the year
• Final project report summarizing all conference activities, blogging impact, and outcomes
• Comprehensive set of open-source materials from all conferences and blog content

Acceptance Criteria:

• Delivery of a well-received presentation or workshop at IIW Fall 2025
• Achievement of target metrics for blog readership and engagement
• Compilation of all project materials and insights into a comprehensive, publicly accessible repository

Evidence of milestone completion:

Well documented outputs linked through a github repository

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Our team consists of experienced professionals with expertise in blockchain technology, decentralized identity systems, and conference representation:

John Ndigirigi - Lead Developer, Presenter, and Primary Blog Author LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndigirigijohn/ Role: John will lead the development of presentation materials, represent Identus at conferences, and lead the content creation for the blog, leveraging his technical expertise to produce in-depth articles and tutorials.

John's relevant experience includes:

• Developing Cardano-based solutions for educational credential management under DirectEd Development
• <https://www.directed.dev/>
• <https://x.com/DirectEdDev/status/1716198624671973415>
• Implementing Open Badges standards in blockchain environments
• <https://github.com/bsandmann/blocktrust.CredentialBadges>
• Contributing to open-source projects in the Cardano ecosystem
• <https://github.com/hyperledger/identus-cloud-agent/issues>
• Working with the Blocktrust team to deliver identity tooling for developers.
• <https://blocktrust.dev/>
• <https://github.com/bsandmann/blocktrust.CredentialWorkflow>
• Extensive community engagement experience including speaking on Identity topics.
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7128315806328762368-_Zlk?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ndigirigijohn_devfestmtkenya-devfestmtkenya-blockchain-activity-7130056568833781760-MR_3?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop

Advisor (unpaid role): Björn Sandmann has declared himself willing to support this project with some architectural and software development advice. He is a senior .NET developer with multiple years of experience in the SSI space. Particularly, he is known in the Cardano / Identus community for infrastructure projects, like the OpenPrismNode or the Blocktrust Analytics platform.

Additional roles to be outsourced:

• Graphic Designer: To create visually compelling presentation materials, demos, and blog post graphics.
• Technical Editor: To review and refine blog posts, ensuring clarity and accuracy of technical content.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total Budget: ₳75,000

Conference Attendance Costs (35% of total budget): ₳26,250

• IIW Spring 2025: ₳6,750
• DID:UNCONF AFRICA: ₳6,500
• DICE: ₳6,500
• IIW Fall 2025: ₳6,500

Personnel Costs (40% of total budget): ₳30,000

• Lead Developer/Presenter/Blog Author (Part-time over 12 months): ₳25,000
• Outsourced Graphic Designer: ₳3,000
• Outsourced Technical Editor: ₳2,000

Marketing and Promotional Materials (8% of total budget): ₳6,000

• Branded merchandise for conference attendees: ₳2,500
• Printed materials (brochures, one-pagers): ₳1,500
• Digital assets for online promotion and blog graphics: ₳2,000

Technical Resources (7% of total budget): ₳5,250

• Portable demo equipment hiring/purchase

Community Engagement (7% of total budget): ₳5,250

• Virtual event platform for community updates and Q&amp;A sessions: ₳2,250
• Community incentives for feedback and participation: ₳2,000
• Blog promotion and community building activities: ₳1,000

Contingency Fund (3% of total budget): ₳2,250

Our project has the following dependencies:

1. Conference organizers (IIW, DID:UNCONF AFRICA, DICE): We depend on these events taking place as scheduled and being able to secure speaking slots or presentation opportunities.
2. Travel policies and restrictions across countries where this events are held may potentially affect attendance.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The Identus Conference Representation and Blogging project offers exceptional value for money for the Cardano ecosystem:

1. Global Exposure: The ₳75,000 investment provides representation at four major international conferences, giving Cardano and Identus exposure to thousands of identity professionals, developers, and decision-makers.
2. Credibility Building: Presenting at respected industry events enhances the credibility of Identus and Cardano in the digital identity space, which is invaluable for attracting partners and adopters.
3. Community Expansion: The project aims to bring new developers and projects into the Cardano ecosystem, potentially representing millions in ecosystem value.
4. Knowledge Transfer: Insights gained from conferences and produced through blog content will be shared with the entire Cardano community, providing valuable market intelligence and technical knowledge.
5. Reusable Assets: Materials created for this project, including blog posts, will have value beyond the project timeline, serving as ongoing resources for Cardano and Identus advocacy efforts.
6. Competitive Positioning: Maintaining a presence at key events and producing regular content ensures that Cardano and Identus are part of the global conversation on digital identity.
7. Open-Source Contributions: The open-source materials produced will continue to provide value to the community long after the project concludes.
8. Potential for Partnerships: Face-to-face interactions at conferences can lead to partnerships that could be transformative for the Cardano ecosystem.
9. Developer Attraction: Engaging directly with developers at events and through blog content can attract new talent to build on Cardano, potentially accelerating ecosystem growth and innovation.
10. Community Engagement: The project includes significant community engagement components, ensuring that the benefits of conference participation and blogging extend to the broader Cardano community.
11. Continuous Education: The blogging initiative provides year-round value, offering a constant stream of educational content that benefits the Cardano community beyond the conference events.
12. Resource Library: The collection of blog posts, tutorials, and code samples will serve as a valuable, long-lasting resource for developers and enterprises interested in Cardano's identity solutions, extending the project's impact well beyond its duration.
13. SEO and Discoverability: Regular, high-quality content publication will improve the visibility and discoverability of Cardano's identity solutions in search engines, attracting more developers and potential adopters to the ecosystem.
14. Community Engagement: The combination of conference representation and ongoing blogging provides multiple touchpoints for community engagement, fostering a more active and informed Cardano identity community.