Keynote – 22 September 2023 – Main Stage

Panel – 22 September 2023 – Main Stage

Based in Silicon Valley, Dirk is a serial entrepreneur and an early adopter of blockchain and related technologies. In addition to being the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Uplandme, Inc., Dirk is also the co-founder and chairman of the Open Metaverse Alliance for Web3 (OMA3). He is the author of the bestselling book, “Navigating the Metaverse: A Guide to Limitless Possibilities in a Web 3.0 World” (Wiley, 2022), co-host of the podcast “Navigating the Metaverse,” and the official Metaverse ambassador of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

Previously, Dirk co-founded European and US-based FinTech and digital media companies, including the Financial Times Deutschland and Forbatec, which was acquired by SunGard (now NYSE:FIS). Dirk has mentored over 30 startups through his work at international startup accelerators in Silicon Valley and is a frequent speaker and panelist focusing on topics related to the metaverse, blockchain, and platform economics. He studied Business Administration in Frankfurt and Paris and earned a Ph.D. from the European Business School in Germany, where he wrote his doctoral thesis about private and state-controlled currencies.