Global Fintech Interview with Jacob Lysick, CMO at OrionBlockSystems

Hi Jacob, welcome to our Fintech interview Series. Please tell us about your fintech journey so far.

Where to begin, of how this journey started?

I’ve always been a computer “nerd”, since my first computer in 1993.

My parents had a boutique clothing store in Morgantown West Virginia, Home of West Virginia University. An employee at my parents store was a computer scientist major from Tokyo, his name was Yoshi.

He opened the doors and taught me how to code & program on MS-DOS. With those foundations I developed my love for technology. So much so, that in 2008 I decided to not finish my pre-law degree and pursued my hobby of Electronic Music and Djing, which was the best decision of my life, as it taught me how to become an entrepreneur and operate as a business.

During those formidable years around 2010-2011, I was introduced to Blockchain Technology or as it was singularly known “Bitcoin”. I began thinking of concepts of algorithmic use outside of just financial transactions. Fast forward to 2016, I moved back from Miami to Morgantown WV and met the now CTO of Orionblocksystems, Chip Gerber.

Chip and his brilliant technical programming skills instantly brought a connection point with both of us creating concepts and utility use of Blockchain for real security measures, but we were still missing voids in the process of the security apparatus of our concepts.

One day Chip was at a WVU football game, which if anyone who has been to Morgantown knows, when the game is over, be ready for about 4 hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic in this very small mountain town. While Chip was leaving the football game, he shared an Uber with the CEO of Orionblocksystems, Mohammad Edaibat. Mohammad is a NASA engineer and was in Morgantown for a contract before he left back to NASA in Houston. With traffic holding up time, those two were able to start a conversation, which lead into Blockchain, which Mohammad was already in process of developing the single missing point of the concepts Chip and I were trying to figure how to properly execute, for our Blockchain security.

All that was left was for us was to meet for dinner and here we are 5 years later.

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Please tell us, how users derive benefits from using Orionblocksystems for their blockchain transactions.

Orionblocksystems is solving critical and necessary security protocols in order to operate

Blockchain in the philosophical fashion and technical execution of how this technology (blockchain) is to be used. We are here to create true, 100% decentralized autonomy, for Biometric security, as the key to access blockchain. A true Digital Identity solution, that solves the current crisis of cybersecurity.

What is the biggest challenge related to the integration of Biometrics and Blockchain Technology?

The biggest challenge of Biometric integration with Blockchain technology is how the process sequences itself for a user(s) biometrics to be the translation of an encrypted private key and how to keep the protocols 100% decentralized and impenetrable, both pre & post users authentication and first biometric signature to create private key(s). Orionblocksystems has proven this concept and has filed our initial patents to finalize our last round of Hardware Development that will be the answer, singularly to Biometric integration.

Is it time that CMOs finally take AI-as-a-Service seriously, and start deploying them?

AI functions and use, to help us, I am 100% for. Though, as this is just my opinion, I do not recognize current AI such as “ChatGPT” as true “AI”. This is where definition, rationale, and deliberation can be a barrier for what the definition of AI really is. I think what’s available now is a great novelty and has functional uses for industries, but I don’t think it’s deployable enough to use for corporate or governing use under the infrastructure of central information scrubbing, like ChatGPT.

I think in terms of Marketing, the human dynamic is really the fulcrum of what is to be marketed and trusted. Human interaction holds much more weight when shaking a hand and having conversations, rather than sub-contracting to AI to do that sort of work, for you.

This is where we, at Orion believe the real foundation in order to make AI protocols on a pre-quantum level, with machine learning, will have to be structured within Blockchain technology first. Creating the Republic of operations for AI to operate within Blockchain while having humans being the singular, decentralized observers that bio-metrically interface with AI, with our Orion Hardware. This will create the infrastructural barrier between AI that is Sentient (in the near future) and its potential to go rogue and/or malicious.

Also Read: Global Fintech Interview with Stanley Rameau, Founder and CEO at Renavest

We’d love to know one piece of advice that you would like to give to our 450 billion global crypto enthusiasts–

To really follow through with due diligence about what project you’re investing in, to learn and digest rudiment protocols of how Blockchain operates and the protocols of public & private keys to access your equitable piece of the Blockchain Project.

If given a chance to change one thing about the global crypto and digital asset domain, what would it be?

Hmm, tough question.

There isn’t anything I could say that I personally would change, as I’m for all Projects and/or Economic use of Blockchain within Democratic, Ethical, and Regulatory guidelines, depending on what each government, defines on their own accord. The one thing I think that needs to be addressed is the security protocols of the use.

Statistics have shown that 95% of the total Blockchain participants are men compared to the minute 5% made up of females. What is your take on this?

While the tech world, specifically blockchain, is male-dominated, female participation in STEM-related fields is growing and evolving. It is possible that blockchain and technology don’t seem quite as incentivizing for females. This could be due to the wage gap, lack of inclusivity, under-representation, or dissatisfaction with corporate culture.

However, despite the gender ratio being so out of balance, there is potential and progress toward closing the gap. Higher education institutions like West Virginia University emphasize STEM degrees and careers.

As the land grant for the state of West Virginia, WVU reaches into the 55 counties of WV and includes STEM, STEAM, and literacy programming for K-12. Emily Calandrelli, WVU alumnae and STEM advocate is especially keen on building girls’ participation in STEM. The “Space Gal” and Science Communicator is a high-profile example of success in STEM, and she often returns to her home state to promote STEM education and careers for girls. Another STEM trailblazer is Katherine Johnson; the NASA IV &V Center in Fairmont, WV, is now named for her. As a native West Virginian, she attended an HBCU in WV and completed her degree in mathematics.

STEM interest needs to begin early for both genders, but girls especially. An early introduction to Robotics, Rocketry, Chemistry, Computer Science, or any discipline that will spark the passion. In addition, mentorship is essential to remind them that they are not alone and offer support. At WVU, scholarships and support for women in STEM are popular for private donors, including foundations and corporations who recognize the need for diversity in STEM. These private gifts are given through the WVU Foundation.

By way of ESG goals, industries have started acting to even the playing field. OBS as a company fully supports the equality and diversification of the workplace- but whether those numbers change, only time will tell.

One piece of advice you would like to give to a Blockchain Project on better strategies needed for a sustainable business.

For any and all Blockchain projects to have physical and security value of what the project is entailed to be used for. I think with the current movement of regulation and laws beginning to be drafted, projects will have to be viable concepts with utility, financial, and security uses.

What is the future of Fintech platforms? Which industries would benefit the most from the new and emerging innovations in fintech?

The future and Evolution of FinTech will 100% be operated on Blockchain Technology. This will be standard for all digital movements and functional methods. Every institution, whether government or NGO, will gain extraordinarily positive benefits using this new digital infrastructure that is becoming the next step in technological evolution.

Also Read: Global Fintech Interview with Matt Roe, CRO, Open Lending

Please tag (mention/write about) a Fintech executive whose answers to these questions you would love to read in this segment:

Brad Smith, Former CEO of Intuit. He is now President of Marshall University here in West Virginia. He is such a humble, very intelligent & innovative person, is grounded. Someone with history and experience, who is also forward thinking and continues to engage with the community, I really think Brad’s insight would be words to live by.

Thank you, Jacob! That was fun and we hope to see you back on globalfintechseries.com soon.

[To share your insights with us, please write to sghosh@martechseries.com]