Meet the Newest Members of Filecoin Foundation Team

The Filecoin Foundation is delighted to welcome new members to our growing workforce of professionals dedicated to research, development, and community engagement around open source, decentralized storage, and nurturing the Filecoin ecosystem. And our team continues to expand. We’re still looking for talented grant program managers, communications professionals and more to join us in this mission.

Here’s a snapshot of our newest colleagues, including the range of skill sets and experience they bring and their thoughts on joining Filecoin in our collective mission to preserve humanity’s most important information:

Hunter Treseder, Senior Fellow for Social Impact

Hunter joins the Filecoin community after 15 years at the U.S. State Department as a career diplomat focusing on online harms. He leads the Foundation’s social impact efforts to build a better web, including finding and empowering partner organizations as well as managing our charitable initiatives. “I believe that the centralization of resources is one of the greatest triggers of mass social upheaval; we have to bring control of information, money and power back to the people,” Hunter explained. The Filecoin project excites him because its model “provides real incentives that help us build an internet that is by the people, for the people.” In his spare time, Hunter is a mountain biking enthusiast who can be found navigating the many trails around the greater-D.C. area.

Nicole Blystone, Operations Manager

Nicole previously worked in operations for a serverless software development company. “I’m so excited to be part of a team with the mission of decentralizing the web and focusing on data accessibility,” Nicole said. Her background in English literature instilled in her the Foundation’s same passion for preserving valuable information for generations to come. Nicole also describes herself as a “serial hobbyist” taking on everything from playing the theremin to making her own yarn from freshly-sheared wool, all from her home in Vancouver, Washington.

Kaitlin Beegle, Technical PM, Governance

Based in Palo Alto, Kaitlin joins Filecoin Foundation after conducting research at the Technical University of Munich’s School of Governance, where she used Web3 to conceptualize new forms of digital democracy. “Web3 provides both the conceptual and technical framework for us to solve some of humanity’s most complex, existential challenges,” Kaitlin explained. “To me, Filecoin is not just an exciting proof-of-concept in this nascent space, but an opportunity to scale a technical ecosystem in a way that is sustainable, mission-driven, and human-centered.” Kaitlin will be leading Filecoin governance, building pathways for diverse stakeholders across the ecosystem to share ideas, envision network changes, and implement both technical and operational improvements. Kaitlin also speaks several languages, including Spanish, German, and Arabic, which will come in handy as she interfaces with Filecoin’s diverse global community.

Galen McAndrew, Startup Operator

Working from San Francisco, Galen’s background includes growing the direct consumer support team at Plaid and founding a public charter high school in the Bay Area focused on maker education and design thinking. He leads the Foundation’s work on the Filecoin Plus project, which includes governance organization and program management. “Filecoin is creating a primary marketplace that has massive potential for helping set the direction of the next wave of our digital infrastructure,” Galen said. “I’m excited to design social and technical solutions that help this network grow and serve diverse international users.” Galen’s hobbies include crafting custom-fitted clothing and individual couture costume design.

We’re thrilled to welcome these new hires on board as we continue to grow our team. You can find out more about some of our other staff members on our blog.