If you had to pick out one defining factor of every successful movement for change in history, what would you pick? Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter, the movement against apartheid, #metoo, the indigenous land rights movement — what would you say all of these movements did which made their words and actions stick?

Personally, without hesitation, I would say: connecting people. Drawing together a network, small at first, then growing larger and larger, spreading through communities which share the problems addressed, breaking through into mainstream consciousness, until it reaches critical mass. Sure, resources can help with this — budget for publicising, organising, and fighting legal battles can act as a catalyst. But the primary resource is people, shared experience, and connection.

That’s why, as a matter of priority, we’re focusing on growing our network. We’re right at the beginning of the process — we’ve already grown an energetic and passionate community around our project (check out our Telegram and Discord), but we recognise the need to enlarge our professional networks, to launch SEA into new circles, to gain critical support from key people in policymaking, people who can spread our message out to new communities like ripples on water.

The first step towards this goal is the formation of our advisory board. You all know Kristina, our Primary Scientific Advisor — she’s been with us for a while, and was the first official memeber of the board. But today we’re extremely proud to announce the addition of the board’s second member — blockchain architect Raj Kapoor.

Raj Kapoor is the founder of India Blockchain Alliance, the largest Indian emerging technology tech think tank. He’s a global blockchain educator, Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP), TedX speaker, and a skilled architect of blockchain, AI, robotics, cyber security, IoT, and cloud computing projects. Raj is a regular contributor to several technology publications including Economic Times, Fortune, Moneycontrol, Mint, NDTV Profit, Daily Tribune, Business Standard and more. He was also selected this year as a top cryptocurrency and blockchain influencer by Asian Market Cap, has designed 4 blockchains, 5 centralised exchanges, 3 swaps and 3 DEX’s, and has worked on numerous sustainable and social impact blockchain projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

We asked Raj why he was attracted to SEA — his response:

“An ancient legend foretells how an invisible red string of fate ties us to people we are destined to meet. We loved this idea that whether we realize it or not fate connects us to people around the world we wouldn’t otherwise meet. That is how it was with SEA. The connect was instantaneous.

Add to that a passion for making a difference, and blockchain technology, I could not have asked for more for I believe that blockchain now acts as a virtual thread, removing anonymity throughout the global supply chain and connecting us all. This inspiring technology can empower more people to participate in an ethics economy.

Blockchain ensures product processes and impact on the environment can be tracked, audited and communicated. With Team SEA, I know we will create the impact we want, one block at a time…”

Raj will be advising us on multiple fields including fundraising, community growth, project awareness, market research, blockchain implementation, educational impact and more. Stay tuned for huge steps forward for SEA thanks to Raj’s guidance and networks, especially in India. Raj has already written about SEA in the Daily Tribune, and has multiple events and interviews coming up which will expose our project to huge new audiences.

And, like I said, this is just the beginning. We’re in talks with some of the most influential people in climate tech, conservation, environmental science, decentralised finance and other fields to fill our advisory board — watch this space!