Connected Conversations: Level-Setting Bitcoin, Blockchain and Digital Currencies: Operational and Investment Opportunities for Family Enterprises

Join the Smith Family Business Initiative as we host “Connected Conversations”, a bi-monthly webinar series that explores topics relevant to family business owners, members, advisors, students, and alumni. We invite you to join us as we navigate the current uncertainty in our global economy, and its impacts on family businesses. 

On April 8 from 12-1pm EDT, Susan Joseph, CALS, Managing Partner of SusanJosephLLC, and Barry Seeman '83, MEng '86 and MBA '87, Managing Partner at Bear Run Partners, LLC, will lead a discussion on "Level-Setting Bitcoin, Blockchain and Digital Currencies: Operational and Investment Opportunities for Family Enterprises." They will share insight on blockchain in relation to consortia, insurance, identity, financial services, and humanitarian concerns.

Blockchain – essentially Distributed Ledger Technology – is rapidly emerging as a major force that will shape all sorts of transactions from multinational corporate supply chains to financial services and insurance to civil society functions including government and regulatory applications.  Enterprise ranging from the likes IBM, Verizon and Walmart to banking and insurance corporates are all investing tens of billions of dollars into blockchain applications, the notion of a "stablecoin" (aka Facebook Libra and others) to further global payments, tokenized assets to improve financial services infrastructure are only some of the applications we see today. and we can only expect an increasing rate of adaption.  Cryptocurrency is but one aspect of blockchain. Digital assets that are non-crypto related are being deployed through the use of “smart contracts” in the current financial system. Different verticals are using the technology to track and trace sources of a wide variety of raw materials for safety and authenticity.  Consortia have formed across many verticals so that entities, even competitors, can collaboration, extend supply networks, and a host of other business processes that are creating new business opportunities.
 
Our panel will share current insights and use cases that will help participants

• understand blockchain basics and why the technology matters
• understand some of the uses of the technology with regard to enterprise 
• understand some of the uses of the technology with regard to digital assets, smart contracts, and investments