Andrew Wagner, born 1989, living in Vancouver city
Education
Studied math, physics, computer science and philosophy
Professional experience and achievement
Andrew helped found the Bitcoin Cooperative, a voluntary association and world leader in merchant adoption, and is the current Director of Public Relations. They've made great progress in pushing crypto toward the mainstream: CoinOS, their open source POS, is used across Canada and by most merchants in British Columbia.
Andrew signed up most of the Bitcoin merchants in Vancouver, including the world's first Indian restaurant to take Bitcoin, the coffee house where the world's first ATM was held, a nightclub, and more. He hosts events at Bitcoin venues to provide incentive for adoption and runs the co-op's social media campaign. He also has a lot of experience as a tutor and uses that to give talks on crypto.
Andrew is also the founder of CoinFest, the world's first "decentralized" decentralized digital currency convention. The convention is held simultaneously at locations around the world. The goal of CoinFest is to incentivize crypto adoption and raise awareness among the public — therefore, all events are free to attend and held at venues that support cryptocurrency. Funding for CoinFest comes from sponsorships and donations, and decisions are commonly made via consensus.
Interests
Math and science, philosophy, teaching, gaming and the Internet; usually interested in trying new things
First experience with cryptocurrencies
Andrew first heard about Bitcoin from friends in the online community and became fascinated by the concept. He tried trading for a little while before introducing himself to the crypto community. Andrew had already been active on Meetup as a notable Vancouver organizer and was curious to see what would happen if he convinced some of his venue contacts to accept Bitcoin.
Role in the Bitcoin community
Andrew is one of the primary organizers of Vancouver's Bitcoin community and helps to promote members' projects while maintaining a suitable environment for crypto entrepreneurs. Andrew is a good person to ask if you have questions about local crypto businesses, potential partners, or offers of and opportunities for investment, and will usually direct you to the right place.