Refi Amsterdam

Why Amsterdam needs a Refi node.

Amsterdam has a rich history of financial innovation. The world’s first central bank and stock exchange were established here. The city has a forward-looking finance sector which is renowned for its commitment to sustainability. Amsterdam is the first in the world to adopt the doughnut economic model, it ranked second on the Global Green Finance Index and it topped the Schroders’ European Sustainable Cities Index in 2021, which found Amsterdam’s environmental policies the best in Europe. The scene is grounded in a vibrant tech and startup ecosystem and sustainability runs through all sectors, from finance to fashion and farming. Nevertheless, the climate finance movement is lagging. We don't have as many climate finance startups as a London or Berlin has. Even though the web3 community is thriving and there is a huge legacy of the hippie movement since the 60’s, there is still a strong tendency towards profit over impact. The role that blockchain can play in our path towards a regenerative society remains underexplored and untold. We believe there is a bridge to build between web3, sustainability and fintech, and therefore we’re raising funds to start a local node.

How we’ll realize our vision

• Community building and engagement. Inspire, educate & spark meaningful conversations and increase awareness around Refi ‘gedachtegoed’. Organize gatherings for like minded people to enhance a sense of belonging and purpose and set up events in collaboration with other stakeholders in the ecosystem (such as universities, municipalities and local web3 communities such as, Copernicus and W3bLab amsterdam).

• Empowering local startups and founders. amplifying Refi startups based in NL /projects (Kumo / Landlife / carbify / senken / carbon equity / Coorest / collectivo).

• Facilitate collaboration and build some cool shit during our monthly coworking sessions.

What is needed to make this happen

We aim to raise a sum of 6k to kick-off a Refi node in Amsterdam in the upcoming 5 months .

• 1x pm coworking @Collectivo office for 8-10 people. 4x €500 = €2000
• 1x Refi event @Beurs van Berlage. Theme carbon markets or Ubi €1500.
• 1x Refi Salon icw Project Copernicus €500
• Comms & project management: €2000

The driving force behind ReFi Amsterdam:

• Cynthia de Wolf: Digital marketing consultant who loves to help accelerate startups. Active in web3 since 2017. Core contributor at brightunion.io. Passionate about building communities. Tech enthusiast, tree hugger. loves to dance.

• Luuk Weber: Long-term Regen and founder of Kolektivo Labs. Experience running community events in Amsterdam with Blockchain Talks all the way back in 2018.

Conclusion

Refi Amsterdam's goal of establishing a local node to connect web3, sustainability, and fintech aligns well with Amsterdam's history and values. By fostering community engagement, supporting local startups, and facilitating collaboration, Refi Amsterdam aims to contribute to the growth of climate finance initiatives in the city. The grant will enable the establishment of the Refi node and the realization of the initiative's vision.