Faris Oweis

Faris Oweis is a storyteller, strategist, product launcher, and natural connector of ideas, people, and places. After working in the corporate cubicle world for many years and watching a life changing TED Talk, he struggled to find a role that fit his skill set and interests. So he created his own.

Faris Oweis is Instigation Protocol’s Chief Instigator. He collaborates with city leadership teams, emergent tech startups, corporate innovators, and community change makers leveraging blockchain to create future business models that distribute value and put people first. He believes a future where humans play a vital role is pretty cool and hopes to inspire others to feel the same.

Faris is also co-chair for the Smart Cities committee with the Blockchain For Impact initiative, a partnership with the United Nations Office of Partnerships, SXSW Pitch Advisor, Tribe Accelerator Mentor, and advises several startups at the intersection blockchain, systems change, and cities.

Faris Oweis is formerly DigitalTown’s Chief Instigator, where he leveraged blockchain to help citizens transact peer to peer and directly with local merchants across the world to keep money in local economies. Interacting with, and listening to, a cupcake shop owner in London, a city official in Miami, a Chamber of Commerce President in Rio De Janeiro, and a civil rights activist in Atlanta all in one day, was not uncommon.

He’s also won mega infrastructure projects in the Middle East, sold financial products to working families in New Jersey, interviewed heads of state across Europe, worked the night shift at Subway, the day shift at Dairy Queen, and has taken around the world trip for under $100. Name an industry and it’s likely Faris has participated in it and in turn shaping his optimistic perspective on society.

Speaking Topics:

Blockchain and emergent tech in cities
The future of cities and society
Public Private Partnership in a decentralized economy between government, corporates, and startups
Corporate Innovation and Human Connection
Decentralized future of mobility, energy, IoT, and open data
Why Smart Cities aren’t that smart sometimes