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Samantha Dorisca
Apr 4, 2023
Photo Credit: Lockerverse
Three founders combined their backgrounds to launch an innovative technology platform that’s attracting the likes of Savanah and Bronny James.
Lockerverse
William A.I. “Trey” McDonald, James Carlos McFall, and Marcus Rance are the masterminds behind Lockerverse. With the Web3 platform, communities thrive through engagement enhanced by their favorite athletes, entertainers, designers, brands, etc. A wide range of digital collectibles, traditional consumer product goods, digital and IRL experiences, content, gaming, and more can be purchased by users on the platform.
“We transition into this new world where your digital persona and your digital assets are extremely valuable,” McFall told host Will Lucas during the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast. “We want to be at the forefront of actually enabling that technology and bringing culturally significant projects to the table. So, where we feel that there’s a big void is a lack of culture in the space. We wanted to empower these top tier creators who really do define the culture to bring their assets to life there. That’s what we think is gonna shape the space, if we have these cultural drivers all in one centralized platform who are able to reach their fans in meaningful ways, and then give them access to physical experiences or give them access to exclusive merchandise and apparel or content that is behind the scenes.”
Placing The Culture At The Forefront Of Innovation
Additionally, the founders envision the platform as a way for the creator to strengthen their relationship with their audience, and for their community to be at the forefront of innovation in the technology sector.
“People in our community typically get left behind when they’re these big jumps in technology,” McDonald explained. “So, for me, it’s us having a seat at the table and really shaping that space. For us at Lockerverse, we were really excited about ‘how do we infuse culture into the space? How do we do it in a responsible way and really focused on not only the creators, but also their fans and consumers?'”
McFall added: “[What was] really important to us when we jumped in this was, being from diverse backgrounds and being people who are oftentimes left behind in these cultural, or technological revolutions, is to really drive the space and really bring our culture to it and not just have a seat at the table, to actually build the table. That’s what we set out to do.”
Savanah James Joins The Squad
Inspired by the founders’ vision for bridging the community, Savanah James aligned herself with the platform, becoming a founding member. Lockerverse has scored partnerships with both Bronny and Bryce James as well. “I’m excited to collaborate with Trey, James, Marcus, and my sons Bronny and Bryce to create a platform that links various communities to new technologies,” Savanah explained in a 2022 press release. “Lockerverse aligns with my love of culture, sportsmanship, and community. This network will help up-and-coming cultural icons grow and build wealth on their terms.”
Building Wealth
Lockerverse has teamed with more college athletes including Ohio State University football stars CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as others from Duke University, UCLA, Baylor University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Texas. By having visibility on the platform, athletes gain further empowerment, as they are able to receive royalties from assets sold on the blockchain.
“We look at things like NFTs and blockchain technology and it’s enabling those original creators to receive value for the products that they’re putting out in the space,” explained McFall. “So, when we look at — you acquire a CJ Stroud NFT and that gives you access to exclusive content experience, merchandise, apparel, then when that NFT is sold, CJ Stroud gets to share in the upside and receive a royalty payment for that. But if you’re looking at traditional assets, let’s just take that sneaker example. His sneaker got sold one time without being tied to the blockchain, no royalty payment there. So, when we look at empowering creators, especially diverse creators, who are oftentimes not able to benefit from the fruits of their work, it’s certainly not on a perpetual basis. We think this tool is the perfect mechanism to really create that empowerment.”
Podcast: https://www.afrotechpodcast.com/podcasts/episode110-season-1
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