POW with Lily White

Meet Lily White, the founder for Tez Town, a Tezos community working together to grow the whole Tezos ecosystem.

She’s a wildlife and conservation researcher and photographer with 28 years of contract experience.

Besides that, she also shares her passion for traveling with her children and working in nature. On top of that, she’s also a Web3 speaker and an NFT artist.

What were you doing before Web3?

For 28 years, I worked on contract in the field doing wildlife and conservation research and photography. I LOVED IT.

Apart from that, I got to take my kids everywhere I went, and we traveled for about 4-5 months most years. We either live in one location (mostly in tents) for the summer or traveling from place to place depending on the job.

I got into NFTs when COVID changed the world. And now I am an artist, collector, and community builder.

I give speeches about various NFT and Web3 topics, mostly centered around Tezos. When I can, I speak at colleges, conferences, conventions, and sometimes businesses or other organizations.

How did you get into Web3?

In 2017, I was robbed at gunpoint and hit in the head, which gave me a severe concussion. This got me into art therapy, which taught me to love art.

When COVID hit, the work I was doing kept getting put aside, so I was looking for some other options. A couple of friends suggested that I try to sell my art. And one friend suggested NFTs and the ETH blockchain. I tried that, and it did not go well at all.

In the spring of 2021, I was in a terrible car accident. I broke a few bones and had internal injuries. I really wanted to give up that time.

I posted something on Twitter saying that it would have been easier if I had died in the car crash. To my surprise, a person I had never met before or since, Banjo Funk, sent me 2 Tez and asked me to try Tezos.

I had little intention to ever be a collector or community builder or give speeches…. I just wanted to make some money selling art. But when I tried to pay back the 2 Tez Banjo Funk agave me, he asked me instead to pay it forward. So here I am.

What was your first crypto or NFT project?

A series of Hawaii photographs. As I could not leave bed at the time due to my injuries, my son set up a table over my bed with my desktop computer.

And as I felt up to it, I started to write. The very first OBJKT4OBJKT event was going on, and as I got a sale, I bought someone else’s art, and I got hooked big time on collecting Tezos art.

How would you explain what you do to someone outside of Web3?

Generally, I say I am an artist, art collector and community builder. If they ask more questions I will take the time to explain NFT and blockchain basics. Or tell them about our ever growing international community on the Tezos blockchain.

If they are an artist I will offer to help them get set up if they want to. If they are a fan of art or an investor I will tell them about the potential of Web3. Moreover, If they are into tech or DeFi, I might mention building on the Tezos Blockchain.

Of course, I tell all of them how great our community is and how it can connect them to like minded people all over the world!

Which creator or thought leader do you enjoy learning from?

I just do not know if I can pick one person to fill that role. I often listen to Twitter Spaces or Podcasts, talk to people in the real world.

There are so many people coming up with so many new ways of doing things and some of them are mastering new skills at lightening speed. Things that did not even exist 6 month ago.

I really feel like you need to be learning a lot of stuff from a variety of people and even then give up the idea of keeping up with everything.

What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Shortly after getting into Tezos in 2021, I met MykNash, online only. Just a little later I metDiscoiinfernos, then Start Something, Tery, Daedalus and Orange.

And in early 2022, we all got together and launched a worldwide community called TezTown, for everyone in Web3, but especially on the Tezos Blockchain.

That was a pretty great moment. However, the absolute best thing was in November of 2022, finally meeting Myk in person, and then Tery and a few months later Disco. It is just amazing how Web3 can change the real world.

What tech or crypto trend are you watching this year?

DNS is about to launch their new site, Naan Wallet is doing some awesome things. If your in Tezos, plenty is coming up with some great ways to invest for your future.

Minting sites now taking credit cards and other currencies. Like OBJKT is really going to help creators find new fans and collectors.

I am watching SEVERAL AI creators and amazed at how far they are able to push the work…. and wondering about the long term affects on Web3 and on art in general.

Looking forward to more Metaverse advancements, shows and exhibits. Super excited to get to conferences to meet people who are creating the next generation of tools. So much going on right now to look forward to!

What advice would you give someone starting out in Web3?

Do your own research, like triple check everything. Find a community of people to engage with, it can be very lonely otherwise.

Be genuine, build relationships and never forget there are REAL humans with hearts, feelings and lives happening on the other side of that screen.

If you could do a TEDtalk on any topic, what would it be?

How Web3 can connect you to the community you really need.

What is the one thing you would bring if you were stuck on a deserted Island?

One trunk full of survival gear. LOL…. I been ask this before.

POW stands for “Proof of Work.” It is a new feature article series in The Mega Maxi to highlight the savviest builders in the Web3 space.