May 1st and 2nd, 2020

Join us for our special Virtual Summit:

Special Jurisdictions
in a Post-COVID World

About the Event

DON’T ARGUE ABOUT IT, BUILD THE ALTERNATIVE.

In the aftermath of COVID-19, the world will need to rebuild economically and politically. To prepare for this, the Startup Societies Foundation is hosting a virtual summit that will explore how special jurisdictions can combat pandemics and rebuild governance, institutions and economies in the aftermath of COVID-19.

This conference will explore how small and special jurisdictions have an advantage when dealing with Coronavirus and similar pandemics. Their size makes it more manageable for governments to trace goods, and people, as well as implement drastic measures to fight health threats. Successful containment strategies within Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau are evidence of this.

Other special jurisdictions, like Special Economic Zones (SEZs), can facilitate trade as states enact policies to reduce transmission. Trade barriers will likely follow recent travel restrictions as states are more motivated to control their own supply chains. Yet, states must still trade. SEZs can provide a bastion of global exchange amid mounting tensions. Also, SEZs that focus on medical technologies can help firms create preventive treatments or vaccines. These innovative Zones can also be administered by Distributed Ledger Technologies, reducing the need physical contact.

Special jurisdictions should be at the forefront of post-COVID-19 policy by providing innovative, accountable and nimble governance.

Now — at the depth of the pandemic — is the time to lay the foundation. Don't Panic. Build.

On May 1st-2nd, this live virtual event will bring together leaders in special jurisdictions, policy making, epidemiology, distributed ledger technology, and data science.

OUR SPONSORS

This one-of-a-kind event is kindly supported by the following:

Featured Speakers

HIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE MICHAEL OF LIECHTENSTEIN

HIS SERENE HIGHNESS PRINCE MICHAEL OF LIECHTENSTEIN

GEOPOLITICAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AG, FOUNDER
TIM DRAPER

TIM DRAPER

FOUNDER OF DRAPER ASSOCIATES
TAAVI KOTKA

TAAVI KOTKA

COFOUNDER OF ESTONIA'S ERESIDENCY PROGRAM
BALAJI S. SRINIVASAN

BALAJI S. SRINIVASAN

FORMER GENERAL PARTNER AT ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ
PATRI FRIEDMAN

PATRI FRIEDMAN

FOUNDER AND GENERAL PARTNER OF PRONOMOS CAPITAL
MWIYA MUSOKOTWANE

MWIYA MUSOKOTWANE

FOUNDER OF NKWASHI PRIVATE CITY
MARK BEER

MARK BEER

CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE METIS INSTITUTE
SAM CASSATT

SAM CASSATT

FOUNDER ALIGNED CAPITAL
MARQUIS CABRERA

MARQUIS CABRERA

CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, STAT ZERO
DR. ANDREAS BAUMGARTNER

DR. ANDREAS BAUMGARTNER

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE METIS INSTITUTE
OLIVER PORTER

OLIVER PORTER

FOUNDER, SANDY SPRINGS GEORGIA
ROBIN HANSON

ROBIN HANSON

PROFESSOR, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
OMAR M HANNOUN

OMAR M HANNOUN

PARTNERSHIPS AND VENTURES LEAD AT MINE DIGITAL
WADE SHEPARD

WADE SHEPARD

AUTHOR OF "GHOST CITIES"
BRITTANY KAISER

BRITTANY KAISER

CO-FOUNDER AT OWN YOUR DATA FOUNDATION
LOTTA MOBERG

LOTTA MOBERG

AUTHOR, "THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES"
CLAUDE BAISSAC

CLAUDE BAISSAC

FMR. PRESIDENT, WORLD ECONOMIC ZONE ASSOCIATION
JASON POTTS

JASON POTTS

PROFESSOR, RMIT AND DIRECTOR, BIOCHAIN INNOVATION HUB
TITUS GEBEL

TITUS GEBEL

CEO, FREE PRIVATE CITIES
JIM COLEMAN

JIM COLEMAN

HEAD OF ECONOMICS, WSP
TOM W. BEL

TOM W. BEL

AUTHOR, "YOUR NEXT GOVERNMENT?"
DINIS GUARDA

DINIS GUARDA

AUTHOR FOUNDERCHAIRMAN ZTUDIUM CITIESABC/TECHABC
MICHAEL STRONG

MICHAEL STRONG

FOUNDER, RADICAL SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
RICARDO PLATA

RICARDO PLATA

SECRETARY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF BARRANQUILLA
RICARDO VIVES

RICARDO VIVES

PRESIDENT OF PUERTO DE ORO
JOE QUIRK

JOE QUIRK

CEO OF THE SEASTEADING INSTITUTE
MARK FRAZIER

MARK FRAZIER

CHAIRMAN OF STARTUP SOCIETIES FOUNDATION AND PRESIDENT OF OPENWORLD
MARK LUTTER

MARK LUTTER

DIRECTOR OF THE CHARTER CITIES INSTITUTE
TRENT LARSON

TRENT LARSON

SENIOR MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT AT MEDICI LAND GOVERNANCE
YANEER BAR-YAM

YANEER BAR-YAM

NEW ENGLAND'S COMPLEX SYSTEMS INSTITUTE
JOEL TELPNER

JOEL TELPNER

SENIOR PARTNER AT SULLIVAN AND WORCESTER LLP
CARLOS GERSHENSON

CARLOS GERSHENSON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF COMPLEXITY DIGEST
DRYDEN BROWN

DRYDEN BROWN

CEO AND FOUNDER OF BLUE BOOK CITIES
GARY LACHANCE

GARY LACHANCE

FOUNDER OF THE DECENTRALIZED DANCE PARTY

General Event Schedule

Day One

Eastern Daylight Times provided

10:00 AM – Keynote
Joseph McKinney
Founder & CEO Startup Societies Foundation
Welcoming Remarks
 
10:10 AM – Keynote
Roger Ver
CEO Bitcoin.com
Financial and Political Decentralization in a Post Covid 19 World

 

10:40 AM – Keynote
His Serene Highness Prince Michael Von Liechtenstein

Local Solutions for Global Problems

 

11:00 AM – Fireside

Mayor Ibrahim Natour of Rawabi & Omar M Hannoun
Mayor City of Rawabi
Head of Venture at Mine Digital
Restarting the Global Economy With New Cities
 
 
11:20 AM – Keynote
Wade Shepard
New Silk Road Post Covid 19
 
11:50 AM – Keynote
Mwiya Musokotwane
Charter Cities to Empower the Global South
 
 
12:20 PM – Fireside
Mark Beer, Dr. Andreas Baumgartner, and Kim Siegel
Autonomous Special Juirisdiction Legal Systems
 
 
12:50 PM – Keynote
Taavi Kotka
The Emergence of the Governance-as-a-Service Industry
 
 
1:10 PM – Keynote
Claude Baissac
Reconstructing Globalism with SEZs in a Post Covid 19 World
 
1:30 PM – Break
Lunch
 
 
2:10 PM – Keynote
Robin Hanson
Variolation as a Strategy to Reduce Transmissions
 
 
2:30 PM – Keynote
Michael Castle Miller
Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Special Jurisdictions: Templates for Health, Security, and Prosperity
 
 
2:50 PM – Keynote
James Erlich
Self Sustaining Communities During Pandemics
 
 
3:10 PM – Panel
Dinis Guarda, Sam Cassatt, Aaron Voisine, Trent Larson, and Bradley Hook
Venture Invetment – Digital Transformation
Digital Transformation of Goverments and Special Jurisdictions
 
 
3:50 PM – Break
Networking and Break out Sessions
 
 
3:50 PM – Keynote
Balaji S. Srinivasan
Former General Partner –  Andreessen Horowitz
Red and Green Zones: The Future of Pandemic Control
 
 
4:50 PM – Keynote
Lee Hansen & Lennart Lopin
CEO – Impact Investing
Digital Currency to Enable Markets
 
 
5:10 PM – Closing
Joe McKinney

Day Two

Day Two Eastern Daylight Times provided
9:40 AM – Keynote
Mark Frazier
HOAs and Condos Against Pandemics
 
 
10:00 AM – Panel
Jim Coleman, Lotta Moberg, Tom W. Bell, Mark Lutter, and Thibault Serlet (Moderator)
Innovative SEZs to Regrow the Global Economy
 
 
10:40 AM – Panel
Joe Sanchis, Marquis Cabrera, MonMondher Khanfir, Alexander Kreindler and Early Boykins (Moderator)
Investing in Special Jurisdictions and the Technology That Enables Them
 
 
11:20 AM – Keynote
Michael Strong
Zoning for Prosperity rather than Zoning for Poverty
 
 
11:35 AM – Intro
Nathalie Mezza-Garcia
Business Case with Social Impact for Floating Zones
 
 
11:50 AM – Keynote
Titus Gebel
How a Free Private City Can Address a Pandemic
 
 
12:10 PM – Keynote
Oliver Porter
Private industry and Private Jurisdictions to Prevent and Recover From Pandemics
 
 
12:30 PM – Fireside
Jason Blick & Brent Tanner
Banks without Borders: Using Special Jurisdictions and Digitally Enabled Banks to Allow for Global Transfers
 
 
1:00 PM – Break
Lunch
 
 
1:30 PM – Panel
Ricardo Vives and Ricardo Plata
How Muncipalities and Special Districts Can Lead the Charge Against Covid 19
 
 
2:00 PM – Keynote
Maria Vadel
FDI in Port Cities
 
 
2:00 PM – Break
Networking Session and Breakout Sessions
 
 
2:20 PM – Fireside
Carlos Gershenson and Yaneer Bar-Yam
Complex Governance of Pandemics
 
 
2:50 PM – Panel
Britanny Kaiser
Data Sovereignty and Pandemic Tracking
 
 
3:30 PM – Keynote
Patri Friedman
Investor’s perspective on Startup Societies
 
 
3:50 PM – Keynote
Joe Quirk
Seasteading In a Post Covid 19 World
 
 
4:10 PM – Panel
Rik Willard, David Johnston, Joel Telpner and Brent Traidman
Digital Transformation for Central Banks and Financial Ecosystems
 
 
4:50 PM – Keynote
Jason Potts
Captialism After Satoshi and Covid 19
 
 
5:10 PM – Keynote
Gary Lachance
Announcement about Decentralized Dance Party

Special Events

Attendees who reserve a VIP slot will gain access to two exclusive events!

VIP Welcome Event

Get a full day head start by joining us for our VIP-only event on April 30th from 6-9pm ET. We’ve got all sorts of surprises in store for you, including guests you won’t want to miss!

Start your conference experience off with a bang by reserving your VIP slot now!

Virtual Decentralized Dance Party

What kind of conference would it be if there wasn’t a blowout bash to cap it off? Don’t let social distancing keep you from dancing your heart out on Day Two (May 2nd at 5pm ET) for our Virtual Dance Party!