Core Team
Council
- Julian Zawistowski
- Pascal Schmid
- Natalja Lorenz
- Thomas Linder
Board of Management
- Pascal Schmid (CEO)
- Natalja Lorenz
Team
- Andrzej Regulski
- Jacek Czarnecki
- Artem Brazhnikov
- Benjamin Siegel
- Chris Calo
- James Kiernan
- Mashal Waqar
- Michał Kluczek
- Andrzej Ziółek
- Marek Słomnicki
- Jakub Mikołajczyk
- Kacper
- Maxime Viard
- Ferit Tuncer
- Julio Avila
- Włodzimierz Gogłoza
- Agnieszka Pyka
- Marta Brewer
- Regis "Durgadas" Chapman
- Sarah Abd El Halim
- Nico Gallardo
- Dobrosława Gogłoza
Julian Zawistowski
Execution
Decentralised systems visionary and entrepreneur, founder and – until June 2019 – CEO of Golem Factory. Economist by trade, fascinated with blockchain technology, as well as sociology and economics of decentralised systems. In the past consultant and researcher of public policies, co-founder of Institute for Structural Research.
Pascal Schmid
Everyday operations
Pascal graduated from the University of St. Gallen with a Master degree in Finance, Accounting and Controlling. Before joining Golem Foundation, he gained many years of professional experience as a financial expert.
Natalja Lorenz
Operations Manager
Having completed commercial and legal training in Germany and Switzerland, Natalja boasts extensive experience in office and operational management. She supports the core team of the Golem Foundation in all operational and administrative activities, aiming to enhance the quality, productivity, and efficiency of organizational processes
Thomas Linder
Execution
Thomas Linder has many years of experience in tax consulting for companies based in Switzerland and abroad, with special expertise in VAT. In addition, he is a pioneer in the tax and legal analysis of decentralized business models, blockchain-based transactions, ICOs and digital assets. His clients in the technology and fintech industry range from innovative start-ups from the “Crypto Valley” and renowned, internationally active companies to professional investors and DeFi enthusiasts.
Thomas regularly lectures and publishes on current tax and digitalization topics, is a lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, and co-chairs the “Tax & Accounting” working group of the Crypto Valley Association (CVA).
Jacek Czarnecki
Legal Counsel
Jacek is a crypto and tech lawyer with years of experience in managing complex legal matters of technology projects, particularly decentralized ones. As a Global Legal Counsel at the Maker Foundation, he played a crucial role in designing, implementing, and later dissolving a legal structure for the largest Decentralized Finance project. He was also an architect of the IP strategy at Maker, including managing intangible assets in a decentralized structure. Jacek is also a recognized expert in the emerging global regulatory frameworks for web3 projects. Jacek supports the Golem Foundation team in the legal strategy for the product and governance structure. A graduate of Warsaw, Oxford, and Harvard universities.
Artem Brazhnikov
Head of Engineering
Artem is a seasoned technology leader with over ten years of experience in developing strategic, growth-focused technical directions. He is well-versed in modern technology stacks, systems, and infrastructure, with a particular focus on blockchain technology. Since 2017, he has dedicated himself to building from the ground up and contributing to core blockchain protocols, smart contracts, dApps, and developer tooling. Before delving into the Web3 realm, he worked on building forensic software, corporate security systems, cryptography-related products, robotics, and VR.
Benjamin Siegel
Head of Product
Ben is a product leader with a passion for building technology that generates societal impact and strengthens communities. He has worked to build impact focused products across the Web3 & Humanitarian sectors, and is dedicated building tools that make the world a better, more resilient place. When not working, he is most often found on a football pitch, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or gaming online.
Chris Calo
Head of Design
With over 20 years of experience as a Multimedia Designer and more than a decade as a Design Executive, Chris brings a global perspective to the Golem Foundation. Having led a creative agency with an international reach and worked in Web3 since 2016, his expertise lies at the intersection of design and emerging technologies. Chris specializes in tackling unproven frontiers such as robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, biotech, alternative proteins, and parallel computing, thriving in environments that demand innovative, forward-thinking solutions. A linguistic and programmatic polyglot, Chris’s work is informed by a rich diversity of cultural experiences, shaped through years of living and collaborating across different parts of the world. Outside of Golem, he spends his time creating games, advancing his work in compiler and AI research, and enjoying life as a dedicated father/punching bag to two young daughters, aged 2 and 5.
James Kiernan
Head of Impact
James brings a proven ability to spark momentum, honed through years of partnering with Silicon Valley’s leading innovators and executives. With a passion for turning connections into catalysts for change, he’s grown communities around shared goals and delivered initiatives that extend their influence over time. In Web3, James has built the teams for some of Ethereum's most ambitious projects. Now, as Head of Impact at Octant, he’s focused on expanding reach, strengthening ties across the ecosystem, and guiding efforts that deliver lasting value.
Mashal Waqar
Head of Marketing
Mashal is a marketing leader and grants researcher. Her claim to fame is her past media life where she helped organizations and entrepreneurs scale audiences to millions of people. When she’s not reading or scrolling on social media, she’s likely rewatching Lord of the Rings. Being a third culture kid, she hopes to see a world where funding, opportunities, and tech are accessible to everyone in the world.
Andrzej Ziółek
Lead FE Engineer & Delivery Manager
Andrzej is a T-shaped web developer focused on frontend. He holds a MSc degree in Engineering in Mechatronics from the Warsaw University of Technology. He's passionate about creating products users will admire, using the best practices available to close the gap between technology and implementation, and about aiming at the highest business value and most impressive results with the resources and time given. A perfectionist by nature, pragmatic by trade. He's a fan of data-driven development, pixel-perfect approach and constant improvement. He is responsible for the Web Application and Ethereum dApp development components of the Octant project.
Marek Słomnicki
DevOps Engineer
After accumulating years of expertise as a network engineer, Java and C# developer, and cloud specialist, Marek established his niche in IT as a DevOps engineer. Embracing a MacGyver-style approach, he believes that with the right knowledge and a sufficient amount of duct tape, anything is achievable. Currently, he manages the infrastructure for all software projects under the Golem Foundation.
Jakub Mikołajczyk
Software Engineer
Jakub, always seen with a cheerful smile, brings over 6 years of software development expertise to the table. His specialization lies in web application development and performance optimization. Apart from his work, Jakub is nurturing his startup, Meetsales. Outside of his professional pursuits, he relishes playing the drums and is an avid motorsports enthusiast.
Kacper
Software Engineer
Kacper is an experienced backend engineer with expertise in building systems from scratch, architecture, and various DevOps and cloud-related tasks. In addition to his professional work, he mentors mid-level and senior developers through his brand, Devs-Mentoring. He is also developing a mobile application called Coderiv. In his spare time, he enjoys engaging in various sports activities, such as going to the gym, and exploring metaphysical concepts as an amateur.
Maxime Viard
Senior Smart Contract Engineer
Maxime is an engineer with over 7 years of experience in software development, including 5 years specializing in blockchain and DeFi security. He excels in architecting high-stakes protocols managing $100M+ in TVL, implementing advanced standards like ERC-4337, ERC-4626 and ERC-725, and leading teams on projects such as Lukso's decentralized chain launch. As part of the elite Spearbit team, he has performed critical security audits for protocols like Nomad Bridge (post-mortem), LooksRare v2, and Hidden Hand. Previously, he contributed to Uniswap v3 forks, Yearn v3 ports, and innovative NFT collections.
Ferit Tuncer
Senior Smart Contract Engineer
Developing Ethereum smart contracts and apps since 2018, Ferit works on Project Octant at Golem Foundation as a Senior Smart Contract Engineer, bringing deep expertise in decentralized arbitration, curation, and cryptoeconomics. As a software engineer and core team member at Cooperative Kleros, he helped build the world's first decentralized dispute resolution platform. He later launched his own venture focused on decentralized curation solutions including a decentralized newspaper. Before joining Golem, he designed futarchy-based smart contracts for public good funding at Butter. Ferit is a cypherpunk who considers crypto the intersection of individual sovereignty and computer science. His favorite pastime is chess, where he's pursuing mastery as a FIDE-rated player.
Julio Avila
Software Engineer
Julio is a software engineer at Golem Foundation working on Octant. He turns complex ideas into simple, reliable products—aligning strategy, design, and execution to deliver outcomes that matter. His work spans discovery to delivery, with a focus on clarity, trust, and steady execution. Committed to funding public goods and strengthening open ecosystems, he helps teams raise the bar through thoughtful collaboration and pragmatic thinking.
Włodzimierz Gogłoza
Product Owner for Octant v1
Włodek is a former academic lawyer and lecturer in law and management studies. After spending more than 15 years in academia he served as the Head of Policy in Anima International and Open Cages Poland, where he coordinated several successful international social campaigns. He holds a Ph.D. in Law, with a specialization in Privacy Law and Legal Informatics. He currently serves as the Product Owner for Octant v1 and leads external communications for the Golem Foundation.
Agnieszka Pyka
HR and Team Building
Agnieszka has been in the IT industry since 2004, though she has never written a line of code, she works with IT people. She finds the right people to the project, builds strong teams and makes sure that people have a great environment to create and deliver. When she's not working, she windsurfs, skis and rides horses. She's a mother of two sons and a happy wife. Her life looks well planned and organized, but deep at heart she's a rebel. At the Golem Foundation, she oversees HR, focusing on team building and recruiting new talent.
Regis ”Durgadas” Chapman
Community and Grants Specialist
In eighth grade, Regis taught himself machine language on an Apple IIe. More than forty years later, before joining Octant, he served as a polymath mystic, coached elite athletes, and co-founded GravityDAO. He is sometimes known by the name Durgadas. After stepping away from his work as a sysadmin and technology consultant, he spent time living in an ashram in the early 2000s, then founded and operated a yoga studio. In 2024, he came to Octant as a Community and Grants Specialist.
Sarah Abd El Halim
Content Creator
Sarah is a designer and artist specializing in motion and 3D within the crypto space. She holds a Bachelor's in Game Art and Interactive Media and a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Art, with studies in Malta and Ireland. With over five years of experience, she has designed and directed social media projects for major names in the industry, including LFJ, ApeCoin, and Nillion. Currently, she is working on content for the Golem Foundation's Octant project. When she’s not creating on-screen, you can find her painting or at exhibition openings, explaining what blockchain is.
Nico Gallardo
Community Lead
Nico is a community builder, (onchain) campaign creative and previous founder of web3 products for communities. In his web 2.0 life he supported FinTech projects with product and business development, and started his web3 journey by creating communities such as Ethereum Bolivia and W3b Lab Amsterdam. He was an Ethereum Foundation Devcon Scholar and Variant Founder Fellow. In his free time you can find him working out, at the cinema or exploring different creative outlets.
Dobrosława Gogłoza
Advisor
Dobrusia is the Head of Strategy at All Hands Agency and the Managing Director of Pomagam.pl. She has many years of experience in building organization strategies and communication campaigns, creating missions and visions, and effective organizational structures. Presently, she lends her expertise in public communication to the Golem Foundation.