SoftBank Group Operator School Launches Series Focused on the Foundations and Applications of Web3

New Series to Feature Master Classes Led by More Than 20 Web3 and Crypto Experts

Series to Feature New In-Person Networking Opportunities in Miami, Mexico and Brazil

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoftBank Group’s Operator School (SBOS) today announced that registration is open for its entrepreneurial education program, launching June 20, 2022. Season 3 marks SBOS’s first “Web3 Series,” consisting of a 10-week curriculum with two weekly sessions designed to equip startup founders, employees, investors and board members with the skills needed to unlock Web3 business models in Web2 companies. The program will include lessons from more than 20 experienced entrepreneurs, operators and investors who are shaping Web3, reflecting the growing role of decentralized technologies in the latest wave of innovation.

“The SoftBank Group Operator School delivers content to help accelerate the growth of technology startups – and this time it will focus on the foundations of blockchain and crypto and the opportunities Web3 unlocks,” said Laura Gaviria Halaby, Operating Lead, SoftBank Latin America Funds. “We know the importance of startups learning from each other, which is why SBOS offers a platform to help the next generation of tech startups make an impact.”

Leading Web3 experts will teach the master classes, including:

• Konstantin Richter – CEO and Founder, Blockdaemon
• Elena Ikonomovska – Co-Founder and Chief AI Officer, Mnemonic
• Sam Englebardt – General Partner, Galaxy Interactive
• Barbara Gonzalez Briseño – CFO, Bitso
• Amr Shady – CEO, Tribal Credit
• Nic Carter – Founding Partner, Castle Island Ventures
• Samir Kerbage – CTO, Hashdex
• Janine Yorio – CEO, Everyrealm
• Mayor Francis Suarez – Mayor of Miami

Online master classes will occur on Mondays and Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. ET, from June 20 to August 25. Topics will include Foundations of Blockchain, The Token Economy, DeFi: Unlocking New Financing Models, The State of Crypto Regulation, Investing in Crypto, The Metaverse, and NFTs and Their Applications.

In addition to the classes, for the first time, SBOS and its partners will facilitate in-person networking opportunities in Miami, Mexico and Brazil throughout the duration of the program.

The program is open to anyone who registers by June 19 and will be moderated by Gaviria Halaby and other SoftBank leaders, such as SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA) Operating Partner Javier Villamizar, SBIA Partner Tom Cheung and SBIA Investor Neil Cunha-Gomes. The program requires no prior Web3 or crypto knowledge or experience.

SBOS has built a community of over 8,000 tech entrepreneurs, students and operators from more than 50 countries. Master classes from Seasons 1 and 2, which focused on tech startup growth, operations and venture fundraising, are available to watch on demand at softbankgroupoperatorschool.com.

About SoftBank Group

The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$140 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$8 billion SoftBank Latin America Funds; and investments in underrepresented founders, including the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100+ million fund investing in Black, Latinx and Native American founders, and SoftBank Investment Advisers’ global Emerge program. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en.