Crypto 101

Chrissa McFarlane, CEO and Founder of Atlanta-based Patientory, Inc., is an entrepreneur who is passionate about making a change in healthcare on a global scale and has achieved unprecedented success in a short period of time. Named as one of the top women “leaving their mark on the MedTech field in health IT” by Becker’s Hospital Review, Ms. McFarlane founded Patientory in December 2015 after recognizing the need for more personalized and secure consumer-driven health information management solutions. She has dedicated her career to healthcare and blockchain and believes blockchain can transform healthcare and further integrate the social determinants of health into care. In the span of only a few years after founding Patientory and the Patientory Association, Ms. McFarlane has established an international reputation as an expert on the use of blockchain technology in healthcare. She is among the youngest female CEOs in the Healthcare IT industry and the author of “Future Women: Minority Entrepreneurship in the Era of Blockchain/Cryptocurrency.”

Lindsay Cohen is associate general counsel for product at Coinbase, an easy-to-use technology platform for individuals and institutions to buy, sell, and use cryptocurrency. She has been an in-house advisor to financial services companies for the majority of her career, with the past four years focused on cryptocurrency and blockchain endeavors. Prior to joining Coinbase, Ms. Cohen worked at Bloomberg, Kroll Bond Rating Agency, and Orchard Platform; she recently served as the general counsel for Velocity Markets, a tech company focusing on providing liquidity solutions for spot and securities markets for crypto assets. Ms. Cohen is currently focused on how DeFi platforms, staking technologies, and blockchain-based services can empower individual investors. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School.

Lynette Ban is a senior associate for business development at Gemini, a regulated cryptocurrency exchange, wallet, and custodian. At Gemini, Ms. Ban supports the hedge fund and liquidity provider coverage. Prior to joining Gemini in 2021, she was a Fintech client optimization analyst at CME Group, focusing on portfolio compression in the derivatives space, and a business development analyst at TQ Tezos, focusing on quality projects built on the Tezos blockchain. Ms. Ban holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University, where she co-founded the student organization Cornell Blockchain. Today, she continues work with Cornell Blockchain as an alumni advisor.

Meghan Cross is a partner at Amplifyher Ventures, investing in early-stage, high-growth businesses built by women and diverse leadership teams. She has 14 years of asset management and operating experience in New York ventures. Prior to Amplifyher, Ms. Cross built Red Bear Angels, leading the firm’s investments into more than 25 companies, including Lyft [NASDAQ: LYFT], Datalogue [acq. Nike], and Trumid. Her angel investments include Sequoia-backed Maven Clinic, Urban Umbrella, and Privy [acq. Attentive]. Ms. Cross writes for TechCrunch and Forbes, is a United Nations UN Week speaker, and lectures at Columbia and Yeshiva Universities. She also serves on the boards of the Lincoln Center Young Patrons and Facing History, an education nonprofit that furthers diversity and inclusion. Ms. Cross holds a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University and a Master’s degree from Columbia Business School.

Nisa Amoils is managing partner at A100x Ventures and advisor to Dragonfly Capital, where she invests in early-stage blockchain/crypto/NFT companies, with special attention to social impact and diversity. Ms. Amoils has been investing in blockchain since 2016; her prior fund was Scout Ventures, investing in technology. Prior to investing, she spent many years in business development and strategy at companies like Time Warner and NBC Universal. Ms. Amoils currently serves on the boards of Wharton Entrepreneurship, Global Digital Assets and Crypto Association, Girls Who Invest, and Nightfood (NGTF). Her work has received several honors, including Business Insider’s Women VCs to Watch, 2021 systematic leader in asset management, Top 100 Women in Fintech, and top 50 global blockchain thinkers. Ms. Amoils holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania.

Vanessa Grellet is head of portfolio growth for CoinFund, a crypto asset-focused investment firm, where she oversees and supports the portfolio companies. Ms. Grellet is a global executive with over 20 years of expertise in the financial services and technology industry. Previously, she was an executive director at ConsenSys, where she focused on driving adoption for Ethereum, strategic initiatives, alliances, and channels. Ms. Grellet helped create the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA), is a founding board member of the Accounting Blockchain Coalition (ABC), and is the president of the Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition (BSIC). She also sits on the Advisory Council of ConsenSys and the Resolution Project. Ms. Grellet holds a law degree from Paris-Panthéon-Assas University (Paris II Assas) and a business degree from HEC Paris.