# Willy Won-icorn and the Magic Vending Machine: Nerd-Sniping for Nouns @ ETHDENVER 2024 (Revised)


![ETH_DENVER_4](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/ByGlXCI5a.png)
*Our Proposal Mascot, Willy Won-icorn the Chocolate-loving Bufficorn*
# TLDR

We're on a quest to recruit at least 200 new builders into the nouns community at  ETHDenver 2024 through a series of thoughtful seminars, events and activations targeting developers and creatives alike. 

We will be producing and freely distributing bespoke nounish merchandise such as t-shirts, plushies, noggles and stickers to attendees, and will host a Wonka-inspired Golden Ticket Nounish Chocolate Bar raffle for 1 ETH + a custom 1 of 1 NFT by [Frankie Colamarino](https://twitter.com/franke), with all bar sales proceeds being donated to the Tornado Cash Devs' Legal Defense fund.

## Amendments from Version 1:

*After feedback from Nouners (Thank you 9999, Brennen, 40 and others), we have reformulated the proposal to remove the element of the Noun Raffle, opting instead for a more moderate raffle prize of ETH + a unique 1 of 1 NFT by Frankie for the Golden Ticket acivation. We also made revisions to clarify and emphasize that all bespoke nounish merch designed and created by the team and disturbuted at ETH Denver will be available for free for maximum proliferation, with the exception of the raffle chocolate bars.*

## Proposal Summary:

**WHAT:**

We have planned a series of exciting onsite and offsite events during ETH Denver 2024 (Feb 28 through March 3.) This includes the opportunity to host two of the official onsite "BUIDLer Nights" for hackers, slots to speak about Nouns on several educational sessions and panels, 2 offsite social events, a unique free Nounish swag experience called The Magic Vending Machine, and a Golden Ticket charity chocolate bar raffle!

**WHY:**
The goal of this proposal is to expand the community of Nounish builders by welcoming new contributors, spreading Nounish vibes and showcasing the many opportunities that exist to contribute to our protocol. 

**HOW MUCH:**
We are asking the DAO for 34 ETH, breakdown in Budget Section below.

## Event Overview

ETHDenver stands as the premier event for the Ethereum community, drawing in more than [15,000 community members to Denver, Colorado](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ethdenver-breaks-attendance-records-unveils-130100344.html#:~:text=DENVER%2C%20March%2016%2C%202023%2D%2D(,15%2C000%20unique)%20from%20115%20countries.). The event sets the stage for an enriching journey beginning with the largest Ethereum hackathon ([#BUIDLWeek](https://www.ethdenver.com/buidlweek)), packed with interactive workshops, insightful presentations, and networking opportunities. It's a vibrant assembly of like-minded individuals, all converging with a shared mission – to foster a hub of Ethereum enthusiasts and open the boundaries of blockchain innovation.

This year at ETHDenver, our objective is to broaden the Nouns community by welcoming fresh contributors and proliferating the presence of Nouns throughout the event. We're dedicated to empowering builders during Buidlweek through the Buidlthon and highlighting the exceptional projects within the Nouns community. Through engaging panels, comprehensive educational initiatives, and a series of onsite and offsite events, we aim to showcase the creative spirit and what it means to be Nounish.

## 

## Nounish On Site Events During the Conference:

![52749910709_7f10e3ac6d_c](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HkxFuhx56.jpg)

## 

**BUIDLER Nights**

Every evening of Buidlweek, from 6-10 pm, the BUIDLHub will come alive with the call of BUIDLer Nights, and we have the unique opportunity to have Nouns act as the official host for two of these events, which we have titled and themed "Nouns Funds Code" and "Nouns Funds Community."

BUIDLer Nights are exclusive gatherings at BUIDLHub during both BUIDLWeek and the main event. They are crafted to encourage and support builders in their creative pursuits – all while extending their attention beyond the daytime's structured agenda. 

In these sessions, the BUIDLHub lounge evolves into a deep space for activities, while the BUIDL Floor emerges as a bustling hub for networking and celebration.

Each event includes:
* Direct mentorship for Buidlthon attendees from speakers &  builders in the Nouns community.
* Panels & Breakout Groups for builders to engage with Nouns contributors in onboarding to the Nouns ecosystem & how to get involved.
 * Food and beverage for Buidlthon participants.
 * Proliferation of Nouns Swag.

The objective for all events is to forge connections with upcoming talent, teach them about Nouns and encourage them to build in our ecosystem, while passing out Noggles and custom Nounish merch.  

** **

**Planned Event 1 – Nouns Funds Code**

Day One of BUIDLer Nights is dedicated entirely to infrastructure. 

Beginning with an immersive educational and networking journey centered around Nouns and Prophouse. This inaugural session enhances awareness of Nouns, offering a direct line for builders to engage, ask questions, and network with active contributors within the Nouns ecosystem. 

We will also be hosting a **1 ETH BUIDLer LIVE Prop House Round** to teach developers how easy it can be to build and get funded by Nouns. 


**Planned Event 2 – Nouns Funds Community**


During this event, Nouns contributors dedicate their time to mentoring groups of builders, guiding them through the specifics of Prophouse ideation and educating them on crafting compelling proposals. 

This gathering is important to instill in builders a sense of partnership with the broader Nouns community, emphasizing the support and resources.

The event also features a showcase, offering a window into the diverse communities that have flourished under the patronage of Nouns DAO and the significant impacts they've made.

**Planned Offsite Event - Nouns Funds Creators** 
(More on this in Offsite Section Below.)

Members of the team (Prof Werder, Frankie Colamarino, Peter Pandam, Sasquatch and Toady Hawk) have been invited to speak about Nouns on several panels at the conference on the topics of "Collaborating on chain to bring gaming to the masses", "How to build a Thriving Community in Web3", "Build it with Nouns Builder", "Octant & Gitcoin Presents Building Public Goods Communities" and "Esports DAOs as a new coordination layer."

During the On Site and Off Site events, Toady Hawk and Prof Werder will also be recording live podcasts and other content for Zero Rights Reserved, The Noun Square and GM Farcaster. 


## The Magic Vending Machine and the Golden Ticket Charity Chocolate Bar Raffle!


[![vending-machine.jpg](https://i.postimg.cc/yYJCGVbf/vending-machine.jpg)](https://postimg.cc/7fyRGyD7)



   

We have access to an onchain-enabled vending machine at the main ETH Denver site, displaying a myriad of free-to-claim nounish products, including custom-designed Nounish merch by [Frankie Colamarino](https://twitter.com/franke), paper and plastic Noggles, sticker packs and more, all available for free (one per person with some social gating, explained below.)

When attendees scan the QR code on the machine, they will be redirected to a campaign landing page (CLP). On the CLP, users will have the opportunity to:
a) Mint a Free Nouns x ETH Denver artwork on Zora
b) Claim Nounish products for free from the vending machine by completing easy social unlocks such as retweeting the campaign post on X and Farcaster, and joining the /nouns channel on Farcaster.
c) Join a dedicated Telegram group chat to get in touch with Nouners and Contributors at ETHDenver and keep up to date on our events.

The vending machine will accept crypto, CC and apple/google wallet payments methods for the chocolate bars.


### Nouns Chocolate Bars

[![nouns-bars.png](https://i.postimg.cc/xCkcJDD7/nouns-bars.png)](https://postimg.cc/HcgpRNL4)




One of the most exciting products in the vending machine may not look like much-- a humble Nouns-branded chocolate bar. But like your mother always said, it's what's inside that counts. And inside each of these bars is a custom QR code where conference attendees can mint a free Nouns Chocolate bar NFT on Zora. 

# At the end of the ETH Denver event, we will draw one lucky wallet at random to win a 1 ETH prize + a 1 of 1 NFT featuring Willy Woni-corn by [Frankie Colamarino](https://twitter.com/franke)


Throughout the multi-day conference, we will be selling the bars for $3 at our BUIDLathon and offsite events. Two of our team members have strong ties with conference organizers and we plan to create as much buzz as possible around the Golden Ticket Activation. All proceeds from the bars will be donated to the Juicebox fund for Alexey Pertsev and Roman Storm's Legal Defense.

We think the raffle and the Ethereum-aligned charity element will help generate a good amount of buzz for our Nouns activations and initiatives throughout the conference.  


### Bufficorn x Nouns Merchandise

We have designed some playful and cool nouns merchandise including bespoke t-shirts, plushies and more, that will be available for free with social unlocks in the vending machine and also given out by the team at our hosted events. Any Nouners in attendance will be given priority to claim this commemorative merch! 

[![shirts-teaser.png](https://i.postimg.cc/HskFQpPV/shirts-teaser.png)](https://postimg.cc/w3nWzdzp)


## ETHDenver Scholarship Fund

ETHDenver's ethos is Education + Community = BUIDL 

As part of the agreement with ETHDenver to collaborate on their official BUIDLer Nights and panels, we have committed to participate in their Scholarship Program. 

The ETHDenver Scholarship Fund fouses on providing the opportunity for three recipients to receive a 1 ETH scholarship to travel to ETHDenver and learn how to empower their own local communities at home. 

We will be working with ETHDenver's steward team to select these recipients. Recipients will document their journeys through ETHDenver while receiving direct mentorship from the Bufficorn community for their goals. 

Each recipient will highlight their trip after the event and produce a piece of content to share with the Nouns community as a thank you for giving them the opportunity to grow. 



# Off-Site Events

### Off-Site Event #1 - Nouns x PizzaDAO - February 28th

PizzaDAO are up to their usual shenounigans. They have rented the historic Sports Castle – ETHDenver’s location for its first five years and have invited Nouns to particpate as a sponsor and by integrating this Proposal team into their efforts. 

They're throwing “Pizza Castle,” a giant pizza party with 500+ attendees. 

PizzaDAO events attract a nounish audience and a perfect intro to the other upcoming nounish events for ETHDenver.

Lofi noggles and other Nounish swag will be prominent and the goal will be to capture the nounish vibe in content shared on socials.



### Off-Site Event #2 - "Nouns Funds Creators" at Youth On Record - February 29th

[Youth on Record](https://www.youthonrecord.org/) is an organization dedicated to empowering young people from under-resourced communities through education, music, and community programs. 

We are hosting a side event at this venue to have a space for Nouners and Nouns-curious folks to gather and connect over cocktails and chill vibes, while Nounish art is showcased around the venue. We will be also be hosting some live physical art creation, and a live Basepaint contribution section, while educating attendees on how they can potentiall seek funding from Nouns to pursue their creative endeavours.


## Team

The Nounish team behind this proposal are 

- [Frankie Colamarino](https://twitter.com/franke) (Design & Marketing)
- [Peter Dager](https://twitter.com/Peterpandam) (Nouns Esports) 
- [Toady Hawk](https://twitter.com/toady_hawk) (The Noun Square)
- [Benjamin Latsko](https://twitter.com/benjaminlatsko) (Marketing, Event Planning)
- [Sasquatch](https://twitter.com/PartSasquatch) (Nouns Esports)
- [Pat Yiu](https://twitter.com/PatYiuTazza) (Nouns Esports, Event Planning)
- [Prof Werder](https://twitter.com/ProfWerder) (Nouns Builder)
- [Will Wheeler](https://www.wheeler.works/) (Design & Marketing) 

Treasury for this proposal will be executed through a 3/5 [multisig](https://https://app.safe.global/home?safe=eth:0x31Ac0BEe3bD92f6bBb952afe5cB3bA01889A7844)  with Sasquatch, Benjamin, Toady, Prof and Pat as the signers. 

We also thank ETHDenver Cofounder [Justin Moskowitz](https://twitter.com/mmjustin), BUIDL Steward [Jason Lee](https://twitter.com/versusjl), and Bufficorn Steward [Joshua Lapidus](https://twitter.com/0xJoshuaSL) for their guidance through the creation of this proposal and offering us significant access to ETHDenver in support of public goods.


## Budget
- Nouns Onchain Vending Machine Rental and Support - 2 ETH
- Nouns ProductsSwag Purchases - 3.7 ETH (Paper and Plastic Noggles, Custom Nouns Plushies, [Nouns Sticker Packs](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYVDwkNG9cyKF2BsBI1SZhYp-vrsNcIk/view), 200 ETHDenver x Nouns T-shirts designed by [Frankie Colamarino](https://www.instagram.com/frankie/) 
- 1000 Custom Nouns Chocolate Bars 1.3 ETH
- Buidler Nights - Program and Food and Beverage: 6ETH +1ETH Prop House Prize 
- Nouns Fund Creatives Event at Youth On Record 5ETH
- PizzaDAO Event Sponsorship 5ETH
- ETH Denver Scholarship Contributions: 3ETH
- Travel and Team Comp: 6 ETH
- Golden Ticket Raffle prize: 1 ETH


**Total: 34 ETH**

## Conclusion

With this multipronged initiative encompassing educational events, social networking opportunities, and a Merch and Contest strategy that will surely make waves, we intend to make Nouns the talk of ETHDenver and attract a new cohort of at least 200 new Nouns-curious builders from the largest hackathon in North America.

Outcome: EXECUTED