About Us
Connecting the blockchain,
across Boston and beyond.
We bring innovators, institutions, and market leaders into one room — through education, networking, and collaboration, online and across Boston.
Our story
About the BBA
When the BBA first got started back in 2019, we envisioned Boston as a global center for the blockchain industry. As an organization, we wanted to leverage Boston’s historic roots in finance, the city’s deep tech expertise, and its world-leading academic network and talent pool.
That vision proved to be right on point. Today, with our anchor still in Boston, the BBA has become the hub of a fast-moving global community of blockchain enthusiasts devoted to accelerating the responsible adoption of blockchain technology across all spheres of commerce and culture, with a special focus on increased deployment of blockchain-based solutions by traditional institutions, propelled by an integrated fabric of startups, developers, investors, educators, and students. What these constituencies all share, and what the BBA exists to stoke and foster, is a passion for how blockchain technology is changing and improving our world.
What we do
Educate. Advocate. Collaborate. Cultivate. Celebrate.
Five ways we help the whole ecosystem grow together.
We Educate
Through our events, workshops, and learning sessions, we help our members, the broader web 3 community, and the interested public learn about the many ways in which blockchain technology can be used to solve real-world, real-market problems.
We Advocate
We collaborate directly with federal and state lawmakers to pursue balanced and informed legislation for the blockchain sector. Through education and dialogue, we help shape policies that bolster innovation, all while further cementing Massachusetts as a national and international beacon for smart and safe blockchain innovation.
We Collaborate
We provide a platform for our members to network and share. Whether you’re looking to survey best practices, scope opportunities with potential business partners, or simply iterate on ideas alongside other blockchain enthusiasts, the BBA is the perfect place for you.
We Cultivate
We offer our institutional partners access to a highly educated student community, pulling from our leading Boston-based universities. We organize joint events in coordination with student blockchain clubs in order to help connect students with companies hiring for internships and jobs, and we constantly look to bridge the gap between academia and commercial players in the blockchain industry. Beyond our premier events, through our weekly newsletters, our work to spotlight groundbreaking research, and our many other ongoing networking activities, we foster collaboration and knowledge exchange both among students and between students and employers.
We Celebrate
We consistently identify and trumpet key milestones in the advancement of blockchain technology. In doing so, we celebrate not just the technological achievements of the day, which are truly impressive in their own right, but also the people behind them – the diverse group of visionaries that contribute so much to the continued groundswell of innovation and progress propelled by blockchain technology.
FCAT Crypto Brief · Episode 109
Block by Block: Building a Crypto Community with Doug Mehne
BBA Board Chair Doug Mehne joins Fidelity Center for Applied Technology’s Crypto Brief to talk about what it takes to build a blockchain community, locally and globally: the BBA’s programming, education, and advocacy, the role of universities and industry partners, how to get involved, and why Boston.
Who we are
Meet the team behind the BBA.
A volunteer board of builders, operators, and advocates from across Boston’s blockchain ecosystem.
Doug Mehne
Board Chair
Doug is CEO of Fortary Labs at Ava Labs, where he leads an institutional treasury, custody, and staking platform, following senior roles at Protego Trust, State Street Bank, and BNY Mellon. As BBA Board Chair, he leads the organization across Boston, New England, and the US, advancing institutional digital asset adoption and knowledge.
Mark Cianci
Board Vice-Chair & Secretary
Mark is a partner at Israel David, focusing on high-stakes business litigation for clients in the blockchain industry and beyond. With over fifteen years’ experience as a litigator and six-plus years in blockchain, he represents and advises stakeholders across the crypto ecosystem and is a sought-after speaker and writer on digital assets and U.S. law.
Eric Roux
Treasurer
Eric is Director of Customer Experience at Cisco and a founding BBA member who has held multiple executive roles, including Treasurer. Drawing on experience across technology, operations, and innovation, he believes in blockchain’s transformative potential at the institutional level and sees the BBA as a driver of its adoption.
Vijay Kesavan
Technology Committee Chair
Vijay is an Enterprise Architect at Allegro MicroSystems, with prior leadership roles at Prudential, Diageo, and American Express spanning digital transformation and emerging technology. As Chair of BBA’s Technology Committee, he focuses on blockchain’s potential for financial inclusion and Boston’s fintech community as a key partner.
Karen Knox
Community Engagement Chair & Co-Chair of Programming
Karen is SVP of Emerging Technology & Infrastructure at Howden, focusing on global risk solutions across digital assets, fintech, and data centers, following prior roles at NFP and USI Insurance. On the BBA board, her work with digital asset clients sparked her commitment to education, and she now leads community engagement and programming.
Jim Knox
Co-Chair of Programming
Jim is Aon’s Regional Managing Practice Leader for Technology and Communications and leads its Digital Asset team. He drives growth, manages key client relationships, and has helped over 100 firms secure IPO insurance, while engaging with digital asset regulators worldwide and living in New York with his family.
Helen Gugel
Co-Chair of Strategy
Helen is a partner at Ropes & Gray and a highly regarded legal advisor in the blockchain and crypto industry. With more than a decade of experience in securities and commodities enforcement, she counsels investment advisors, exchanges, developers, and innovators navigating the evolving digital asset landscape.
Trevor Talley
Marketing Committee Chair & Co-Chair of Partnerships
Trevor is Director of Strategic Partnerships at The Tech Recruiters, where he builds relationships across digital assets, blockchain, Web3, and fintech. He is also a podcast host and content creator who spotlights industry leaders. On the BBA board, he supports event programming, partnerships, panel moderation, and talent advocacy.
Keri Lorincz
Co-Chair of Community Engagement
Keri is a digital asset consultant and former Managing Director at Wellington Management, where she led global technology across the firm’s investment platform. With more than 20 years of institutional investment experience, she advises institutions on digital strategy and leads panels and events for the BBA.
Friedrich von Rosenstiel
Chair of Memberships
Friedrich is a financial analyst at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, having rotated through U.S. Tax, manufacturing finance, and Global FP&A. A member of BBA’s Membership Committee, he sees blockchain as the infrastructure that will reshape pharmaceutical supply chains, cross-border capital flows, and institutional compliance.
Anja von Rosenstiel
Advisor
Anja is a lecturer at Boston University Law School and research fellow at the Decentralization Research Center, bringing extensive expertise in blockchain regulation and digital assets law. She has co-authored a handbook on European crypto regulation and a comparative law treatise on DAOs, and advises on the evolving regulatory landscape.
Get involved
Volunteering for the BBA.
We are a volunteer-led organization. If you’re interested in joining the BBA as a volunteer, we have opportunities for all skill levels — Technology, Event Programming, Volunteer Outreach, Marketing & Communications, Membership, Student & Academic Ambassadors, and more.
Volunteering is a great way to grow your personal network, share your expertise, and give back to the community.
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