Digital Asset Studios

Digital Asset Studios (DAS) is a tech start-up studio with a preference for Web3 and AI. 

(1) DAS provides focused and tailored incubation and acceleration for dynamic tech start-ups worldwide, that have not yet raised a Seed round of $3m and above, so that founders and teams can focus on the product / tech, while we focus on the commercialization and business side of things. 

This includes the following dynamics: 
- Global Structuring (UK, US, Islands, UAE, Panama, Singapore); 
- Financial Engineering (Modeling, Tokenomics, Valuations, Monetization); 
- Fundraising support & strategy (Grants, Angel, Pre-Seed & Seed);
- Human Resources & Recruitment; and 
- Certain Legal Elements (SAFE, SAFT, Warrants, ESOP, etc).

(2) DAS operates a collaborative tech co-working space in Cape Town, on the best street in town (Bree Street). DAS portfolio companies, OpsFi clients and invited Nomads are welcome to utilize the space by arrangement.

Co-Founder & CEO

OpsFi

OpsFi (Operations.Finance Limited) provides institutional grade web3 & blockchain financial services & commercial advisory.

We are your Web3 Financial Engineering Advisor, Crypto Accountant, and Strategic CFO.

We focus on innovative Web3 organizations, including Infrastructure, DeFi, DePin, RWAs, Gaming,  developer tooling, DAOs, NFTs, etc. 

We specialise in the Startup, Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A/B cycles.

Offerings include:

Bookkeeping, Accounting & CFO Reporting:

- Crypto & Fiat Bookkeeping / Accounting;
- Cash Burn/Runway Analysis, including various forecasting scenarios; and
- Investment-Grade Financial Reporting and Insights, etc.

Web3 Financial advisory and transaction services:

- Monetization Engineering, 
- Financial Modelling, 
- Due diligence,
- Tokenomics frameworks, architecture & modelling,
- Existing tokenomics and business model audits / reviews,
- Token Launch and Project Go-To-Market Strategies,
- White Papers & Pitch Decks.

Visit our website - www.opsfi.xyz for (i) a full suite of our services or (ii) to schedule a free discovery call

Growth Lending

The focus on alternative asset classes are early stage start-ups, blockchain technologies, web3 and artificial intelligence.

Responsibilities include:
- Collaborate with the executive team to adopt alternative asset strategies;
- Conduct comprehensive market research to identify alternative asset growth opportunities and potential challenges;
- Monitor alternative asset market trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory changes to inform strategic decision-making;
- Develop and implement alternative asset go-to-market strategies;
- Engage with and nurture relationships with potential clients, partners, and key stakeholders; and
- Manage and train the alternative asset team.

Alternative Asset Manager

Stealth Startup

Co-Founder

Pl3dge

Building in stealth. Launching dynamic blockchain, multi-ecosystem Life Cover solutions for High-Net-Worth Individuals, digital nomads, web3 organizations and web3 investors.

Thuma Mina Teaching

Thuma Mina Teaching (TMT) is a non-profit Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) and Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) enabling career and life opportunities through accessible learning in South Africa.

TMT is enriching teaching and learning through high quality captivating video-lessons and materials (currently South African Schooling curriculum for grades 8-9), posted freely to students on YouTube and other social media platforms.

TMT also licenses its content to online and physical schools to use in their learning management system.

I joined TMT's cause and incredible organisation as I believe in the founding team, as well as this is truly the right solution to South Africa's educational crisis, and thereafter Africa and the rest of the world.

Watch this space, the educational revolution is upon us.

Reach out if you are interested in collaborating or contributing, (i.e. tax breaks available).

Non Executive Director

bitgrit Inc.

Non-Executive Advisor

BOOST&Co

BOOST&Co is a private equity, Venture Capital / Debt Fund manager that creates growth capital solutions for some of Europe’s most promising SMEs. We like working with innovative fast-growing SMEs, led by talented management teams.

Our financing solutions are growth loans and venture debt facilities that are tailor-made to help businesses expand, without incurring a high dilution to the existing ownership.

I work directly with our Principles to deploy our funds' capital, including:

- Analysing business plans/models and financial models of European SME's (broad range of industries);
- Compiling investment reports/memos;
- Presenting to the Credit/Investment Committee;
- Coaching the investment analysts; and
- Managing the full end to end funding process (i.e. KYC, FDD, legals, etc).

Investment Manager

Deloitte South Africa

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) | Transaction Services | Corporate Finance

Manager

Deloitte

I was on a short term assignment with the Deloitte office in Boston where I worked in the financial services team.

Senior

I completed my three years of audit articles at the Deloitte & Touche office based in Cape Town.

I was made an auditor in charge (AIC) from June 2016 (half way through my 3 years of articles).

Responsibilities include: 
- Managing teams as the auditor in charge (AIC). 
- Performing detailed risk assessment procedures on audit clients
- Identifying significant risks and creating responsive procedures.
- Identifying and testing internal controls (Design, implementation and operating effectiveness)
- Obtaining a detailed understanding of the client's business, industry & processes.
- Coordinating client deliverables from various departments within the Firm.
- Managing deadlines.
- Drafting reports to management, those charged with governance and audit committees
- Detail testing of client’s financial statements
- Providing guidance and coaching to audit teams

My client portfolio over my articles has been primarily financial services, with offshore hedge funds, offshore investment trusts, a private equity investment company, a medical aid fund, a provident fund and a stock broker. I have also been on short stints with general clients, including retail, manufacturing and agriculture (export).

Proficient in working with Microsoft Office, applications such as Outlook, Word and Excel on a daily basis.

Experience with various accounting systems including SAP, Geneva, Pastel, Sage and VIP.

Audit Senior

My motto: Analyze the past, be dynamic in the present and be strategic in planning for the future

I am driven to improve financial inclusion on a global scale. I believe that Blockchain technologies and the Web3 Ethos has the best ability to achieve global financial inclusion and significantly improve all of our standards of living. 

It is inevitable that blockchain technologies and Web3 will have major mainstream use cases in the medium term future.

Therefore I co-founded Operations.Finance to help founders and web3 teams fundraise, and most importantly build profitable and sustainable web3 organizations, which in turn develops foundations to build on top of, and accelerates the mainstream adoption.

We have the brightest minds entering this space to solve some of our biggest global challenges and we cannot afford to let them down with sub optimal support in the financial services realm. We need to help them thrive in this pioneering ecosystem!

Greg Tomaselli CA (SA)

Belio.co | Safeguarding Your Business in the Digital Age

In a digital ecosystem where threats evolve faster than they can be mapped, Belio stands as a vanguard for startups and SMEs. As a founder and the chief strategist, I've nurtured Belio to not just answer the "how" of cybersecurity but also the "why," instilling a proactive rather than reactive culture.

Our Vision:

Tailored Cybersecurity: 
Engineering bespoke vCISO services and Security Gap Assessments to build cyber resilience that's not one-size-fits-all.

Strategic Risk Management: 
Weaving compliance and risk management into the DNA of businesses, so they thrive secure and unencumbered.

Holistic Cyber Health: 
Developing strategies that serve as the cornerstone of trust between our clients and their customers.

Join us to sculpt a future where cybersecurity is a silent promise — delivered with conviction, crafted with intelligence.

CISO  | Founder

PROXIMA ICS

As the CEO and CISO at Proxima ICS, I wear multiple hats, leading both the business and information security fronts. With over 20 years of experience in IT Governance and Risk Management, I've been pivotal in shaping Proxima's growth and service offerings, particularly in the realms of information security and IT governance.

🔑 Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership: Developed and executed overarching business strategies, focusing on business development, sales, and marketing.
Holistic CISO Services: Acted as CISO, Virtual CISO, and Interim CISO for a diversified portfolio of clients in banking, finance, and e-commerce sectors.
Customized Security Roadmaps: Created tailored information security strategies, risk assessments, and compliance roadmaps.
Team and Stakeholder Management: Orchestrated team performance improvements, coaching, and managed high-level stakeholder relationships.
Compliance and Certification: Assisted clients in achieving and maintaining compliance with international standards such as GDPR, ISO 27001, and NIST.


🌟 Notable Achievements:

Business Strategy: Drove end-to-end business strategy, positioning Proxima ICS as a leader in the information security domain.
Innovation: Accelerated DevOps processes, reducing time-to-production from one year to just 12 weeks.
Performance Culture: Instilled a culture of excellence, ensuring timely and budget-friendly project completion.


📊 Selected Projects:

Large International Bank: As a Security Wizard, I provided expertise in cloud architecture and threat modeling, significantly improving DevOps compliance with Microsoft Azure best practices.
Pharmaceutical Company: As an Interim CISO, I oversaw SOX compliance and third-party risk management, improving audit outcomes by 25%.
My dual role allows me to align complex security strategies seamlessly with business objectives, reinforcing Proxima ICS's commitment to providing a secure, compliant, and efficient operational landscape for our clients.

CEO/ CISO/ virtual CISO/ Interim CISO

Novartis

As Head of IGM GIS at Novartis, I led a team of up to 20 professionals, providing governance and information security oversight for the design, development, and operation of IT services, processes, and technologies across the organization. My leadership and expertise in information security and service delivery contributed significantly to the growth and success of the company's IT services.

Key Responsibilities:

* Established and managed a team of information security professionals, driving the design and implementation of the Information Security Strategy.
* Led major Information and IT Security-related projects, ensuring alignment with risk and compliance management requirements.
* Oversaw governance in GIS, including Process Lifecycle Management, Roles and Responsibilities, and the overall roles RACI matrix and Job Profiles updating initiative.
* Acted as a member of Steering Committees, representing GIS and providing insights in the areas of Information Security, Information Governance, and IT Service Management.

Key Achievements:

* Team establishment and growth: As Deputy IT HUB Head, I contributed to the establishment of the Prague IT HUB, which grew from 3 to 150 employees within 18 months. Successfully established a team of 20 IGM professionals in Prague.
* Leadership and Team Management: Managed geographically and culturally diverse teams located in the US, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.
* Key Strategic Projects Management: Directed several key strategic global projects in the areas of Information Security, Governance, and Compliance, ensuring that the organization's security posture remained strong and up-to-date.

Head of Information Governance and Management (IGM) - Global Infrastructure Services (GIS)

T-Systems

As the ITSM Manager and Governance Officer at T-Systems, I was responsible for the overall leadership, management, and compliance of ISO 20000 certification, involving over 700 IT professionals. I coordinated the implementation of best practices for IT processes in line with ISO 20000, ITIL, and other relevant standards while ensuring compliance with rules set by Deutsche Telekom and T-Systems International.

Key Responsibilities:

* Overall responsibility for ISO 20000 certification process, including process analysis, mapping, optimization, and ownership of process models.
* Management of the PDCA Cycle for processes and systems connected with ISO 20000, ensuring compliance with the standard.
* Coordination and support of process owners, integrating process management tools with other management systems used in T-Systems.
* Ensured alignment with various ISO standards, including ISO 27000 (Information Security Management) to maintain a strong security posture.

Key Projects and Achievements:
*Internal audits of ISO 9000, ISO 20000, ISO 27000, ISO 14000, and ISO 18000 - Conducted internal audits to identify nonconformities and areas of improvement, ensuring compliance and maintaining certifications.
*Act4Service - Acted as one of the main local project managers for an internal transformation project, involving organizational structure, job roles, processes, and financial structures, based on blueprints provided by international project management.
*Continual service improvement process - Oversaw improvement processes in the ISO 20000 area, including Quality Assurance, by running workshops, Process Improvement Team meetings, and monitoring and setting targets and KPIs.
* E-learning pilot project - Developed and implemented an e-learning platform for internal employee training, contributing to improved security awareness and skills development.

ITSM Manager (ISO 20000) and Governance Officer

Compagnie Financière Tradition

As the Group IT Auditor for Compagnie Financière Tradition, one of the world's largest interdealer brokers in OTC financial and commodity-related products, I played a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining a strong IT audit and risk management framework for the organization. Reporting directly to the Global Head of Audit and Compliance, my role required a high level of seniority, comprehensive experience, and the ability to work collaboratively with various stakeholders across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:
* Developing and implementing risk-based IT audit strategies and plans for the entire Tradition Group, consisting of approximately 90 financial companies and subsidiaries, which involved evaluating the effectiveness of IT controls and identifying opportunities for improvement.
* Performing integrated and IT audits, as well as special assignments in major financial centers, including Paris, London, New York, and other key offices of the Tradition Group, focusing on key areas such as information security, data privacy, and IT governance.
* Collaborating with non-IT audit teams, providing insights and expertise in IT-related risks and controls, and contributing to the overall improvement of the organization's risk management and compliance posture.
* Identifying emerging technology risks and ensuring that the IT audit strategy remained responsive to the evolving risk landscape.
* Communicating audit findings and recommendations to senior management and relevant stakeholders, ensuring that remediation actions were properly tracked and effectively implemented.

My experience in managing IT audit processes and working within a highly regulated industry provides me with a strong foundation in risk management, compliance, and information security. This role has also enabled me to develop strong communication and leadership abilities along with a deep understanding of the complex interplay between technology, business, and regulatory requirements.

Group IT Auditor

Managed numerous audit engagements, performing a number high-level and detailed reviews of all aspects of IT risk and controls including Information Security, IT Operations, Project Management, IT Strategy and Contingency arrangements for key clients.  

Managed and coordinated number of international teams performing audit work for clients located in several countries.  Engagements involved understanding critical processes, identification of risks and testing controls, development of recommendations for clients in UK, USA, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Hong Kong and Japan.  

Participated in three months long internal audit co-sourcing project for a major global oil company, providing assurance around the processes in place over large (Billion USD) SAP deployment project - to provide comfort over the quality, reliability and repeatability of future SAP implementations. 

Managed an EU Legislation compliance engagement in airline tickets booking industry.

Detailed information will be provided upon request.

Manager - Enterprise Risk Services

KPMG

In RAS - IRM focused on projects on security reviews and risk and process analyses of the IT environment of KPMG’s audit clients and provided advisory in all areas of IT security.  Apart from other services, primarily dealt with the following:

Business Continuity Management/ Disaster Recovery Planning – risk and vulnerabilities analysis, BIA analysis, recovery strategies, BCP/DRP plan development and testing, documentation of BCP/DRP plan administration procedures and processes.

IT consulting, including risk analysis, BPA - Business Process Analysis, security reviews, creation of policies and procedures and project management.

Financial Audit Support – this consists mostly of documenting IT controls as part of financial audit engagements.

SOX advisory projects, including the identification, documentation and testing of key business process and general IT controls for several companies in UK and Czech Republic.

Detailed information will be provided upon request.

Assistant Manager in Risk Advisory Services (RAS) - Information Risk Management (IRM) department

Ernst & Young

Specialization in IS/ IT Security Architecture, Information Security and Risk Management and ERP Security/Process Integrity; participation in various Audit and Internal Audit projects; involvement in Business Risk Services projects (specialized audits, Due Diligence).

Detailed information will be provided upon request.

Consultant in Technology and Security Risk Services (TSRS)

🔒 Follow for Daily Insights on Cybersecurity

Hi, I am Petr.

I help businesses elevate their security posture and achieve compliance.

My goal is straightforward: to deliver Best Value Cybersecurity Strategies. Specifically, I focus on providing resource-efficient and effective security solutions that offer the best return on investment.

Having collaborated with industry leaders like Deloitte and KPMG, I've shaped robust security strategies across sectors such as banking, finance, and pharmaceuticals.

I want to bring this expertise to you.

Being an IT Auditor for many years, I can help you understand how to prepare for and pass audits for ITGC, ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and others.

I assist with compliance requirements and needs. Compliance is viewed as either an advantage or burden by many businesses. Failing to leverage compliance misses out on a great opportunity to create a lasting culture of security that will grow with your business.

As the founder of Belio, I offer tailored solutions like vCISO services and Security Gap Assessments, designed to establish trust and enhance security. My approach goes beyond threat mitigation; it aligns security strategies with your core business objectives, ensuring long-term resilience.

I bring a holistic perspective to the role of a CISO, encompassing governance, compliance, risk management, and incident response.

Feel free to reach out! 

📞 +31 6 1901 2448
✉ Or share your visions and challenges with me via peter@belio.co

I'm always open to discussing cybersecurity and compliance goals, challenges, strategies, and innovations.

taplio

The Battle

Greg Tomaselli CA (SA)

Petr C.

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