Ari Lewis is an entrepreneur who at age 12 began selling forks and knives on the streets of NYC’s Chinatown. Listen to Ep54 as Ari describes how he soon discovered Bitcoin in 2009 and how he and a partner turned an initial $18K into $1.4 Million. Moving to Cleveland, OH for college, Ari was then able to start a crypto-currency hedge fund using his new CLE connections. Now starting a fund focused on blockchain ventures, Ari is using his experience to consult and tout the value of CLE’s startup scene.
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06:44s Discovering Bitcoin in 2011 as a junior in High School
08:31s Growing up middle class without a financial services background
10:15s Starting young as an entrepreneur in New York City
12:04s Starting a cryptocurrency hedge fund in college
14:40s Raising $15 million dollars for the Grasshopper hedge fund
16:35s Hedge funds vs venture investing
18:02s Winding down the hedge fund and focusing on a venture fund
19:10s Outlook on alts / tokens going forward
21:47s Raising a second fund focused on blockchain equity
23:04s Consulting with State of Ohio to launch payment of business taxes in Bitcoin
27:49s Choosing Cleveland as a startup / technology hub
31:52s Corporations supporting and coming into the cryptocurrency space
35:24s Thinking at a high level about technology
38:34s Focusing on what provides value as a filter
40:11s Embracing cryptocurrency and bitcoin as a mainstream career
41:59s Taking a second to appreciate what’s around us
“Bitcoin is an opportunity.. It’s helping the small people… people in foreign countries where their fiat currency isn’t as strong.”
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