Intersect's structure

Intersect's structure

Similar to municipalities, local councils, and other member-based organizations, Intersect has a governing board occupied and administered by its members, with various committees and working groups focused on specific domains and interests.

The design of Intersect’s governance and membership structure helps identify strategic priorities for Cardano’s development by having broad representation through a diverse global membership base.

Incorporation

Intersect is incorporated in Wyoming, United States, as a Mutual Benefit Nonprofit organization in accordance with applicable state laws. Given the state’s receptiveness to innovation and new technology, specifically around blockchain and DAOs, it was the ideal jurisdiction to incorporate Intersect.

Intersect was incorporated on July 13, 2023.

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Member based organization - our members

Cardano on-chain governance needs off-chain discussion and coordination to properly serve the people. We are a member-based organization (MBO) because our mission and value depend on collective ownership, shared governance, and community participation.

• Members aren’t just customers or beneficiaries, they are stakeholders.

• Members bring diverse perspectives, expertise, and lived experiences. Better problem-solving, more representative governance, and fewer blind spots in decision-making.

• The organization exists to serve its members, not to maximize profit or external shareholder value. So incentives stay aligned with the long-term goals of the community.

• A member-based structure amplifies collective advocacy. The organization can influence policy, standards, or industry direction with the weight of its membership behind it.

• We give voices to each members via our one-member-one-vote voting

Intersect is simply an aggregation and coordination point. Without the people, who have the expertise, who are interested and passionate about making Cardano better, Intersect can’t provide any value. So Intersect as an organization needs to ensure its structure is easy to navigate and use, so that these people can connect their effort and provide value to the ecosystem.

Intersect members have the right to vote who sit in which committee and on the Intersect board, so deciding who has the right expertise for the task. Members, via their discussions and work, are the one providing the recommendations to bring Cardano, and Intersect with it, forward, playing a critical role in the ecosystem. Without their effort, today the Cardano ecosystem would not even have the right to self-govern.

Committees and working groups

(WGs and Committees broad framework, how do they act and evolve, what role do they play)

In Intersect, we open paths for participation to any contributor, from the least committed one who has little time to those who take on critical roles. We do this via options for participation related to detailed subjects.

Working groups, which can be created by any member or directly via the committees, are the core places where hands-on work happens, where detailed proposals are created, and where members and associates alike, as well as external contributors, can come together with a common task.

Committees are the formal member-elected bodies, where voting members represent Intersect as an organization in relation to the remit they have assigned. They discuss the broader needs of the Cardano ecosystem to arrive at a proposed solution, which could lead to a formal proposal in Cardano’s on-chain’s governance. To do this they meet regularly, work hands-on or might create dedicated working groups, and ultimately they vote on what proposal to bring forward.

When the membership or the Intersect sees a new need emerging, they might propose or decide to promote a working group to be an elected committee, or create a working group with the purpose of creating a new committee.

Membership

Intersect membership provides different levels of commitments to the effort members want to give to Cardano. Within the Wyoming structure, it ensures voting rights, and so direct decision making, for Members.

The different membership tiers, and the free associate subscription, give participants with different needs, a set of dedicated benefits to better provide their contribution to Cardano.