Women in Crypto Q&A: Angelic Vendette, founder of WomenRightsNFT

Angelic Vendette is vice president and global marketing manager at Alo Yoga and the founder of WomenRightsNFT.

She spoke to us about Alo Yoga’s foray into the crypto world, including within the metaverse and Web3, particularly with its partnership with Roblox. Fresh off New York Fashion Week, where Alo had her first ready-to-wear collection, Vendette also talked about how elements of the collection would come with NFTs.

Finally, she also spoke about WomenRightsNFT, which aims to raise funds for women’s rights and how she believes blockchain is, and will continue to be, “enable a force for good.”

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How did you get into the crypto industry?

OF: I was first introduced to the industry in 2016 via Bitcoin, and then much more prominently in 2021 with the rise of pfp [profile picture] NFT projects, where I started investing in and fundraising for women-led projects, and projects from artists from underrepresented communities.

On that note, can you talk about WomenRightsNFT’s purpose and what led to the idea for the launch?

OF: Of course! WomenRightsNFT is a pfp NFT project that I launched in June, to raise awareness and funds for women’s rights in light of the Roe v. Wade overturn. 100% of the purchase price of each sale is donated to Planned Parenthood, and the pfp art I created commemorating prominent figures in women’s rights history.

What does Alo Yoga do when it comes to the intersection with Web3?

OF: I am marketing manager at Alo Yoga and lead our digital innovation within the metaverse and Web3.

We launched our Alo Wellness Sanctuary in Roblox last February, where you can practice mindful movement with your avatar, as well as redeem Alo digital fashion. To date, over 51.5 million people have done meditation or yoga with us inside the metaverse, and over 59 million items of digital fashion are being worn.

Similarly, last summer we launched two very exciting crypto updates – the first is that our community can now use cryptocurrencies at checkout for all their online purchases and the second is that we offer to pay our employees in crypto if that’s how they want to get paid.

What about the NFT collection?

OF: We presented Alo’s first ready-to-wear collection at NYFW this past week; and, alongside the purchase of an item in this premium collection, we also announced that the items would come with an NFT in the form of a digital certificate of authenticity.

This was announced in partnership with MoonPay and HyperMint, MoonPay’s self-service NFT mining platform.

In addition to owning this unique NFT authentication, customers will also receive VIP experiences ranging from a personalized shopping experience via a private customer manager, to unlocking future experiences at Alo Houses and exclusive access to Alo Wellness Clubs.

What is exciting, beyond the collection and the NFT launch, is that Alo’s collaboration with MoonPay and HyperMint is the first of its kind. Alo Yoga is the first fashion and wellness brand to leverage HyperMint for easy NFT purchases via email check.

What excites you most about the room?

OF: I’m most excited to see how this will bring both security and positive change to many legacy industries that affect our everyday lives—think medical records, IDs, in-store loyalty programs, etc.—but also how blockchain is and will continue to enable a force for good, a force for fundraising, to raise awareness, drive relief and help our fellow man, as we have already seen happen in Ukraine over the past year.

What do you think can be done to make the industry more inclusive?

OF: Education and onboarding are the biggest keys to inclusion in Web3. As artists, technologists, brands in the space, I also believe it’s our responsibility to help people onboard and help share what we’ve learned along the way so they too can leverage blockchain technology to better themselves.

What do you think should be changed in the room?

OF: The true democratization of funds, mentorship, accessibility, etc. These principles of democratization are not only fundamental to Web3, but also essential for mass adoption to occur.

Who are the women you admire in the room?

OF: Well, there’s a very, very exhaustive list of women I admire in the space, including Debbie Soon, Magdalena Kala, Stephanie Smellie, Emily Carrig, Shannon Snow, and the list goes on and on!

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