Before BPI, Ian worked as Head of Communications for Black Bitcoin Billionaires (BBB), leading the overall messaging, expansion, and partnership collaboration for its over 150,000 member platform. His strategies were integral in developing grassroots initiatives focused on digital financial literacy for underserved communities, as well as establishing a career and entrepreneurial pipeline for members within the industry. Namely, showcasing "Demo Day 20k", a pitch competition that awards 20 thousand dollars in funding per quarter to the winner of a Black-owned Blockchain startup. This knowledge base led to further advocacy work on Capitol Hill, educating policymakers on the untapped economic empowerment and environmental utility possessed by decentralized systems. Gaines regularly publishes articles, interviews, and policy letters educating national thought leaders on the opportunities of both. He is a Political Science graduate from the University of Chicago."