Why did INSEAD launch a NFT collection ?
During INSEAD 2021 Robin Hood campaign, MBA students Ferdinand Issels, Michelle Yu, Jack Ni and Rodrigo Perez (22J) raised nearly 3,000 USD in an NFT auction. In line with INSEAD’s mission to be pioneer in management education and do good, we decided to partner with the Robin Hood team with the objective to follow suit the Robin Hood experiment and develop one of the first official non-fungible tokens (NFTs) at a business school worldwide. The objectives were:
1. Raise revenue for a good cause. Net proceeds from the NFT sale, will support MBA scholarship and building the INSEAD digital family. NFTs enable issuers to collect royalties on future sales, retaining a stake in the value of the artwork. INSEAD will retain a 10% royalty stake, and will also direct all future net proceeds to MBA scholarship and building the INSEAD digital family .
2. Walk the talk. We are teaching about the potential of technologies to transform business and society. NFTs, and the crypto infrastructure they build on, could transform finance and beyond. By minting and selling our own NFT, students, faculty and staff involved in the project can experience this first-hand. Our alumni community and would-be bidders will need to dive into the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchains, too.
3. Be a pioneer. This initiative is a unique opportunity to showcase INSEAD’S entrepreneurial spirit and digital edge. The Robin Hood NFT was featured by media such as “businessbecause.com” or “cointelegraph”, the largest crypto blog on the internet.
4. Engage with tech-savvy alumni and build the INSEAD digital family focused on blockchain and Web 3.0.
Should INSEAD, which advance business as a force for good, employ a technology that consumes vast amount of electricity?
We believe that experimenting with the technology is a useful pedagogical tool. And the goal—to raise money for a good cause—is sufficiently worthwhile. We will nonetheless look into offsetting the carbon footprint of this initiative.
What is the Savvy Salamander Study Club (SSSC)?
The Savvy Salamander Study Club (SSSC) is one of the first student led NFT communities at a business school worldwide. Our vision is to use technology for Good. The club’s main goals include (i) to foster blockchain and Web 3.0 related knowledge on campus and within the INSEAD family, (ii) to raise funds for scholarships at INSEAD, and (iii) to have fun.
The SSSC is a unique NFT club at the intersection of fundraising, community building and education. While tapping into the style of the world’s most successful generative digital art projects, it adds a completely new spin to utility and purpose in the NFT universe.
Why should I get a Savvy Salamander?
1. Do Good. 100% of the sale net proceeds will support INSEAD Scholarships and building an INSEAD digital family.
2. Walk the talk and have fun. Get a crypto wallet, buy Ether and get your first NFT. Here are the Crypto wallets that can be used on our NFT platform OpenSea.io. Here are the Crypto wallets that can be used on OpenSea. We recommend MetaMask, Web 3’s most popular wallet and one of the industry standards. And here is some good advice on how to buy Eth and transfer Eth to MetaMask.
3. Collect and trade Salamanders. Each Salamander is unique and AI generated with 50+ traits from the INSEAD universe. All Salamanders are savvy but some are rarer than others.
4. Join the INSEAD digital family and get member-only benefits and offerings that we will build together over time.
Why Salamanders? What makes them unique?
The theme of the community is inspired by INSEAD’s magical emblem creature. In medieval times, Salamanders were a symbol of perseverance. Some even believed they could resist fire. The comic-style savvy Salamanders feature different traits and items from the INSEAD universe: campuses, caps, badges, shirts etc… And look closer to discover some Easter Eggs including the crown engraved with the “MBB” acronym to make our consultants happy!
Why should I trade and collect Salamanders?
· Build your INSEAD story(ies). All Salamanders have traits featuring the INSEAD universe. Look closer and build your INSEAD story. The legendary Napoleon is not only super rare the centre piece of SSSC clubroom.
· Do good. We have programmed our NFT collection to ensure that 10% royalty fee of every resale will be directed to scholarship and building the community.
· You can also see the Salamander as a wandering cup trophy. Even if you give it away to another INSEAD Alumnus or Alumna, it will always carry your wallet address. In the long run, we imagine Salamanders to create completely new intergenerational donor stories within the INSEAD family.[BP1]
What is the utility of Salamander NFTs?
Utility will be developed over time with alumni, students and faculty at INSEAD. The objectives of this community are:
· Do good
· Share, shape and develop content and outreach on Web 3.0
· Connect with likeminded members of the INSEAD digital family and coach, mentor, brainstorm, recruit and get recruited from the community.
Some of our initial ideas include:
· A club website dedicated to Web 3.0. The landing page will include a link to a hidden Discord Channel only accessible to NFT owners.
· On-campus and digital member-only events
· Inauguration of a need-based scholarship for talents in Crypto.
· Launch of a Web 3.0 alumni award
What’s the story behind the three legendary NFTs?
The 3 legendary Salamander NFTs are inspired by the INSEAD journey.
· Napoleon. This Salamander honours INSEAD’s history. It stands for its roots in European culture and the fact that students were once taught in the Fontainebleau castle – the residence of French emperor at the time.
· Unicorn. This Salamander honours the present. Many INSEAD Alumni are now part of unicorn companies that change the world.
· Moonshot. It honours the future. Moving ahead means to pioneer and be ready to fail.