This Woman Is Merging Entertainment and Web3, Despite the ‘Dude-Bro’ Crypto World

Lindsey McInerney wears many hats. She's a certified CrossFit level 1 trainer, a hiker, a queer woman, a dog parent and a novice shepherd. But mostly, she's a technologist. In 2020, McInerney was working on how to marry brands in the world of Web3 and the metaverse. The game changed when she met actor Ashton Kutcher via a mutual friend, who introduced her to like-minded people such as his wife and fellow actor Mila Kunis and voice actress Lisa Sterbakov, the duo behind Orchard Farm Productions. The result was 6th Wall—the digital arm of Orchard Farm Productions—a production company combining entertainment with emerging technology and Web3. “I believe that entertainment will be some of the early use cases for consumer crypto,” McInerney said. “And that's what's going to get people here.” In her current role as 6th Wall CEO, McInerney is working on a community-driven, animated NFT-driven web series The Gimmicks, on the Solana blockchain, an open-source platform that supports NFTs and a host of decentralized applications. A male-dominated world In 2021, estimates say there were more than 300 million crypto users worldwide. In the U.S., 14% of the population—roughly 21.2 million adults—were owners of cryptocurrency, 75% of which were men. While gender disparity has been a hallmark of fin tech for generations, “that doesn't mean that's the way it's going to be," said McInerney from her home office in East Sussex, U.K., where she's spent the last two years exploring gaming, crypto and NFTs—in addition to learning how to shepherd sheep. McInerney was introduced to Bitcoin in 2011 when she overheard a conversation of her male coworkers at social media analysis firm Sysomos. Having a proclivity to technology, the conversation caught McInerney’s attention, but the "dude-bro" crypto culture challenged her from getting a seat at the table, she said. So she decided to go the self-taught route, drawing on related experience from her previous jobs. Born in Toronto, Canada, McInerney is the oldest of three siblings and grew up in a world of sports. She was an avid fan of basketball team Toronto Raptors and also often played competitive ice hockey as a kid. With no background in fin tech aside from a keen interest in technology, McInerney studied English and cultural studies at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, and completed her post-grad in public relations at Humber College in Toronto, adding a business tab to her writing skills. Eventually, she landed at AB InBev as global head of technology and innovation. Beer brand Stella Artois was one of the early CPG companies experimenting with NFTs, teaming up with blockchain gaming company Zed Run to auction 50 digital horses in a virtual horse racing competition in 2021, which saw "monumental" results, according to McInerney. Although there is gender disparity when it comes to funding startups in fin tech—partly due to a gender bias in the venture capital pitching process where investors have a bias toward male-led pitches—McInerney said she is optimistic. "This is more of an opportunity than a challenge," she said. “As humans, we have more in common than we do different. We're better when we partner up.” As interest in Web3 and its ancillaries grows, McInerney recognizes the need to make room for women, the queer community and people of color by making introductions and aiming to keep challenging concepts digestible, relatable and accessible. Early in its journey The 6th Wall is only a couple of months into its journey, but it's not always smooth sailing. It has scrapped projects and focused on ideas benefiting the company's long-term success over its short-term gratification. “[McInerney] has a vision about where things will be six months and five years from now,” said Sterbakov. “It has changed the path and planning for the company. Lindsey is unafraid to ask hard questions, and that's been a lesson for me to watch her go out in the world unafraid.” In the hunt for using the blockchain for more than selling NFTs for The Gimmicks, for example, the company used on-chain social engagement to interact with its community. "The best way to learn in this space is to be involved and have a little bit of skin in the game,” McInerney said.