Team
Cassie Hirsh
Content Director
Polyglot, wordsmith, and media creator.
Cassie is a global citizen whose startup journey spans San Francisco, Berlin, and Paris.
Passionate about crafting compelling content and leveraging technology for social impact through innovation.
Her worlds: storytelling, video, and podcast production.
Mathilde Morineaux
Education Director
As the Education Director, Mathilde creates innovative learning programs within academic and research ecosystems. She earned her PhD in Social Sciences from Paris Lumières and a Master's in Sociology & Philosophy from Paris-Sorbonne University. Previously, Mathilde held various R&D positions at communication agencies such as Rumeur Publique and Havas Media, as well as in corporate training ventures.
Zsofi Borsi
Head of Comm. Engagement
Zsofi, a community leader and editor, originally from Budapest, is the founder and editor-in-chief of 'Lazy Women,' a global feminist media outlet and online community. This collective challenges gender norms and productivity culture. Zsofi previously worked for the European Commission in political reporting and served as a policy officer for sustainability and responsible business conduct at an OECD delegation.
Luc Bocahut
Product Director & Solutions Architect
Luc is an experienced technical and financial executive based in Paris. His early career included managing a global macro hedge fund. He holds a Master's in Economics and Social Sciences from the Sorbonne and an MBA from EDHEC. Recently, he has served as a fractional CTO, CFO, and COS for multiple companies in France and the US, offering consulting services with a focus on the crypto space.
Aurélien Burget
Aquarium Director
Aurelien is a seasoned entrepreneur and intrapreneur in the tech industry with 15 years of international experience. His diverse background includes roles as a Senior Consultant, Startup Mentor, and Founding Member of Graines d'Entrepreneurs. Passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship, he has a keen interest in lean and agile methodologies, product development, and blockchain technology.
Romain Thepaut
Technical Partner
Romain is a third-year engineering student at ESILV, preparing to pursue a Master’s in AI & Blockchain. As a member of DeVinci Blockchain, he actively contributes to the Paris blockchain ecosystem, exploring the intersection of emerging technologies and real-world applications.
Vera Radeva Hadjiev
Education Director
Passionate about education, Vera aims to bridge social and technical realms to enhance social equality. With a decade of teaching experience at Sciences Po Paris and The American University of Paris, Vera has also worked with the OECD's Global Relations and Co-operation Directorate and Plan International. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Sciences Po Paris and a Master's in Social Policy and Development from LSE.
Melanie Damour
Strategic Initiatives Director
After 8+ years in strategy consulting, specializing in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication topics in Europe and Africa, Melanie has now joined XRPL Commons as Strategic Initiatives Director.
As a blockchain enthusiast, her goal is to promote the usage of this disruptive technology to create value for all.
Cyrille Bourdeaux
Aquarium Program Manager
From Silicon Valley to Paris, Cyrille has spent over 8 years empowering Fortune 500 executives to drive innovation and navigate complex tech ecosystems. At the Aquarium Incubator with XRPL Commons, he leverages his extensive experience to cultivate collective intelligence and guide founders toward achieving success in their projects.
Fanny Brakchi
Experience Manager
Fanny is an accomplished Experience Manager currently leading The Aquarium Residency for entrepreneurs and developers. Blending her skills as a Happiness Manager and Event Coordinator, she excels at curating rituals, managing logistics, and ensuring a harmonious atmosphere, allowing XRPL Commons' residents and team to focus on their core mission in optimal conditions.
Darius Tumas
Principal Infrastructure Engineer
As Principal Infrastructure Engineer at XRPL Commons, Darius designs, implements, and manages the organization's technical infrastructure. He ensures optimal performance, scalability, and security while developing solutions to advance XRPL globally. With 15 years in software engineering and DevOps, Darius leads enterprise-level projects and contributes to the organization's innovative tech environment.
Elisa Bailly
Head of Events
Elisa, an experienced art director and luxury brand designer, pivoted to NFT technology after being inspired by Beeple's record-breaking 2021 sale at Christie's. She earned a certification in Blockchain from Alyra French Blockchain School in 2022. At NFT Factory, she managed over 80 events as the Event Production Manager for the Web3 ecosystem.
Odelia Torteman
Corporate Adoption Director
Odelia is a leading FinTech specialist with over a decade of experience in Digital Finance and Technology Innovation. As a former Global Digital Finance Specialist at IFC, the World Bank's private sector investment arm, she developed investments in digital finance across various sectors. Her expertise spans equity investments, technology consulting, and enterprise solutions implementation, including five years leading Deloitte's FinTech & Blockchain practice.
Alex Mavigok
Designer
Alex Mavigok is a Franco-Kurdish designer specializing in motion design and digital communication. With degrees from École Estienne and a DSAA in Graphic Design and Multimedia Narration from Boulogne, Alex's expertise spans brand design, graphic design, and multimedia. His recent thesis explored "The Decolonial Enterprise in Design," reflecting his interest in socially conscious design.
Florence Tison
Florence Tison
Florence is a marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience in go‑to‑market and partner marketing across blockchain, SaaS, and emerging tech. After a decade in Silicon Valley and New York, she has supported 100+ founders in building international growth strategies. As Marketing Director at XRPL Commons, she focuses on ecosystem development and Web3 adoption. Florence previously led partner marketing at Ripple and headed the Technology Practice for North America at Business France.
Thomas Hussenet
Technical Partner
Thomas is a blockchain engineer with a Master's in FinTech and Blockchain from ESILV. During his studies, he co-founded Cypher Lab to advance privacy solutions in blockchain, securing major grants from the XRPL and Polygon foundations. At KRYPTOSPHERE DeVinci, Thomas actively contributes to Paris's blockchain ecosystem while bridging technical innovation with practical applications.
Valentin Gonnot
Tech Intern
Valentin, a blockchain and fullstack developer from 42 School, holds a blockchain development certification from Alyra. He specializes in decentralized systems and Web3 technologies, combining technical expertise with a passion for innovation. Valentin excels in dynamic environments, always seeking new ways to leverage blockchain for real-world impact.
Mathis Sergent
Research Engineer
Mathis Sergent is a blockchain enthusiast currently interning at XRPL Commons while beginning his PhD on blockchain interoperability. In his role as the Head of KRYPTOSPHERE® DeVinci, he has led over 100 members in organizing workshops, hackathons, and events like the Kryptosphere Blockchain Summit. With technical expertise in Solidity, Rust, and blockchain architecture, Mathis is passionate about advancing Web3 solutions and exploring the transformative potential of blockchain technology.
Charley Huebner
Director of Strategic Funding
Charley has spent his career growing businesses across the alternative investment space, both as a founder and within more established organizations. He likes digging into complex challenges and creating the conditions for projects and teams to succeed.
At Commons, he drives ecosystem development through the grants initiative and leads institutional funding across public and private stakeholders. He holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and a BS with honors from Northwestern University.
David Bchiri
President
A software engineer turned entrepreneur, David has spent the last 15 years participating in building tech communities in Paris and San Francisco.
A blockchain enthusiast and lifelong learner, he prioritizes people over technology and focuses on impact.
His superpowers: bridge-building and personable community organizing.
Rachel Cervantes
Social Media Intern
Rachel is a Filipino Canadian expat based in Paris and a student in International Marketing and Communications Strategy at École Supérieure de Publicité. With a global perspective shaped by international experience, she focuses on content creation and digital strategy, supporting educational and community initiatives at XRPL Commons.