I’m honoured to have technical architect and Blacksky creator Rudy Fraser as my next interviewee.
What is favourite city in the world?
Paris. It has a lot of parallels to NYC from a fashion and culture perspective. They even have French Drill music! Paris is also where I proposed to my wife, Kukuwa. I think a lot of people from the States dream of going to Paris and I’ve been fortunate enough to visit a few times. I should probably learn some French though.
What’s the most unusual item you take everywhere you go?
This probably refers to travel or daily carry but the most interesting thing I’ve been able to hold onto has been a small ivory statue that my mom brought here from Guyana. I grew up facing housing insecurity but it’s the one thing I still have from my childhood.
Why do you do what you do?
Some degree of delusion, overconfidence, and having problems with authority /s. I also happen to know that in community we really do have all that we need but community is not a given. It takes work to cultivate that. And community builders are often people with biases and are subject to burnout. I’m really interested in autonomous movement building and what adrienne maree brown refers to as “emergence”. How can you create the right examples and conditions that allow people to organize around. That’s my vision for Papertree from a community finance perspective. That’s my vision for Blacksky (Algorithms) from a communications and media perspective. Same thing with We The People and Pact Collective. With WTP we’re trying to provide a blueprint for mutual aid organizing. I agreed to be on the board of Pact because they’re trying to build a coalition/mutual aid network in NYC.
I’m not too different from some other tech founders in that regard. I have a particular worldview I’d like to see more of in the world.
Where do you go to relax?
Can’t say I do much relaxing these days but I try to get outside for a daily walk and then just sit out on my building’s terrace. When the weather’s nice I sometimes read or do yoga up there.
69, 280, or 420?
420
How do you say goodbye in your culture(s)?
Guyanese people love to just say “Alright” as both a greeting and a goodbye.