I'm Jihad Esmail, a researcher, operator, and strategist building internet-native organizations. I'm currently a Core Contributor at Forefront, building at the frontier of tokenized communities. I'm also a researcher at Other Internet, an applied research organization studying social technology. I studied Economics at Northwestern University and co-founded AMA, a creator growth agency that was acquired by Jellysmack. Previously, I've also worked with Syndicate, YBI, and Gitcoin.

I believe that crypto primitives will unlock a new generation of work and play, unlocking new ways to build scenes, blur the lines between traditional and indie work, and allowing communities to own the cultural value they create.