Back

Speaker "Payson Johnston" Details Back

 

Topic

How Blockchain Transforms B2B Transactions.

Abstract

The Global-Commerce Challenge To be effective, the $25 trillion global-commerce market requires vibrant & prosperous small & midsize enterprises (SMEs), which account for 75% of participants in global supply chains—from raw materials to retail. But because most global business still takes place manually, transactions can require weeks or months to complete. And standard invoicing, which all SMEs use, can delay payments by up to 120 days or more. Without steady, ongoing cash-flow, these SMEs can’t survive these long delays, and up to half ultimately cease operating. And if these SMEs don’t survive, global commerce can’t prosper. The Supply-Chain Financing Market The most common answer to these challenges is supply-chain financing (SCF). With SCF, banks or other entities purchase SMEs’ invoices, giving the SMEs the value of the invoices immediately, less a discount. Later, the SMEs reimburse the financing entity when their customers pay. The potential global market for SCF is immense, estimated at $9 trillion. But competing SCF solutions either: (1) exclude SMEs; (2) impose punishingly high rates; (3) have too-high overhead costs; or (4) lack adequate invoice inventory

Profile

Payson serves as the CEO of Crowdz, a Blockchain startup in the Silicon Valley, focused on digitizing, automating trade finance. Payson has worked for 20+ years in diverse areas including value chains and supply chain management, building analytic platforms, supply chain and commerce systems, demand management, technology, and designing from scratch the company he co-founded. This coupled with his interest, work, teaching, and research in areas such as sustainability, business & robotic ethics, and philosophical theology brings to the table a unique combination of skills and leadership that drives innovation, helps form strategic and lasting partnerships with very diverse groups, and delivers real results. Payson also has the understanding of hardware and software applications & platforms and how they can transform and improve our business and personal lives. Payson's combination of skills is what Steve Case, in his book "The Third Wave," says is absolutely needed in the next wave of the Internet. Over the last several years, Payson has taught at the University of San Francisco as an Adjunct Professor and recently as an Instructor at the University of California, Berkeley Extension. He has lectured on the topics of sustainability & ethics, supply chains, operations, risk management, and distribution channels. Payson's most important calling and vocation is being a father to 3 kids and spending time with his wife while enjoying hobbies of travel, visiting old bookstores, participating in his faith community, watching movies, raising children, and living life together. Life motto: Change the world in a radical, visionary, innovative and positive way, without losing your soul, all while making an unequivocal and lasting impact on family, friends, colleagues, individuals, communities, society, and the world; an impact that promotes goodness and human flourishing.