The PA Blockchain Team
Get to know the passionate individuals driving the PA Blockchain Coalition forward. Our team includes industry experts, innovators, and advocates dedicated to making blockchain accessible and impactful in Pennsylvania.
Officers
President, PA Blockchain Coalition
dfolino@pablockchain.org
Dominic Folino is the founder of the Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition (PBC) and is a Senior Managing Partner at MKF Advisors. At MKF Advisors, Dominic leads initiatives in government affairs, business development, strategic planning, and blockchain education, providing tailored solutions for a diverse range of organizations. The PBC, a
nonprofit organization, unites blockchain allies and users from various industries to
promote broader acceptance and understanding of this pivotal technology.
Recognizing the transformative potential of blockchain technology, Dominic founded the
PBC to advocate for and educate on blockchain at both state and federal levels. His passion for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology extends to his involvement in
various influential groups, including co-chairing the North American Blockchain
Association and serving as an advisor to the Connecticut and Virginia Blockchain
Councils.
Dominic is a sought-after speaker, having participated in numerous panels nationwide. He has also testified before the Pennsylvania and Virginia legislatures, aiming to
educate and influence legislation on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. His expertise was further recognized when he was selected to serve on Governor Shapiro’s transition team, focusing on Consumer Protection on the Finance and Insurance Committee.
Dominic holds a degree from La Salle University and earned an MBA from Villanova
University.
William (Will) Gonzalez is an executive officer for Quaint Oak Bank, a regional community bank serving the greater Philadelphia market. In this role he is responsible for several of the Bank’s business lines, including the Bank’s regional banking offices, commercial and consumer lending businesses, property and casualty insurance business, real estate title insurance business, and real estate sales and leasing business. Prior to joining Quaint Oak Bank in 2009, Will was the president and chief executive officer for a commercial and mortgage banking business. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from DeSales University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.
His banking experience is what drew him to blockchain. He believes this technology is a way to boost security and trust in his field and is excited about the possibilities it holds for the banking world. He enters the coalition ready to bring his expertise into the conversation to have a more well-rounded approach to blockchain and its uses for everyday Pennsylvanians.
Will lives in Bethlehem Pennsylvania with his wife Rebecca and four children Gabriel, Madison, Matthew, and Jude.
Kate Wilhelm specializes in strategic communications, external affairs, stakeholder strategy, reputation management, crisis response, and organizational transformation. She partners with corporations, nonprofits, and leaders navigating critical moments—whether it’s increasing visibility, securing funding, managing risk, or leading through change.
Board of Directors
Chief Operating Officer, Texas Blockchain Council
Jessi Goostree is the Chief Operating Officer of the Texas Blockchain Council, bringing a wealth
of experience in strategic leadership and a deep passion for driving digital asset innovation.
With over 17 years in financial services and blockchain technology, Jessi has a proven track
record of delivering impactful strategies that shape the future of the digital economy. In her
current role, she is responsible for all strategic initiatives, financial operations and advises on
policies aimed at positioning Texas as the jurisdiction of choice for blockchain and digital asset
innovation.
Jessi was instrumental in the development of the newly formed North American Blockchain
Association (NABA) and currently serves as a Board member and Treasurer.
Prior to joining the Texas Blockchain Council, Jessi held various senior leadership roles at
Fidelity Investments. As VP of Investment Products & Strategy for Digital Assets, she developed
enterprise strategies and designed innovative crypto products. During her tenure, she played a
critical role in launching products such as Fidelity's Digital Asset Account and the Wise Origin
Bitcoin ETP. Her career at Fidelity spanned multiple leadership positions in corporate finance,
treasury, and institutional asset management.
Jessi holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an advocate
and mentor for women in financial services, digital assets and public service.
Aaron Cohen is the President of Arena Strategies, a government affairs firm based in Harrisburg, PA. He has spent decades developing expertise in the Pennsylvania political arena, building relationships and becoming an adept at navigating complex issues within government.
He is an innovative leader serving successfully in leadership positions for Coca-Cola, Franklin Quest, and the Project Management Institute.
Aaron Cohen received his BA in Political Science from the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. He received his MA in Government from the Fels School of Government- University of Pennsylvania. Service and community involvement have always been important to Aaron. Since 2012 he has served on the Salvation Army Advisory Board of Greater Philadelphia, and Chair from 2015-2018. He now serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he serves on Clubhouse Services and Public Affairs Committees of the Union League of Philadelphia.
Aaron believes in being a person who pursues their passions. For him this includes collecting and enjoying wine (WSET Level 2 Award in Wines), travel, cooking and history. He and his wife Priscilla travel extensively, and always find time to enjoy the people they meet and learn about the culture where they are visiting.
Steve Fera is Executive Vice President of public affairs at Independence Blue Cross. In this role, Mr. Fera leads federal and state government affairs, the Independence Political Action Committee, and community affairs areas. He also oversees the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, a more than $100 million charitable organization. Since joining Independence in 1990, Mr. Fera has held executive-level positions responsible for Medicare products, CHIP, and other products assisting the low-income and uninsured. Additionally, he has led the development of key community programs.
He is a member of the Public Affairs Council Board of Directors, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) Board, and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation Board. Mr. Fera is also a Fellow with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and graduate of its Executive Leadership Program.
He has a bachelor of science and master of business administration degrees in finance, both from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Tyler Harttraft is a Partner at Bull Blockchain Law LLP, focusing his practice on corporate law, capital markets law, and financial regulations.
Tyler provides strategic advice on the regulation of blockchain technology and digital assets. As counsel to various blockchain and cryptocurrency clients, Tyler provides critical legal advice on cryptocurrency, exchanges, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), decentralized finance (DeFi), securities and commodities laws compliance, gaming platforms, governance token structures, and venture financing. Tyler also advises a wide range of clients interacting with or investing in blockchain technology, including start-ups and emerging companies, publicly traded companies, regulated financial services entities, fund managers, and money services businesses.
In addition to his role with the PABC, Tyler is also a member of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, a non-profit trade association created for financial market professionals and legal practitioners dedicated to remaining on the cutting edge of developments in blockchain technology and smart contracts.
Tyler holds a Juris Doctor from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Drexel University, and a B.A. in Communication Arts and Sciences and a Minor in Business from the Pennsylvania State University. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Brett Goldman has more than a decade of public/private experience working in economic development, international trade, public affairs, politics and government relations, operations and business strategy.
Brett is a partner at OCan Group, and since 2015 has worked to create global access to Cannabinoids. Brett used his federal/state lobbying experience drove some of the most important contributions to the legislative and regulatory developments for the hemp industry. Brett and his team’s strategic initiatives with leadership at USDA and other federal policymakers resulted in significant regulations and normalization of hemp as an agricultural commodity and the ultimate convergence of cannabis and the mainstream.
In 2021, Brett joined VX Technologies– a verified health record (VHR)™ company secured by Blockchain. As Executive Director for Government and Strategic Affairs, Brett works with government and corporate stakeholders to present Blockchain technology’s leapfrog opportunity to prove the most accurate data to make critical care and policy decisions while separating the personal identity from the verified health record (VHR).
Brett began his career working in politics and public affairs in Philadelphia and New Jersey. He earned his BA in History and MA in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University and his MA in Government and Strategy from IDC Herzliya in Israel.
Alec Beckman is the Vice President of Growth at Psalion, an asset management firm specializing in liquid market-neutral strategies and venture capital investments in the blockchain space. He is also the co-founder of Advantage Blockchain, research, advisory, and asset management company established in 2017.
Active in the blockchain industry since 2015, Alec brings deep expertise in areas such as real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, decentralized finance (DeFi), payments and settlement systems, and blockchain infrastructure. His core strengths lie in sales, growth strategy, education, and advisory within the Web3 ecosystem.
Advisory Board
Seth Hertlein is VP and Global Head of Policy at Ledger, the market leader in state-of-the-art security solutions for crypto assets. Seth leads the growing policy team at Ledger focused on engaging collaboratively with governments and policymakers across Ledger’s more than 170 markets around the world.
Prior to joining Ledger, Seth was the Head of Policy & Government Relations at the Stellar Development Foundation, where he oversaw all aspects of SDF’s engagement on digital asset policy, legislation, and regulation globally. In less than two year’s time, Seth built the policy and government relations function at SDF from scratch into one of the most prominent and engaged of any blockchain project or company. Under Seth’s leadership, SDF grew from being completely unknown in Washington, DC to testifying before the House Financial Services Committee alongside the biggest names in the blockchain industry. For much of 2020, Seth was the only registered lobbyist in-house at a blockchain project or company in the US. Additionally, Seth holds leadership positions in a number of US- and globally-focused membership organizations. For example, Seth co-chairs the Blockchain Association’s Stablecoin and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Working Groups, served on the Leadership Committee of the Chamber of Digital Commerce’s Token Alliance, and was an issue lead / co-author with the World Economic Forum’s Digital Currency Governance Consortium.
Prior to launching the policy practice at SDF, Seth was part of the founding team that opened the Washington, DC office of FS Investments, a leading alternative investment manager. At FS, he participated in passing the first modernization of the laws governing business development companies. Prior to FS Investments, Seth was a securities regulator focused on adapting regulatory policy toward the burgeoning fintech industry. Seth earned a law degree from The Ohio State University and a MBA in finance from Wright State University.
An advocate for the Blockchain industry since 2016, John is currently serving as a Vice President at Cryptoworth a cutting edge crypto accounting software which helps companies globally remain compliant with regulators.
A Pittsburgh native, John helps to run many meet up groups, including the Pittsburgh B2B software meet up and the Bitcoin BitDevs Group. With a strong track record of success in digital assets and blockchain technology, John maintains active partnerships with leading projects and manage diverse advisory roles for onchain protocols, dapps and projects.
He is a subject matter expert on Blockchain who is excited to connect with fellow professionals in this dynamic field!
Frank Mazza is a seasoned professional with over a decade of experience in the financial industry, specializing in digital transformation and blockchain technology. As the Director of Blockchain for Institutions & Fintechs at Metal Blockchain, Frank focuses on product development, marketing, and implementation, while also researching and helping institutions identify cutting-edge use cases. His leadership in these areas drives innovation and ensures that institutions stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Internationally, Frank has made significant contributions at OKI Electric in Japan, where he helped transition their printer manufacturing business into a digital enterprise, and at Napier Healthcare in Singapore, focusing on global digital acquisition strategies across Asia. His nearly seven-year tenure at the National Football League (NFL) involved producing and editing digital content for NFL.com, further honing his skills in multimedia and digital strategy. Frank’s diverse career showcases his ability to innovate and lead across various industries.
- Chris Hayes has over 12 years of experience advocating for thoughtful financial and technology regulation with U.S., UK, and European policymakers. Throughout his career, he has crafted, managed, and successfully executed comprehensive plans that achieved concrete policy results. Specialties include private fund regulation, registered fund regulation, and web3/blockchain policy.
Marc Yaklofsky is the Managing Partner of Forward Global New York, specializing in strategic communications, reputation management, and geopolitical risk advisory for financial institutions,
multinational corporations, and high-net-worth individuals.
A seasoned corporate affairs strategist, Marc brings over 20 years of experience leading and advising on communications, investor relations, and public affairs issues for top financial and fintech firms.
Previously, he
was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting in its Strategic
Communications group, advising banking, asset management, digital asset, and fintech clients on brand strategy and reputational risk
management.
Prior to FTI, he served as Global Head of Communications and Public Relations at Genesis Global Trading and co-founded Shorr Resources, a strategic communications and investor relations advisory firm.
Earlier in his career, Marc held senior communications and investor relations roles at BNY
Mellon, FS Investments, Nomura, Merrill Lynch, and Bank of America. He began his career as a financial institutions analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Marc serves on the advisory boards of the PA Blockchain Coalition, CT Blockchain Association, and SHOT: We The People. He holds an MBA in Finance from Syracuse University and a BS in
Business Administration from Bucknell University.
State Advisory Committee
Greg is the Founder and Executive Director of the Virginia Blockchain Council. The Virginia Blockchain Council is a non-partisan non profit industry association advocating, community building and educating on blockchain. Greg has a long history of being an early adopter and leader in emerging technologies and entrepreneurship having spent over 20+ years in technology sales and business ownership.
Advisory Board Member
Alan Deckman is the Founder and President of the CT Blockchain Association, whose mission it
is to develop, promote, and advance blockchain technology, and to establish Connecticut as a
leader for blockchain innovation.
Alan is an influential and respected lobbyist at the Connecticut General Assembly and the
Executive branch state agencies with over 25 years of experience. He serves as President and
principal owner of TCORS Capitol Group, LLC. (TCG), a government relations and association
management firm based in Glastonbury, CT. Alan oversees all aspects of the company,
including client servicing, strategic planning and management, marketing, long-term growth, and
business opportunities. He has successfully developed innovative ways to impact legislative and
executive decision-making to help achieve significant results for the company’s clients, from
Fortune 500 companies, to local CT businesses, to nonprofit organizations.
Alan is a graduate of Assumption College, where he received the distinguished Crown and
Shield Award for leadership and service. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration
from the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University in Boston, where he participated in
the Dean’s Fellowship Program.
Government Affairs Professional & Advocacy Association Leader.
Niemela Pappas & Associates University of Notre Dame. Sacramento .
North American Blockchain Association (NABA)
The Ohio State University. Columbus, Ohio