FTG 0034 – Understanding & Making an Impact with Blockchain & Cryptocurrency with IT Security Professional Darin Carter '14

Ed. Note: This was recorded in September 2022, prior to events impacting other cryptocurrency exchanges.

Overview:

Darin Carter ’14 IST is a Program Manager on the Coinbase Giving Team, managing a portfolio of social impact investments from humanitarian aid to education. Darin earned his BS in Information Sciences and Technology with Honors and a minor in entrepreneurship from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology in 2014. Darin was also a Bunton Waller Scholar during his time at Penn State. In this episode, Darin discussed his career coming to Penn State from upstate New York and being both a Bunton-Waller and Schreyer Scholar. Darin shares his perspectives working in consulting, big tech, and careers in the pioneering spaces of Web3 including blockchain and cryptocurrency. You can read Darin’s full bio and a more detailed breakdown of the episode topics below.

Guest Bio:

Darin Carter ’14 IST is a Program Manager on the Coinbase Giving Team, managing a portfolio of social impact investments from humanitarian aid to education. Darin earned his BS in Information Sciences and Technology with Honors and a minor in entrepreneurship from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology in 2014. Darin was also a Bunton-Waller Scholar during his time at Penn State. In 2017, Darin moved to San Francisco to work in tech, and it wasn’t long before he started his crypto career at Coinbase, helping build the security compliance team from the ground up. As a lifelong learner, Darin earned his Master’s Degree at the University of Nicosia, studying Blockchain & Digital Currency. Although crypto is a full time job, Darin also enjoys traveling the world, watching basketball, and live music.

Episode Specifics:

In this episode, Darin shares his insights on:

· Coming to Penn State as an out-of-state student for the people and the STEM facilities

· Perspectives on the Bunton-Waller Scholars Program and living in East Halls as a first-year Scholar

· Studying abroad as a fourth-year student and integrating the thesis into the study abroad experience

· Working with graduate students to contribute your thesis to a bigger project

· Advice for current and prospective Scholars in IST

· Leveraging college-specific resources for assistance in getting internships that can translate into careers

· Starting your career at one of the “Big 4” firms as a non-Smeal College of Business graduate

· Salesforce and what CRMs are

· The importance of company culture

· A very quick crash course on Web3, Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and NFTs

· Working in IT security and walking through the process of standing up a social impact program for a crypto company like Coinbase

· Finding a career coach after entering the working world

· Skills that Scholars looking to work in IT or related fields should look at developing now

· Living and working as a “digital nomad” and remote-first work