Amanda Wick
Founder and CEO
Michelle O’Connor
Chief Strategic Officer
Yari Farias
Director of Operations
Michelle O’Connor
Chief Strategic Officer
Michelle O'Connor is the Vice President of Brand & Communications at TaxBit, a prominent industry leader in tax and accounting for digital assets. With her expertise and passion, Michelle is a powerhouse that spearheads all marketing and public relations efforts to position TaxBit as a force to be reckoned with.
Michelle's impact extends far beyond her role at TaxBit. As the Expansion Chair at NYC Women in FinTech, she drives the growth and empowerment of women in the financial technology sector. Her commitment to fostering innovation led her to serve on the Board of Directors of Crypto Connect and the Blockchain Steering Committee of the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), where she actively shapes the future of these emerging technologies.
Renowned as a seasoned speaker, Michelle captivates audiences with her deep knowledge and insights into the realms of crypto, web3, and fintech. Throughout her impressive 20-year career, she has graced numerous prestigious conferences, establishing herself as a subject matter expert in these cutting-edge fields.
A seasoned technology and financial services executive, Michelle is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives & Global Communications at TaxBit. In this role, she leads all marketing and public relations to elevate TaxBit’s brand as an industry leader. Her team promotes an inclusive culture, driving engagement, and encouraging thought leadership and collaboration.
In addition to her role at TaxBit, Michelle is a well-known FinTech leader, Voted top 30 FinTech Marketer and Leading Web3 Executive.
She is passionate about improving access to financial services for the unbanked and has a proven track record of leading brand management, marketing communications, and community building in the FinTech space.
Before joining TaxBit, she was the VP of Marketing and Community at Uphold, a digital money platform. In that role, she developed and implemented the brand’s marketing strategy, brought cohesion and intention to the brand voice, and facilitated Uphold’s online community. She also managed public relations, content marketing and development, and social media strategy.
Michelle is also the Expansion Chair of NYC FinTech Women, a founding member of the Association Women in Crypto member, advisor for The Financial Club and Blockchain steering committee of WTIA.
Ayana Murphy
Board Member
Beth Bisbee
Board Member
Gabriella Kusz
Board Member
Mike Carter
Board Member
Steve Vallas
Board Member
Gabriella Kusz
Board Member
Gabriella Kusz currently serves as the Sr. Director of Operations at the Digital Dollar Project - a neutral, non-profit forum focused on exploring digital innovation in money and future-proofing the U.S. Dollar in a world of decentralized and centralized sovereign and non-sovereign digital currency networks. Ms. Kusz previously served as CEO of the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association, a global voluntary self-regulatory association for the industry. In this capacity she has earned accolades by Wirex on their Rising Women in Crypto Power List 2022, by CoinGape as one of their Top Crypto CEOs in the World, and most recently by the American Banker as one of the 20 ‘Most Influential Women in Fintech 2023’ award. Given her strong focus on small and medium business development, the Global DCA heavily emphasized capacity building advisory work. Due to this emphasis, the Global DCA competed against and beat for-profit firms to receive the Corporate Livewire Innovation Award for 'Cryptocurrency Advisory Company of the Year."
Prior to joining the Global DCA, Gabriella Kusz served as the Principal for Strategic Initiatives at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) where, in addition to other areas, she supported the profession’s leadership and innovation in the digital era and in sustainability. Her role as IFAC Principal as well as Senior Manager emphasized supporting the adoption and implementation of international standards in 100+ jurisdictions around the world.
Her background has largely included working in international financial sector reform and economic growth including working with the World Bank Group Governance Global Practice where she was responsible for leading the Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting (CGFR) workstream for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and advancing the dual goals of the World Bank: poverty reduction and shared prosperity. She has also co-led USAID Projects which not only emphasized international standards but the measurement and reporting of alignment / adoption and implementation of international standards through benchmarking and indexing. Her experience spans 56 countries and has fostered the growth of 28 self-regulating associations around the world.
Gabriella is a licensed CPA in the state of Virginia, holds her Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University, her Masters in Business Administration and Bachelors of Accounting from the University of Dayton as well as certificates in International Financial Reporting Standards (AICPA), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Certificate in Sustainability Reporting Standards and is one credit shy of her Certificate in Arabic Language and Cultures from the University of Chicago. Gabriella recently concluded her year-long service as an Emerging Leader with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and presently sits on the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Alumni Board. Gabriella is fluent in English and Spanish and has a beginning level of knowledge in Arabic.