Our
Staff
Amanda Wick
Founder and CEO
Michelle O’Connor
Chief Strategic Officer
Yari Farias
Director of Operations
Yari Farias
Director of Operations
Yari Albano Farias, born in Argentina, holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Economics. His commitment to social and public service has been a defining feature of his career.
Yari has held roles in the political and governmental sphere. He served as a legislative advisor in the House of Deputies of the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and also worked as Coordinator of Organizational Development in the Rosario Municipality. He also worked as a freelance electoral research assistant.
In addition to his public sector service, he has worked in the non-profit sector as well. He worked in fundraising at the Foundation for Liberty and Progress and served as the Coordinator of Social Projects at the Foundation for Intellectual Responsibility, where he led the implementation of financial education seminars aimed at empowering individuals and communities in the economic realm.
His passion for advocacy, inclusion and financial education continues to guide his path, ultimately leading him to work for the Association for Women in Cryptocurrency.
Our
Board
Ayana Murphy
Board Member
Beth Bisbee
Board Member
Gabriella Kusz
Board Member
Mike Carter
Board Member
Steve Vallas
Board Member
Mike Carter
Board Member
Mike Carter is an expert in digital assets, regulatory compliance, and financial crimes investigations. Mike has extensive experience providing advisory and investigative services for financial crime matters globally, including leading complex engagements for financial institutions, payments companies, and digital asset service providers to address risk and compliance concerns.
Mike is currently a Senior Managing Director at FTI. He served as the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) from 2020-23 at a major digital asset exchange where he led the scaling and redesign of the global compliance program addressing issues related to money laundering, sanctions, fraud, data privacy and protection, market surveillance, product risks, licensing, and regulatory examinations.
In addition to his experience as CCO, Mike has led numerous compliance and regulatory projects at global consulting firms including: addressing regulatory risks at numerous digital asset companies during startup and growth phases, supporting government-appointed monitors, conducting sensitive investigations for high-profile matters, building executable compliance roadmaps, and implementing data models to assess risk.
He has assisted clients in the digital assets space since 2017 and served as the AML/BSA Committee Chair for the Virtual Commodity Association in 2019-20. Mike also served on the AML Committee for TRUST Travel Rule from 2020-23.
A frequent contributor to financial crimes industry publications, Mike has been featured in Bloomberg Law, Wall Street Journal, and the New York Law Journal. He recently authored the digital assets section of the COSO/ACFE 2023 Fraud Risk Management Guide.
Mike is a US Army veteran and served in Operation Enduring Freedom. He is PMP, CFE, CAMS, and CGSS-certified.
Our
Ambassadors
