A New Era in Greensboro, NC

When Facebook changed its name to META, it marked the dawn of “a new era” for a company that generates billions in revenue. Founded in a college dorm room in 2004, the decision to change its name was a signal to the world that the future of the internet would be different than the past. Small cities like Greensboro do not have corporations like META, but they do have trend setters and change makers who will be shaping the world that we know for decades to come. INSIDE Monthly is all about showcasing what’s next and today we’re proud to introduce you to two college graduates that are exposing their peers to Web3 and the Metaverse.

1. A New Era was organized by NC A&T alums Brianna Long & Lance Davis.

Brianna Long is a first-year graduate student at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. She is the founder of Xceptional Empire LLC, an organization that creates events and networking opportunities for black and brown creatives. Lance is a graduate of A&T’s computer engineering program and the creative force behind MinnetDAO. A decentralized autonomous organization, MinnetDAO was launched to educate the public about Web3 through events like A New Era.

2. The event was held at Elm and Bain, a new venue in downtown Greensboro.

One of the coolest things about A New Era is that it was hosted in the physical realm AND the metaverse thanks to technology powered by the Decentraland Report. For those that attended the event in person, they had the opportunity to experience the vibe at Elm and Bain. The newly renovated space is located at the former plant of the Blue Bell Company in downtown Greensboro, NC. Elm and Bain has an abundance of natural light which made it easy to photograph.

A New Era Was Held on May 6th from 5 PM to 8 PM in Greensboro

• DJ Uncle Fresh was in the building along with dozens of trend setters.
• The event had a live fashion show featuring local designers and models.
• Artists learned about NFTs as a way to monetize their creative works.
• Multiple singers, dancers and poets got to perform in front of the crowd.
• Picture Studios provided a photobooth to capture memories of the event.

Web3, NFTs and the Metaverse are still relatively inaccessible to minority creatives, especially in Greensboro, NC. A New Era is an event to showcase their talents and expose them to opportunities that are available in the Metaverse and Web3.

Lance Davis explaining why events like A New Era in Greensboro are important to his community