Ian McCullough is a musician, engineer, and founder of Awen, a company focused on creative platforms at the intersection of media, technology, and community systems. His work spans software development, music production, and projects involving blockchain-based licensing and creator tools. ^{[1] [4]}

Education

McCullough graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Computer Engineering. He then attended Trinity College Dublin, where he earned his Master of Philosophy in Music and Media Technologies in 2016. ^[2]

Career

McCullough began his professional career in music and technology. In 2006, he launched Cullah, an independent music project through which he has released and self-produced recordings spanning multiple genres. The project has operated continuously and has served as his primary creative outlet alongside his work in technology and community development. Beginning in 2007, McCullough served as Director of Technology & Innovation for the Women's Soccer Club, overseeing technology-related initiatives and digital infrastructure. He later worked as a Web Developer at Ascedia from 2015 to 2016, contributing to web development projects and digital solutions for clients.

In January 2022, McCullough founded Awen, an organization focused on the intersection of digital creators, emerging technologies, and governance systems. Through Awen, he has been involved in projects related to blockchain technology, creator-focused platforms, and decentralized organizational models. During this period, he also became active in community-building efforts within the Web3 sector. In July 2022, McCullough founded NFTMKE, a Milwaukee-based community focused on non-fungible tokens, blockchain technology, and Web3-related topics. He led the initiative until June 2024, facilitating educational and networking opportunities for participants interested in the emerging digital asset ecosystem.

From November 2023 to December 2024, McCullough served as Events Coordinator for ETHChicago, helping organize conferences and community events focused on blockchain technology and decentralized applications. In August 2024, he was appointed Wisconsin Chapter President of Stand With Crypto, where he supports state-level community engagement and advocacy initiatives related to digital assets and blockchain policy. In March 2025, McCullough became Executive Director of the Wisconsin Blockchain Business Council, where he has coordinated industry engagement, policy discussions, and business development efforts related to blockchain technology in Wisconsin. ^{[4] [5]}

Awen

Awen is a Wisconsin-based organization founded in 2022 by McCullough that develops projects focused on digital media, creator-focused technologies, blockchain applications, and community engagement. The organization operates across several areas, including software development, event organization, digital asset initiatives, and creative production. Its activities include developing platforms such as Tikit, an event ticketing system, and Sync.Land, a marketplace for music licensing; and Valt, a digital collectibles platform centered on token-gated access and digital ownership. In addition to its technology products, Awen organizes educational, cultural, and policy-focused events related to blockchain technology, digital assets, and creator economies. The organization has collaborated with industry groups, advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and community partners on conferences, workshops, and public discussions. Awen has also participated in music and film projects, combining creative production with technology and governance initiatives as part of its broader focus on emerging digital systems and community-driven innovation. ^[1]

Interviews

Firebird Media

In an interview on Metaverse Interviews (Episode 20) in September 2022, McCullough discussed his background in music, software engineering, and internet culture, tracing his path from early exposure to computing and gaming through his studies in computer engineering and subsequent work as a musician and technologist. He described how these interests converged into work focused on digital media systems and licensing infrastructure, particularly within the context of blockchain and emerging Web3 technologies. He outlined Firebird Media as a decentralized protocol aimed at improving tracking, ownership verification, and licensing of digital content, with a particular emphasis on music distribution and derivative works. The system was positioned as a response to fragmentation and complexity in traditional media licensing frameworks. McCullough also discussed broader themes around community-driven development, blockchain-based transparency, and the potential for decentralized systems to reduce reliance on centralized intermediaries in creative industries. He also referenced NFTMKE, a Milwaukee-based community initiative, and described ongoing efforts to build tools for blockchain-based royalties and creator infrastructure. The conversation also touched on anticipated future adoption of blockchain and augmented reality technologies in media ecosystems, with an emphasis on enabling more direct collaboration and distribution models for creators. ^[8]

Presentations

Web3 Creator Economy

McCullough presented at CypherCon 6.0 in November 2023 on the implications of Web3 for the creator economy. He contrasted Web2 platforms, which he described as centralized systems that concentrate control, distribution, and monetization in a small number of intermediaries, with Web3 architectures that enable more decentralized ownership and direct peer-to-peer exchange of digital assets. He cited blockchain systems, including Cardano, as enabling infrastructure that allows creators to retain ownership of their work while using smart contracts to manage distribution and licensing. He further outlined how programmable contracts could support automated royalty distribution, licensing enforcement, and collaborative creative workflows, such as sharing and remixing media components while preserving attribution and revenue splits. The presentation also addressed what he described as an uneven distribution of value in existing creator platforms, where visibility and earnings tend to concentrate among a small number of participants. In this context, he positioned Web3 as a potential alternative framework to reduce intermediary control and enable more direct economic relationships between creators and audiences. ^[9]