DeFi Dave, is the founder of Flywheel DeFi, a crypto and blockchain focused podcast centered around Frax Finance and DeFi Alpha; and the co-founder of PIF Labs, an incubator and advisory firm in the crypto space. He is also one of the founding team members of IQ.wiki formerly Everipedia. ^[1]

Early Life

DeFi Dave was born on July 22nd, 1994, in North Jersey and was raised in a Ashkenazi Jewish household. ^[8]

“I grew up in a Jewish household. I wouldn’t say we were that religious but my parents instilled in my sister and I good values such as humility and respecting others. I attended Hebrew school, had a Bar Mitzvah, went to sleepaway camp for a bit, and celebrated the high holidays with my family.”

He attended Montville Township High School where he was elected the captain of the football team, and also won county and state relay titles in shot put. ^[2]

“According to my peers I was elected because I led by example and always paid attention to detail.”

Education

DeFi Dave enrolled in Montville Township High School in 2008 and graduated in 2012. He then moved on to join the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science and doing a double minor in History and Philosophy. During his time in college, he was part of the University Programming Council from September 2012 to May 2013 and was the treasurer of The Political Science Honours Society. ^[3]

Career

Early Career

DeFi Dave began his career as an intern, working for several companies such as Bravo Media Inc., Frelinghuysen for Congress, and The Congressional Office of Rodney Frelinghuysen. In June 2016, he also worked as a Temporary Associate at Stagnito Business Information + Edgell Communications in Jersey City, New Jersey. ^[4]

His blockchain career started as a volunteer contributor in Greater New York City. He later served as the Director of Sales for a year and four months between June 2017 and September 2018 in Greater Los Angeles, where he gained valuable experience in sales and business development. ^[4]

IQ.wiki formerly Everipedia

DeFi Dave started publishing articles for IQ.wiki formerly Everipedia in May 2016, after he saw former co-founder and Chief Community Officer of Everipedia, Mahbod Moghadam, looking for interns. He took this opportunity to showcase his writing ability and earned himself a full-time position and becoming one of the founding members of Everipedia. ^[7][8]

“For me during that summer, I had the mindset: Everipedia or bust. I did everything I could to get myself out there.” Liebowitz has been living and working at the Everipedia HQ since September 2016 and assumes a number of responsibilities ranging from trying to find breaking news stories to researching “evergreen” content (Everipedia pages that have repeat visitors over a long period of time). In addition, he is the mastermind behind the Everipedia+ service where people hire him to make pages about themselves and their business. “Not everyone has time to make their own pages and I have the experience to conform to the standards of Everipedia. The people I work with are always very pleased with the final result.”

In June 2018, DeFi Dave joined Everipedia, a decentralized knowledge platform that allows users to create and edit articles on the blockchain. He started as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, where he played a key role in forming partnerships with other blockchain companies, media outlets, and organizations. In April 2019, he became the Executive Editor of Everipedia, where he was responsible for managing the editorial team and ensuring the accuracy and quality of the platform's content. ^[4]

While working at the company, DeFi Dave launched IQ TALK in February 2019, a weekly podcast aimed at offering a space for individuals with abstract concepts on improving human knowledge to share their life stories and enrich their profiles on Everipedia. Throughout the six episodes he produced, he hosted notable guests such as Sam Kazemian, Kedar Iyer, Larry Sanger, Marko Jukic, Dallas Rushing, and William LeGate. However, IQ TALK was discontinued in April 2019. ^[5][6]

During his time at Everipedia, DeFi Dave also served as the Director of Partnerships and Exchanges from April 2019 to January 2020, and then as the Vice President of Business Development from January to December 2020. As the Vice President of Business Development, he led the company's growth initiatives, which included strategic partnerships, marketing, and community building. ^[4]

Gelato Network

In February 2021, he joined Gelato Network, a decentralized protocol for automating smart contract executions on Ethereum, as the Head of Growth. He was responsible for developing and implementing the company's growth strategy, which involved building partnerships, expanding the community, and increasing adoption of the Gelato Network platform. ^[4]

PIF Labs and Flywheel DeFi

In January 2022, DeFi Dave co-founded PIF Labs, a blockchain incubator and accelerator based in Miami, Florida. He has been working full-time at PIF Labs since then, helping early-stage blockchain startups with fundraising, community building, and business development. ^[4]

In June 2022, he founded Flywheel DeFi, a platform that provides data and analytics for decentralized finance (DeFi) traders and investors. He is currently the Host of Flywheel DeFi, where he interviews leading figures in the DeFi space and provides insight into market trends and opportunities. ^[4]

Blockchain Industry

Throughout his career, DeFi Dave has been a prolific contributor to the blockchain industry. He has written articles for leading blockchain publications such as CoinDesk, Hacker Noon and The Defiant; and has been a guest lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Franklin Fellowship. He also served as a Strategic Advisor for Crypto Exchange Alliance from November 2019 to November 2020. ^[7]