Launching the World's First Autonomous Aerial Data Network

In 2025, I joined Spexi Geospatial to help launch, communicate, and effectively steward LayerDrone: Earth's first autonomous aerial data network, and the world's largest standardize drone imagery network. The LayerDrone Foundation was established within three months of me working with Spexi.

I'm the bridge between LayerDrone, the community, and the real world

My role is bridge onchain infrastructure with the real-world pilots who capture the imagery. I communicate the token economics that will power the network's future to these pilots, and I tell the story of what we're building to the wider world.

I'm responsible for:

LayerDrone's token launch: I'm responsible for communicating and executing LayerDrone's planned token, including regulatory compliance, community coordination, and public communications. This means translating complex or technical mechanics into accessible frameworks for a community of drone pilots.

LayerDrone messaging, content, and community: I manage LayerDrone communications across Discord (11,000+ members), social media, and the blog. As part of this, I document the LayerDrone foundation, the network's pilots, and the wider LayerDrone community. This includes creating educational content that helps pilots understand the LayerDrone transition, developing the narrative framework for how contributor-powered networks create value, and maintaining community engagement through weekly calls and monthly campaigns.

Creating, incorporating, and managing LayerDrone's XP system: LayerDrone's launch enabled the creation of "Experience Points" (XP), a points-based incentive system that allows non-pilots to contribute to the LayerDrone ecosystem by providing community support or creating public-facing content. In less than a year, we've achieved over 40,000 XP holders.

Agency management and implementation: I coordinate external agencies working on everything from creative campaigns to growth strategies, ensuring execution aligns with LayerDrone's values and our community's needs. This includes managing relationships, reviewing deliverables, and translating agency work into actionable plans.

The DRONE ON / Drone Network podcast: I produce and host a weekly show exploring the evolution of the drone industry while documenting the world's largest drone network. This means researching guests, writing interview questions, creating show notes, and turning conversations into content that educates both the pilot community and the broader public.

In 2025, we grew the network by 307% and contributors by 900%

LayerDrone grew to over 5.5 million acres imaged through 180,000+ missions flown by 8,000+ pilots, exceeding every goal we set at the beginning of the year. The network expanded by 307% year-over-year, becoming the world's largest standardized drone imagery network.

We launched the Experience Points (XP) system to recognize non-pilot contributions to the network, creating a framework where community members could earn recognition for everything from creating memes to answering technical questions in Discord. This resulted in 40,000+ community members earning XP, with over 122,000 quests completed throughout the year, and 11,000+ active community members in the LayerDrone Discord.

Designed and executed multiple community campaigns that gave pilots and community members ways to showcase their work, connect with each other, and demonstrate what makes LayerDrone unique. These campaigns generated original content resulting in and tens of thousands of impressions while establishing the LayerDrone community's founding culture.

Built the messaging framework for LayerDrone's positioning within web2 and web3 ecosystems, including comprehensive documentation, blog posts, and social media strategies that explain how blockchain technology makes aerial data networks more efficient and equitable.

Helped launch the Open Capture Campaign, the largest expansion in network history: 200,000+ missions across 40+ southern US cities, designed to test non-cash incentive mechanisms while dramatically expanding network coverage. This campaign used 10x RP rewards to onboard new pilots and proved that token-adjacent incentives could drive real operational growth.

Created educational content bridging Web2 and Web3 for a pilot community that understands drone operations but not necessarily blockchain technology. This included everything from explaining how wallet custody works to developing frameworks for understanding the evolution from Web1 directories to Web2 platforms to Web3 protocols, using aerial mapping as the through-line.

Coordinated regulatory compliance during pre-token launch quiet periods, ensuring all communications met legal requirements while maintaining community engagement and momentum toward the token generation event.

Established the DRONE ON podcast as a content flywheel for the LayerDrone network. The podcast is now a platform that explores the future of drone operations while documenting the world's largest drone network by interviewing guests from across drone and tech ecosystems.

LayerDrone and Spexi in 2026

In 2025, we proved that LayerDrone's model: you can coordinate thousands of independent pilots to create a standardized aerial data network that operates at enterprise scale. We exceeded every operational goal we set.

In 2026, the token launch will transform how pilots engage with and benefit from the network they've built. My focus in 2026 is ensuring that launch succeeds—that pilots understand what's happening, that the token mechanics actually improve their experience rather than complicate it, and that LayerDrone becomes the definitive protocol for aerial data intelligence.

The LayerDrone network will enable the next decade of spatial intelligence. My job is making sure everyone—from pilots to investors to the wider world—understands why that matters and how they can be part of it.