Hi — I’m John. I am a researcher, entrepreneur and investor helping build a brighter future.

My work is focused on how we can use emerging technologies to improve measures of planetary stewardship and human dignity. Currently, I’m working on decentralized geospatial systems:

• I am building Astral, the trust layer for location data — infrastructure that makes geospatial information verifiable and usable across blockchains and the web.
• I am a Research Affiliate at the University of Maryland, doing R+D on location proofs and other decentralized geospatial web technologies.
• I also consult, invest and advise startups in climate, Web3, AI, geospatial, and other sectors via Sophia Systems and The Applewood Group.

Over the years I’ve been involved in a meandering range of projects — from setting up onchain carbon markets at Toucan, to studying maritime security as a geospatial data scientist at an international NGO, to leading developer ecosystem growth at Ordnance Survey, the UK’s national mapping agency. I hold an MSc in Spatial Data Science and Visualisation from UCL with Distinction. It’s ancient history at this point, but in a prior era I was a ski patroller with the NSP, an active travel guide with Backroads, and a cliff diver at Casa Bonita …

• Read about what I’m thinking and learning: Observations→
• Learn more about my background: LinkedIn→
• Reach out: Contact→

Along with my work, I love sailing downwind, snowboarding in powder, and unhurried departures. I’m from Denver, and based in north London.