Dear you,
The Intersect Board election is closing in less than 24 hours, and I am wondering if you have already cast your vote or are still wondering who to pick. Either way, my motivation is to share with you what I deem the top four picks for the available seats. How about you grab a glass while I unfold:
Pick 1: Kavinda Kariyapperuma - Retaining
As a current Board member, he’s had the privilege of helping guide Intersect during its most critical stage, when Cardano’s governance framework was still being built. Together, they established the foundations for processes that previously didn’t exist, from constitutional workshops to treasury governance and member representation. They’ve had to navigate difficult decisions, balance competing priorities, and listen carefully to community input while ensuring accountability and transparency. These challenges have given him valuable lessons; I believe his experience positions him to help lead the next phase of refinement. If re-elected, Kavinda wants to continue as both a guiding hand and a listening ear, ensuring governance remains community-driven while steadily improving the systems and processes that support it, as he believes the next chapter is about reforming with the wisdom gained thus far, strengthening inclusivity, and proving that Cardano’s governance is people-centric.
Pick 2: Adam Rusch - Retaining
Adam has proven that he can listen carefully to member concerns, translate them into concrete action, and deliver results that make Intersect more transparent, responsive, and accountable. In his first term, he helped resolve leadership issues by ensuring members could meet directly with the Board, which led to the appointment of an interim executive director and the establishment of the process for hiring a permanent one. Adam also worked with the new leadership to revise Intersect’s Cardano Treasury request when members and DReps felt the initial ask was too high, scaling it down, streamlining their practices, and improving transparency. Perhaps most importantly, he’s helped advance reforms to expand the Board so that a majority of Directors are now elected from the membership. I believe these achievements demonstrate his commitment to strengthening Intersect as an independent, member-led organization and his ability to act decisively on behalf of those who entrusted me with this responsibility.
Pick 3: Mercy Fordwoo - Introducing
Having been part of Cardano for almost 7 years, Mercy has contributed to its growth and expansion through building communities, training, and partnerships. Mercy and I share the same belief that the board should guide and not dominate. Decentralization is an evolving spectrum, and it takes care to balance structure with autonomy. Move too quickly and communities may feel unprepared, move too slowly and progress stalls and recentralizes. If elected, she hopes to learn from fellow board members while sharing her experience in governance and community work. Her goal is to continually bring those lessons back to strengthen local initiatives while helping Intersect grow into a learning, responsive, and evolving organization that reflects the needs of its diverse community.
Pick 4: Jonah Koch - Introducing
Picture a board candidate; they probably have an MBA and corporate experience. Forget that person because Intersect needs something different, and here’s Jonah’s story: He’s lived Cardano’s governance evolution from the inside. While others talk about it, he actually helped build it. When the Constitutional Committee needed elections, he didn’t just vote. He helped design the process. He understands both the member experience and operational reality. He’s sat in working groups grinding the details and hosted community workshops explaining complex concepts to newcomers. This dual perspective is rare and valuable. Most board candidates bring either business experience or technical knowledge; Jonah brings governance experience. He’s seen what works and what fails in blockchain democracy. Intersect doesn’t need another traditional director asking safe questions. It needs someone who understands the community’s frustrations and can translate between boardroom strategy and grassroots reality, and that is Jonah Koch for you.
Pick 5: Every Other Candidate - Bonus
Don’t get me wrong; all the candidates contesting for a seat at the Intersect Board are great, but with only four (4) seats available, here’s what I could choose as the best fit but the likes of Thiago Nunes, Tevo Kask, Hosky, and Daniela Alves are also really good alternatives you may consider.
Cheers!