# April 27 2026
## Attendees:
| Name | Attendance | Role | Voting Seat (Y/N) |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| [Simo Simovic](mailto:simo.simovic@intersectmbo.org) | Yes | Secretary | N |
| Jack Briggs | Yes | Executive Director | Y |
| Nick Cook | Yes | Director - Operations (Interim) | N |
| Sheldon Hunt | No | Community Member Seat | Y |
| Fred Tanaka | Yes | Community Member Seat | Y |
| Kristijan Kowalsky | Yes | Community Member Seat | Y |
| Jose Miguel de Gamboa | Yes | Community Member Seat | Y |
| Georg Link | No | OSC Chair | Y |
| Samuel Leathers | Yes | Product Chair | Y |
| Maureen Wepngogn | Yes | MCC Chair | Y |
| Megan Hess | Yes | CBC Chair | Y |
| Kevin Hammond | Yes | TSC Chair | Y |
| Tim Harrison | No | GMC Chair | Y |
| Nicolas Cerny | Yes | CCC Chair | Y |
| Lorenzo Bruno | Yes | Head of Product & Membership | Y |
| Bosko Majdanac | Yes | Secretary of TSC | N |
| Abhik Nag | Yes | Secretary of MCC | N |
| Lloyd Duhon | Yes | Secretary of Budget Committee | N |
| Larisa Mcfarlane | Yes | Head of Ecosystem & Community | Y |
| Terence McCutcheon | Yes | Secretary of OSC | N |
| Lara Bonasorte | Yes | Secretary of GMC | N |
| Thomas Lindseth | Yes | Secretary of CCC | N |
### Additional Attendees:
Adam Rusch - Member of the Board
Mercy Fordwoo - Member of the Board
Ken-Erik Ølmheim - Vice Chair of Civics
Kyle Solomon - Vice Chair of Product Committee
Mike Hornan - Observer
Selin Rhayem - Observer
Thiago Nunes - Observer
## Agenda:
* Committee Updates
* ISC voting seats potential Update
* Open Discussion ICS/Board
## Discussion/Actions
### 1. Opening & Agenda
The meeting opened with attendance confirmation and quorum established, including participation from ISC members, Intersect staff, and Board representatives. As the end-of-month session, the meeting included committee updates, budget process discussions, and an open forum with the Board to address broader ecosystem topics and concerns.
***
### 2. Committee Updates
* Budget Committee reported ongoing work to finalize its own proposal, with internal discussions focused on refining scope and funding levels. The broader budget process is actively underway, with multiple proposals submitted and generally positive community feedback on both the platform and process. Minor issues encountered during submissions have been resolved.
* Technical Steering Committee (TSC) reported continued strong progress toward the Van Rossum hard fork, with node version updates advancing toward release and technical risks largely mitigated. The Plutus cost model update identified issues during preview testing (notably with Blockfrost), which are being addressed before mainnet deployment. Coordination with Intersect has also resulted in alignment on budget scope to avoid duplication, particularly around workshops and security council support.
* Growth & Marketing Committee (GMC) reviewed a significant external proposal (“Amplify Cardano”) combining ecosystem marketing and community-led campaigns. The committee continues to act in an advisory capacity, providing feedback on proposals and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. Additional discussions included transparency concerns and coordination with external initiatives.
* Civics Committee has formally kicked off the Constitutional Committee election process, including community-facing engagement (X Spaces) and preparatory work for tooling and candidate support. Progress continues on the constitutional amendment process, now in the testing phase. Budget discussions remain challenging due to alignment and commitment concerns within the committee.
***
### 3. Budget Process & Coordination
The ongoing budget cycle remains a central focus, with multiple parallel proposal streams emerging across Intersect, committees, and external actors.
Key observations:
* Increased volume and fragmentation of proposals, making it difficult for DReps and the community to assess and compare effectively
* Need for stronger coordination and synthesis of information, to reduce cognitive load and improve decision-making
* Recognition that the current process is an improvement over 2025, but still requires refinement
Intersect is exploring ways to provide a clearer “anchor point” for understanding proposals and supporting DRep evaluation.
***
### 4. Intersect Governance (ISC Voting Seats)
A minor update to ISC voting seats was proposed:
* Addition of three Intersect staff voting seats (reflecting updated leadership structure)
* Total voting seats increase from 13 to 14
Discussion clarified:
* No significant shift in voting power balance
* Quorum requirements remain sufficient to prevent staff-only decision-making
The proposal received general agreement, with no major objections raised.
***
### 5. Key Discussion: Ecosystem Coordination & Tensions
A significant portion of the meeting focused on ecosystem coordination challenges, particularly:
* Concerns about lack of collaboration across ecosystem actors (e.g., proposals being developed independently without committee engagement)
* Frustration around perceived duplication of efforts and misalignment in critical areas (e.g., developer experience initiatives)
* Tension between open participation vs coordinated execution, especially when multiple actors pursue similar initiatives independently
It was acknowledged that:
* Current dynamics can lead to inefficiencies and community frustration
* Intersect’s role as a coordination layer is critical but still evolving
* Improved collaboration mechanisms and earlier alignment are needed
***
### 6. Treasury, Market Conditions & Risk Management
Concerns were raised regarding the low ADA price and its impact on:
* Budget execution feasibility
* Vendor delivery capacity
* Overall community confidence
Key responses and actions:
* Emphasis on responsible budget design, including defining minimum viable delivery and contingency scenarios
* Exploration of stablecoin options to mitigate volatility risks
* Commitment to return unused funds to the treasury where applicable
* Ongoing work to improve treasury visibility, including reporting on inflows, returns, and projected spend
It was also noted that the Net Change Limit (NCL) introduces useful spending discipline but may require further review and refinement.
***
### 7. Board Update & Priorities
Board representatives highlighted key priorities:
* Ensuring a smooth and effective budget cycle
* Encouraging broader community participation in proposal review and feedback
* Strengthening alignment between strategy and execution, including better communication of strategic direction
* Improving coordination across ecosystem actors
The Board also acknowledged the need to:
* Improve how strategy is communicated and socialized with the community
* Continue refining governance and operational processes
***
### 8. Budget Process Timing & Future Improvements
Discussion confirmed that:
* The current timeline (April start) was constrained by dependencies, including NCL approval, Vision 2030, and the budget framework
* Future cycles are expected to begin earlier in the year (Jan–Feb)
This is seen as critical to:
* Improving coordination
* Reducing overlap and “front-running” of proposals
* Allowing more structured participation
***
### 10. Closing Note
The meeting highlighted both progress and growing pains of operating in a decentralized governance environment at scale. While significant advancements have been made (Vision 2030, improved budget process, technical progress), challenges remain around coordination, alignment, and execution discipline as the ecosystem matures.
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