Pleb UnderGround
Andrew Tilmann Joins Pleb Underground
- Andrew Tillman, CEO of Midwest Bitcoin Summit and President of Bitcoin Scholarship Foundation, discusses his background in chemical engineering, pharmaceutical work, and the cannabis industry before pivoting to Bitcoin education and event organization.
- Midwest Bitcoin Summit (September 23–24, Columbus, Ohio) is a first-of-its-kind co-location merging Bitcoin and cannabis conferences to reach operators in both industries and facilitate cross-sector learning on payment solutions, lending, and Bitcoin as a store of value.
- Ticket pricing deliberately kept affordable ($50 expo pass, $100 general admission, $400 business, $1,500 VIP) to serve grassroots adoption rather than extract maximum short-term revenue; sponsors and exhibitors priced at roughly 10% of competitor conference rates.
- Bitcoin Scholarship Foundation provides comprehensive financial literacy education to children aged 5–18 in poverty-stricken communities, with each participant receiving $500 in time-locked Bitcoin accessible at age 25, creating long-term ownership and incentive for engagement.
- The conference enforces a strict no-shitcoin policy on stage and explicitly rejects sponsorships from projects outside Bitcoin, prioritizing mission integrity over short-term capital gains.
- Revitalization of the Midwest economy through Bitcoin adoption is the core mission, addressing decades of manufacturing decline and limited opportunity for youth in Rust Belt cities.