20 Aug 2023

Meet Lauri Ojansivu, CEO of WeKan Team, Finland, and the mastermind behind the "Shop with kanban" project. Lauri's clever use of ONTOCHAIN services during the Hackathon demonstrated his knack for turning technology into real-world solutions.

 

Congratulations on being one of the ONTOCHAIN hackathon winners! Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself, your team and your background?

I’m Lauri Ojansivu, CEO of WeKan Team, Finland. I’m maintainer of WeKan Open Source kanban since December 2016, cross-platform FOSS developer, Cloud Architect, SysAdmin and SysOp.


Your project impressed the judges. Can you provide an overview of your project and how it addresses a real-world challenge using ONTOCHAIN services?

ONTOCHAIN offers a variety of services. For instance, in the "Shop with kanban" project, items like coffee are shifted to a Buy list, triggering a webhook to use ONTOCHAIN APIs for purchase. The WeKan API then moves the item to the Bought list. This concept extends to other ONTOCHAIN services too, where a kanban board visualizes them. This includes features like colored labels for status, checklists, and attachments to cards, representing project progress and enabling real-time updates. This approach enhances the efficiency of ONTOCHAIN services.

 

How did you first hear about the ONTOCHAIN hackathon, and what motivated you to participate? Were you already familiar with ONTOCHAIN services before the hackathon?

In 2022, I took part in NGI DAPSI and learned about NGI ONTOCHAIN. Before that, I hadn't used ONTOCHAIN services, although I had some experience with MetaMask and similar chain software from a previous project a few years ago.

 

ONTOCHAIN offers a range of innovative services. Which specific ONTOCHAIN services did you incorporate into your project, and how did they enhance your solution's functionality?

I did use POC4COMMERCE, that makes possible making contracts and buying. Those services make possible the actual buying with ONTOCHAIN.

 

Throughout the hackathon, you had the opportunity to interact with mentors and experts. How did their guidance and support impact your project's development and final outcome?

The guidance and support from mentors and experts played a crucial role in advancing our project during the brief 2-day hackathon. They provided instant feedback on which ONTOCHAIN services to utilize, and they even connected us with the necessary ONTOCHAIN teams for assistance.

 

How has your involvement with ONTOCHAIN and its hackathon contributed to your personal and professional growth?

Yes. In this hackathon, I got quick start how to use ONTOCHAIN services, and back to chains related coding.

 

The ONTOCHAIN hackathons are focused on using blockchain technologies to solve real-world challenges. How do you see your applications beyond the hackathon, potentially in industries or sectors?

WeKan Open Source kanban is used worldwide in companies of all sizes. WeKan is translated to 70+ languages. Kanban is multi-purpose productivity tool for managing projects. Blockchain is one tool where to store contracts. All these tools make possible rapid progress in fast-changing world, usage is increasing all the time.

 

Lastly, what are your future aspirations in the blockchain and technology space, and how do you envision ONTOCHAIN playing a role in your ongoing journey?

I will also participate to upcoming NGI projects. More ONTOCHAIN services will be integrated to WeKan. Participating to ONTOCHAIN was great experience, and I wish great success for everyone.