Paws for Good

Meet Ilya Kazakov, an illustrator originally from Sakha in the Russian Arctic, now based in Paris after being granted a talent visa by France in 2023. His grandfather taught him to draw as a kid, and the magical creatures and spirits of Sakha mythology still find their way into his work today. After years as an art director in UI/UX, the pandemic pushed him to go full time on illustration, and his cute, emotional style has become his signature ever since. As he puts it, he didn't choose the cute style, it chose him. It lets him work fast and capture his feelings on the go. His client list is stacked, spanning Apple, Samsung, Adobe, Forbes, GQ, and McDonald's. But something that sets Ilya apart is how he builds community into his NFT work: anyone can request a character and he'll draw it, turning his projects into something hundreds of people shape together. From personal series to his daily GM sketches drawn first thing every morning for a whole year, Ilya creates alongside the NFT community in many interesting ways!

Cocoro is an IP project on Base, created by Own The Doge together with Atsuko Sato, the woman behind the legendary Doge herself. It's named after her Shiba Inu, Cocoro, and what makes it special is their focus on charity and animal rescue. It's already changed Atsuko's life too: she was able to leave her job as a kindergarten teacher and use more of her time towards charity, animal rescue, a mobile flower shop, and a physical storefront. Own The Doge made all of it possible for her, and Cocoro is her newest effort they're collaborating together on. And with over $2,000,000 contributed to charity so far, they take their motto (Do Only Good Everyday) seriously! As an IP token, they consistently participate on social media, and publish many memes of the dogs we love.