I’m obsessed with “The Men Who Built America.” Both the series and the incredible story of how infrastructure created American dominance. First, it was railroads. Then oil and steel. Then computing and finance. Now it’s the digital economy, and for the first time in my life, I’m not just watching history unfold on a screen. I’m witnessing it firsthand in my own backyard.

My parents came to this country from Colombia, drawn by the promise of opportunity, and built their American dream during the dawn of the internet in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Now it’s my turn. I see clearly that today’s battleground is the digital economy.

Every source of strength that makes America dominant, from our military capabilities and capital markets to our cultural influence and technological breakthroughs, depends entirely on the digital pipes, grids, and code that form our modern infrastructure.

When I look at data centers humming across the country, semiconductors powering everything we touch, AI models reshaping how we work and think, nuclear energy plants providing clean power, and blockchain networks creating new financial rails, I don’t just see industries. I see the arteries pumping lifeblood through our national power. The infrastructure we build today becomes the foundation of tomorrow’s prosperity.

This is deeply personal to me; I feel a profound responsibility to play my part in securing America’s leadership in this digital age. The infrastructure we build today, the investments we make, and the innovations we foster will determine whether my children inherit a nation that leads the world.

I’m committed to doing everything in my power to ensure America wins this race.

Below is a peek behind the curtain of a special project I’ve been crafting for the last few months. Call it the secret sauce I’m brewing and how my beloved North Carolina is quietly emerging as America’s ace in the hole.

Because the most important stories aren’t always the ones making headlines. Sometimes you have to go find them yourself.

Let’s get into the flow…

How One Tweet Became North Carolina Legislation

“How am I going to find my people?” I asked myself shortly after moving to Charlotte, NC, after years of calling New York and Miami home.

So I did what I know best. I started putting out feelers on social to find people into Bitcoin, crypto, and anything digital economy.

What started as an innocent tweet serendipitously ended up becoming legislation that the North Carolina House passed and is now pending State Senate approval.

I called for our policy leaders to establish a state-backed Bitcoin reserve. If the Federal government could do it, why not the states? That’s the beauty of federalism, and if you know me, you know I’m a staunch supporter of state’s rights.

I tweeted this open letter to our elected officials, and a whole world of North Carolinian crypto enthusiasts opened up.

First, I was introduced to Dan Spuller, whom you’ve met through our Luminaries series. We met in person at the Duke Digital Summit, and he was surprised to see that I had called for the Bitcoin reserve weeks prior to Speaker Hall introducing HB 92. I assured him that I wasn’t aware of the bill and that my letter was me trusting my intuition. He later told me I was right on the money.

Discovering The Hidden Ecosystem

As I went down this rabbit hole, I found an incredible ecosystem primed to power the new economy in North Carolina. The state had all the ingredients that make up our industry, but somehow they weren’t aware of each other. It was like having all the ingredients for the most perfect dish, but no recipe to bring them together.

North Carolina ranks number one for business. Charlotte is the second-largest financial hub in the country. Coinbase calls it home now. Amazon, Meta, Apple, and other tech giants have committed billions of dollars to establish a presence here, drawn by something deeper than tax incentives—they’ve discovered an ecosystem that most people still don’t see.

The Research Triangle Park helps anchor it all: Duke, UNC, and NC State creating one of the world’s densest concentrations of academic excellence and innovation. Bitcoin mining facilities hum across the state. Data centers process the future. Forward-thinking legislators craft cutting-edge policy.

But here’s the secret weapon that changes everything: deep in the mountains near Spruce Pine, miners extract the ultra-pure quartz essential for microchip manufacturing, the raw material that powers AI computing chips. Nuclear power plants provide the reliable baseload energy that crypto miners and data centers crave. Abundant natural resources from the Appalachian peaks to the Outer Banks complete the picture, creating an unmatched foundation for digital infrastructure that stretches from raw earth to the policy frameworks governing our digital future.

It was remarkable to see that no one was documenting the impact and potential that North Carolina could have in this transformation.

Congressman Tim Moore (NC -R) and Alejandro Navia

Answering the Call

Naturally, I prayed on it. At first, I was hesitant to take on this assignment.

But the calling was strong.

Something kept telling me that I needed to be the one to tell it. It needed to be North Carolina for North Carolina by North Carolina.

So I answered the call and embarked on the assignment.

The Investigation

I began reaching out to members of Congress, business owners, and policy leaders in North Carolina.

For the last two months, I decided to dust off the old suit and tie, gas up the car, hop on planes, and get the story straight from the source.

This project took me from the halls of Congress to rural Bitcoin mining operations, from congressional offices to the homes of people whose lives have been transformed through this new economy.

Bitcoin Miners on location at HM Tech LLC.

Gerald, CEO and Founder of HM Tech, LLC. North America’s largest Bitcoin miner repair operations.

What’s Coming Next

Introducing “The Tar Heel Chain,” launching in September.

This series focuses on how North Carolina is positioning itself as the leader in the digital economy. We’ll cover the past, present, and future of how North Carolina is becoming a powerhouse across all sectors that drive the digital economy.

N.C. Treasurer Brad Briner and Alejandro Navia.

As I dove into it all, I continued to fall in love with my home state and the digital economy more and more. It became clear that this was more than a story. This is my mission.

I discovered several exclusive insights I’m excited to share with In the Flow subscribers, including shadowing a leader whose vision I believe will one day carry him to the Oval Office.

The series will culminate in a mini-documentary, podcast episodes, and editorial pieces that tell the story of North Carolina’s digital economy transformation.

Next week I’ll be celebrating my birthday, along with being deep in post-production, so we’ll most likely take a break to make sure everything is perfect for launch.

Looking forward to seeing you in September.