Introduction

For decades, Silicon Valley has been mythologized as the birthplace of every tech giant that mattered, from Apple to Google to Meta. It’s the land of venture capital, unicorn valuations, and hoodie-wearing billionaires. But that story is starting to feel outdated.

Today, innovation isn’t confined to a single zip code in California. It’s emerging in unexpected places, driven by entrepreneurs who don’t fit the Valley mold. Among them is Chizz Cunningham, a New York-raised founder with ambitions to become the next great tech mogul, but one whose empire won’t be rooted in Palo Alto.

Breaking the Silicon Valley Myth

“The idea that you have to be in Silicon Valley to build something world-changing is dead,” Cunningham says. “Technology is decentralized now, and the future will be built by people and communities who solve real problems, not just chase the next round of funding.”

He’s not alone in that belief. Rising costs of living, remote-first work, and the global spread of blockchain and AI have democratized entrepreneurship. A laptop and a vision are enough to start competing with the giants. For Cunningham, this isn’t just theory, it’s the way he’s building his ventures today.

Building on Blockchain — Utility, Not Hype

Ask Cunningham about blockchain, and he won’t talk about meme coins or day trading. Instead, he zeroes in on utility.

“Blockchain isn’t valuable because people speculate on it,” he explains. “It’s valuable because it validates ownership and verifies truth without middlemen. That’s world-changing.”

He points to everyday examples:

• Ticketing: No more counterfeits or scams — every ticket can be verified instantly on-chain.
• Credentials: Resumes and degrees can’t be faked when verified by blockchain.
• Collectibles: A sports highlight or digital card remains provably authentic decades later.

“These are problems people actually face,” Cunningham adds. “Blockchain solves them in a way traditional tech simply can’t.”

From MyPal4Life to History of the Game

Cunningham’s ventures are rooted in that principle of validation and verification.

• With MyPal4Life, blockchain powers secure wallet access and token-based interactions that give users ownership of their digital lives.
• With History of the Game, blockchain ensures that sports storytelling and collectibles remain authentic and permanent, creating cultural assets fans can own, not just rent.

“These projects aren’t about riding hype cycles,” he says. “They’re about building ecosystems that last.”

Representation and a New Kind of Mogul

For Cunningham, building outside Silicon Valley isn’t just about geography, it’s about

representation.

“Coming from Jamaica Queens, I didn’t see people like me on the covers of tech magazines,” he says. “But tech moguls of the future won’t all look the same, or come from the same place. Blockchain and AI are global, the people building them should be too.”

He views decentralization not just as a technical principle, but as a cultural one. The next moguls, he argues, will come from backgrounds that Silicon Valley has historically overlooked.

The Next Five Years

Where does Cunningham see blockchain going?

“Five years from now, blockchain will be invisible,” he predicts. “You’ll buy a ticket, sign a contract, or prove your credentials, and you won’t even think about the fact it’s verified on-chain. It’ll just work. My bold prediction? The biggest companies of the next decade won’t be the ones speculating — they’ll be the ones building real-world utility.”

Challenges Ahead

Of course, Cunningham is realistic about the obstacles. Blockchain remains slow, costly, and confusing for many.

“But so was the internet in the ’90s,” he says. “Dial-up was clunky and people didn’t get it. Look where we are now. The same thing will happen here. My role is to build experiences where the user doesn’t need to understand blockchain, they just feel the benefits.”

The next great tech mogul may not wear a hoodie in Palo Alto. He may not be backed by Sand Hill Road’s venture elite. He might come from Queens, build across industries, and use blockchain not to gamble on coins but to solve problems.

“Blockchain matters because it’s the first technology that lets us agree on the truth — ownership, identity, history — without asking permission from middlemen,” Cunningham says. “That’s why the next tech mogul won’t come from Silicon Valley. The future is bigger than that.”