{"version":1,"id":"vedant-mangaldas","title":"Vedant Mangaldas","summary":"Vedant Mangaldas is a strategy and branding executive best known as chief of strategy and brand at Pudgy Penguins, leading marketing, government-relations outreach, and major advertising campaigns, and serving as a strategy and branding advisor to Saturn.","content":"**Vedant Mangaldas** is a strategy and branding executive best known as the chief of strategy and brand at [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins), the [non-fungible token (NFT)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/non-fungible-token-nft) project built around a cartoon penguin intellectual property and the $PENGU token.[[1]](#cite-id-3iz2lzic7e) He has led the brand's public-facing strategy, its government-relations outreach in Washington, D.C., and high-profile advertising activations, and he serves as an advisor to the onchain-yield project [Saturn](https://iq.wiki/wiki/saturn).[[2]](#cite-id-nhpbbx2a53)​\n\n## Early Life & Education\n\nMangaldas attended Grimsley High School, where he was active in the symphony orchestra and was an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma recipient. He studied business, management, and marketing at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he was part of Honors Carolina, an assured admit to Kenan-Flagler, and a Carolina Scholar.\n\n## Career\n\n### Pudgy Penguins\n\nAccording to his LinkedIn profile, Mangaldas has served as director of strategy and partner at [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) since April 2022, responsible for developing and executing high-level strategy from a creative marketing and content standpoint. He states that during this period the brand has generated over $200 million in NFT trading volume and has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and Business Insider.\n\n### Feel Euphoria LLC\n\nMangaldas founded Feel Euphoria LLC in June 2019 and led design, supply chain, manufacturing, and marketing of its apparel and accessories. He describes the brand as having celebrity endorsement from 24kgoldn and more than 40,000 supporters worldwide, and as having collaborated with NC Governor’s School on end-of-session t-shirts whose profits were donated to RAINN.\n\n### Columbia Records and Full Send\n\nBetween May 2021 and April 2022, he consulted for Columbia Records on new media marketing and digitization strategies. In 2021 he also worked as a digital marketing consultant for Full Send, developing online community-building strategies using platforms such as Discord and Twitch.\n\n### Early Consulting Work\n\nIn 2018–2019, Mangaldas worked as a social media marketing consultant under his own name for agencies, celebrities, and brands, advising on creative marketing strategies. He reports growing a network of over 500,000 followers and achieving more than 500 million impressions during this period.\n\n### Advisory Role at Saturn\n\nIn February 2025, the [Saturn](https://iq.wiki/wiki/saturn) Foundation announced that it had brought on Mangaldas and Lorenzo (@0xLoMel), also of [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins), as advisors. [Saturn](https://iq.wiki/wiki/saturn)'s announcement framed the appointment around their brand-building record, stating: \"Vedant and Lorenzo made [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) the face of crypto. They are bringing that expertise to [Saturn](https://iq.wiki/wiki/saturn) - advising on strategy and branding as we redefine the standard for onchain yield.\"[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-nhpbbx2a53) In the advisory capacity, Mangaldas contributes to strategy and branding for the project, which positions itself in the onchain-yield sector.[\\[5\\]](#cite-id-fek38tayv3)​\n\n## Government Relations and Policy Outreach\n\nA recurring focus of Mangaldas's work has been representing [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) to U.S. lawmakers, an effort he has described as showing regulators the retail and mass-market use cases of [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) through a consumer-facing brand. On January 28, 2025, he reported meeting with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner [Hester Peirce](https://iq.wiki/wiki/hester-peirce) and other members of the agency, writing that he was \"very optimistic about the future of crypto.\"[[2]](#cite-id-nhpbbx2a53)\n\nOn May 2, 2025, Mangaldas described a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he said he shared the vision of [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins), Igloo Inc., and the $PENGU token with lawmakers shaping U.S. crypto policy. He reported that the lawmakers he met were focused primarily on \"[stablecoins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/stablecoin) and market structure,\" and he characterized his purpose as demonstrating \"what real-world crypto adoption looks like through what [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) is doing with toys, IP licensing, content, and cultural touchpoints that everyday people already understand.\" He argued that \"[Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) is the most retail-friendly and digestible entry point into crypto,\" citing GIFs, viral content, toys in 10,000 stores, and the question \"why $PENGU?\" as examples of how ordinary people engage with the brand. He wrote that almost every meeting ended with follow-ups on how Pudgy Penguins could work alongside the government, and that he planned to return to Washington often \"to continue educating, listening, and spreading the Pudgy Penguins vision.\" Igloo Inc. posted the same day that it had brought the story of PENGU, Igloo Inc., and Pudgy Penguins to Capitol Hill.[[2]](#cite-id-nhpbbx2a53)\n\nMangaldas later described hosting the project's first open-invite event for policymakers in the Rayburn House Office Building, the largest congressional office building, where he and Lorenzo (@0xLoMel) sat on a panel sharing the Pudgy Penguins story and educating lawmakers on [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency). He credited Colin McLaren of the [Solana Policy Institute](https://iq.wiki/wiki/solana-policy-institute) with moderating the panel, and framed the event as the \"next step\" after more than a year of personal visits to the Hill.[[5]](#cite-id-fek38tayv3)\n\n## Las Vegas Sphere Campaign\n\nIn December 2025, Mangaldas served as a primary spokesperson for a [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) advertising campaign that wrapped the exterior of the Las Vegas Sphere, a large spherical venue in Nevada, as part of a holiday brand activation. Speaking to [CoinDesk](https://iq.wiki/wiki/coindesk), he presented the placement as evidence of the project's reach beyond the crypto industry, saying: \"It's sort of showing that a crypto project can exceed and go out of crypto, touch the hearts and minds of everyday consumers.\" He told [CoinDesk](https://iq.wiki/wiki/coindesk) that the deal was made possible because the project has a \"real business\" behind it.[[1]](#cite-id-3iz2lzic7e) He stated that the project spent approximately $500,000 on the campaign, which he said began on December 24, 2025, and was set to run for several days.[[4]](#cite-id-9ol5pue6ar)\n\nIn interviews with [Decrypt](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decrypt), Mangaldas emphasized that the activation focused on [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins)' physical goods rather than its digital assets, in keeping with the venue's rules. \"This activation celebrates specifically our physical products, like toys, animations, and merch. It has nothing to do with the crypto side of our business,\" he said, adding, \"We fully realize Sphere's guidelines on crypto-related things.\" He argued that the campaign spoke to a mainstream audience unfamiliar with the project's [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) roots, noting that [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) has \"2 million followers on Instagram\" and estimating that \"90% of them probably don't know that crypto exists.\" He continued: \"When you get a billion views on GIFs, I would assume that a majority of them don't know that we're a crypto company. And I think that's the beauty of [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins).\"[[6]](#cite-id-ere77eih7b) Coverage of the activation noted that Pudgy Penguins became only the second crypto-native brand to advertise on the Sphere—after [Crypto.com](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocom)—and that a separate community-funded Dogwifhat campaign had failed to secure a placement due to the venue’s restrictions.[[11]](#cite-id-4k3ofjkchf)\n\n## Community Events and Public Appearances\n\nMangaldas has organized in-person gatherings for the [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) community and its partners, chiefly in New York City. He co-hosted the \"Pudgy NYC Meetup w/ Solana,\" a meetup for the [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins) NYC community held alongside Pedro Miranda and Ryan McGuire, which drew 62 attendees.[\\[7\\]](#cite-id-04396lv2ma) He was also one of six hosts of an invite-only \"NYC Happy Hour w/ Pudgy Penguins, fomo, and Solana,\" described as bringing together close friends and partners of [Pudgy Penguins](https://iq.wiki/wiki/pudgy-penguins), [Solana](https://iq.wiki/wiki/solana), and the entity fomo, with registration subject to host approval; his co-hosts included Pedro Miranda, Ramzy Ali, and fomo.[\\[8\\]](#cite-id-uwjrl2dd0n) On the event platform Luma, where he joined in February 2023, his account records one hosted and 73 attended events.[\\[9\\]](#cite-id-pus1mq069e)​\n\nMangaldas has also been an active participant in Twitter Spaces audio discussions, particularly during 2023. Between April and July 2023 he appeared as a listed participant in more than twenty recorded Spaces, many tied to NFT communities such as y00ts, [DeGods](https://iq.wiki/wiki/degods), [Azuki](https://iq.wiki/wiki/azuki), and Pudgy Penguins, including sessions titled \"The PlayBook - It's Pudgy Season,\" \"WAY Beyond the PFP,\" and the \"Skaters of Web3\" series.[\\[10\\]](#cite-id-246zup997h) He continued to appear in Spaces in 2025, including sessions recorded in July of that year.[\\[10\\]](#cite-id-246zup997h)​","categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"Advisor"},{"id":"Speaker"},{"id":"Influencer"},{"id":"Solana"}],"images":[{"id":"QmY7Xm6oAsagzd7q4JdjHaiDqH2RnMfqEW1PRMrV5K8NHg","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"media":[],"metadata":[{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/vedant-mangaldas-966b57238/"},{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"3iz2lzic7e\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/12/12/nft-project-pudgy-penguins-takes-over-las-vegas-sphere-in-holiday-campaign\",\"description\":\"CoinDesk identifies his Pudgy Penguins role\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"nhpbbx2a53\",\"url\":\"https://tweetlook.com/0xBigVee\",\"description\":\"Saturn advisor announcement and profile\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"066psiybxw\",\"url\":\"https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pudgy-penguins-landed-las-vegas-172304648.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHtE5zZq5_bugbXdIgWLxptlbYq2EgLq2xLEdLw8rNyhaNLQZ2kaFdchy3zXawNectZcvtAITtvWPNJgLy2r0NKW7dgVF_91p0vWtla5x0UXIJHi2YuiDpp-FfNRZOfeyF-pd9fy2HYNfgs2rv5EqABeJDmXUj6OQ7nJtgbtgHsq\",\"description\":\"Yahoo Finance identifies director of strategy and comms\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"9ol5pue6ar\",\"url\":\"https://www.cryptobreaking.com/pengu-recovers-as-pudgy-penguins/\",\"description\":\"CryptoBreaking identifies chief of strategy and brand\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"fek38tayv3\",\"url\":\"https://ngntipkolamrenang.twstalker.com/0xBigVee\",\"description\":\"Third-party statement on Saturn advisory\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"ere77eih7b\",\"url\":\"https://decrypt.co/353166/how-pudgy-penguins-landed-las-vegas-sphere-dogwifhat-couldnt\",\"description\":\"Decrypt interview on Sphere activation\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"04396lv2ma\",\"url\":\"https://luma.com/gtiq1tqr\",\"description\":\"Pudgy NYC Meetup event page\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"uwjrl2dd0n\",\"url\":\"https://luma.com/gi7fwpp9\",\"description\":\"NYC Happy Hour event page\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"pus1mq069e\",\"url\":\"https://luma.com/user/usr-BiSBqPYepVLFKfi\",\"description\":\"Luma activity record\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"246zup997h\",\"url\":\"https://alphagrowth.io/spaces/participant/0xbigvee\",\"description\":\"List of Twitter Spaces appearances\",\"timestamp\":1790717154530},{\"id\":\"4k3ofjkchf\",\"url\":\"https://crypto.news/pengu-price-bucks-christmas-lull-as-it-appears-on-the-las-vegas-sphere/\",\"description\":\"Crypto.news report on Sphere campaign and Dogwifhat effort\",\"timestamp\":1790717283329}]"},{"id":"main-image-origin","value":"{\"imageId\":\"QmY7Xm6oAsagzd7q4JdjHaiDqH2RnMfqEW1PRMrV5K8NHg\",\"originalId\":\"Qmd36jPKUk43UrHfgSdHJtUKeT4HoCwUdR2DFPrNkGSwPM\"}"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"Add Vedant Mangaldas wiki"}],"events":[{"type":"DEFAULT","title":"Joined Luma","date":"2023-02-01","description":"Profile created on Luma","link":"https://luma.com/user/usr-BiSBqPYepVLFKfi","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"id":"8a0f9450-9922-4ade-9a52-060557fad58c"}],"linkedWikis":{"founders":[],"blockchains":[],"speakers":[]},"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"},"language":"en","operator":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"}}