Matt Philips became president of the Free State Project on March 1, 2016, but it was not the beginning of his adventure with politics and activism. He majored in Politics at Princeton and interned at the Cato Institute, along with FSP founder Jason Sorens, before joining Internet advertising pioneer DoubleClick in New York City. He then co-founded Right Media, purchased by Yahoo! in 2007.
By 2013, Matt could live just about anywhere he desired, but his love for liberty was a driving force. So after doing much reading and digging back to his political roots, having signed the Free State Project’s Statement of Intent in 2003, he decided to come to Liberty Forum in New Hampshire. The conversations he had with like-minded people and the enthusiasm we all shared convinced Matt that this was the place to be.
As soon as Matt moved, he ran for a local position in his town and fought the good fight. He volunteered his time and money as the PorcFest event producer in 2014 and 2015, making those some of our most successful events. He quickly acquainted himself with the people in the liberty movement here, and before long he became the president of the Free State Project.
As president, Matt brought us up to speed with a professional CRM database for managing our contacts. This system has been a real help to me in my job, keeping me organized and able to follow through with visitors and participants. It has also allowed us to automate some of the work that I do, freeing me up to assist visitors and attend local meetups.
Matt has donated so much of his time and money that it’s impossible to put a number on it. He volunteered all of his time as president from March 2016 to December 2017 and spent much of his own money to keep things running. That was a precious time after we triggered the move, and Matt navigated the ship with care and consideration to bring us to the next level. He continues to support the FSP by serving on the board and staying active in the liberty community.
Having grown up in Phoenix, Arizona, Matt knows what the climate is like in other parts of the country, and he has still chosen to make New Hampshire his forever home! We’re thankful for that, and we’re happy to have his generous spirit and warm nature with us here.
Jealous? Don’t be! All you have to do is reach out and volunteer! We need more people like Matt, so please consider volunteering. And the next time you see Matt, make sure to #ThankAFreeStater.