Technology & Innovation

Stand Together Trust Welcomes Neil Chilson

April 19, 2018

Arlington, VA, April 19, 2018—Stand Together Trust is pleased to announce that former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acting Chief Technologist Neil Chilson will join the Institute as senior research fellow for technology and innovation on May 1. In this role, Chilson will help spearhead the Institute’s continued efforts to foster an environment that encourages innovation and the individual and societal progress it makes possible.

“We believe in the power of human ingenuity, but society can’t thrive in a system that stymies innovation with regulation,” said Will Ruger, vice president for research and policy at Stand Together Trust. “Neil’s experience in computer science, law, and public policy will bring fresh perspective to this conversation, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Stand Together Trust.”

Chilson was appointed FTC acting Chief Technologist in July 2017. His work focused on understanding the economics of privacy, convening a workshop on informational injury, and establishing the FTC’s Blockchain Working Group, among other things. Prior to his appointment, he was an advisor to Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. In both roles he advised Chairman Ohlhausen and worked with Commission staff on nearly every major technology-related case, report, workshop, or other proceeding since January 2014, when he joined her office. Before he joined the FTC, Chilson practiced telecommunications law at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP.

Chilson holds a law degree from the George Washington University Law School, a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harding University.

Through research grants, educational events, and public engagement, the Institute supports a conversation about technology and innovation and its impact on an individual’s lives. Understanding that not all disruption is welcome, the Institute focuses on three areas: the cultural impact of innovation, digital free speech and free association, and regulatory barriers.

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STAND TOGETHER TRUST
For more than five decades, Charles Koch’s philanthropy has inspired bold new ideas to improve American lives. Inspired by a recognition that free people are capable of extraordinary things, Stand Together Trust supports education and dialogue to advance these principles and challenge convention. We work to remove barriers to opportunity for all Americans, helping individuals transform their lives.