Yaron Brook, PhD, is chairman of the board of the Ayn Rand Institute. He is coauthor, with Don Watkins, of In Pursuit of Wealth and the national best-seller Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Ideas Can End Big Government and the host of The Yaron Brook Show on TheBlaze Radio and BlogTalkRadio. A former finance professor, he has been published in academic as well as popular publications, and his opinion-editorials appear in major newspapers. He is frequently interviewed on national TV and radio. Dr. Brook is an internationally renowned speaker, and lectures on Objectivism, business ethics and foreign policy at college campuses, community groups and corporations across America and throughout the world. (See here for his Expert information.)

Mr. Corle, a recently retired entrepreneur, started as a piping contractor in 1982 and grew his business into an international concern with offices in the USA, The Netherlands, Brazil, and New Zealand. His company, RELCO LLC, provides customized, design-build processing systems and equipment for dairy and food manufacturing plants in over 30 countries and on all 6 inhabited continents. He sold the company in 2020 to a division of Koch Industries. He then turned to a list of interesting projects that had long been on his mind. Today, he maintains a consulting business and is involved in local business organizations. These include a business-funded and directed high school accredited course for young entrepreneurs where he is vice-chair of the board.

Jeri is a retired oil industry finance executive. Her experience includes 30 years with Royal Dutch Shell in the U.S., The Netherlands, and in London. During this period, she served in various roles, including VP Finance for Global Gas and Power, and chief financial officer for Shell Oil Company. After leaving Shell, she worked for several start-up companies. She was COO of the Ayn Rand Institute from 2012 to 2016 and has served on a number of boards. Currently, Jeri’s focus is on creating illustrations and graphic designs.

Onkar Ghate, Ph.D. in philosophy, joined ARI in 2000, after a brief but successful tenure in the finance industry. A year later, he launched ARI’s Objectivist Academic Center (OAC), which substantially expanded the Institute’s teaching and training activities. Dr. Ghate acts as a senior editor and instructor. He is also responsible for providing philosophic direction and oversight for the Institute’s many projects. (See here for his Expert information.)

Dr. Mayhew, Ph.D. in philosophy, is professor of philosophy at Seton Hall University. He specializes in ancient philosophy, and has recently completed books on Aristotle’s lost work on Homer and on Theophrastus’ On Winds. His most recent work on Ayn Rand is an annotated edition of her previously unpublished play The Unconquered (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

Mr. Salzman is the Vice President for Litigation, Policy, and Research at Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF). He is also an adjunct professor at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, supervising a PLF-sponsored property rights and economic liberty litigation clinical program. His law practice has focused on property rights and economic liberty. Earlier in his career, he spent ten years in business as co-founder and CEO of an e-commerce company.

Tara Smith is professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. A specialist in moral, legal, and political philosophy, her books include Egoism Without Permission: The Moral Psychology of Ayn Rand’s Ethics; Judicial Review in an Objective Legal System; and Ayn Rand’s Normative Ethics: The Virtuous Egoist. (See here for her Expert information.)

Tal Tsfany is the president and CEO of the Ayn Rand Institute. Mr. Tsfany has been an entrepreneur, investor and executive in the software world. He has built and grown successful teams and businesses in Israel and the United States. Mr. Tsfany is a co-founder of the Ayn Rand Center Israel.

Robertas Bakula manages the activities of the ARI Intellectual Incubator, including ARI’s Honors Work and Study Internship program. He also creates content for ARI’s online journal, New Ideal, mostly focusing on economic issues. Robertas holds an MA in philosophy, politics, and economics and has completed ARI’s advanced intellectual training.

Ben Bayer, PhD in philosophy, teaches, lectures, and gives interviews for ARI. He writes for and is an associate editor of ARI’s online journal, New Ideal. (See here for his Expert information.)

Amber Brown helps plan, manage and execute marketing campaigns. She comes from two decades in the outdoor industry with an emphasis on introducing brands to the US market. Her background in brand development guides her overall goals. She holds a BS in psychology and completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2011.

Brayton Bushby manages donor relationships as well as prospective donor relationships to support ARI’s community and fundraising objectives. Brayton holds a BS in mechanical engineering and has spent the last 10 years in sales and marketing while studying Objectivism.

Marcos Carbonell oversees the design, implementation, and maintenance of software products and IT infrastructure essential for ARI’s operations and projects. He holds a BSc in computer science and has completed ARI’s advanced intellectual training. He is keen on advancing artificial intelligence, guided by the principles of Objectivism.

Tristan de Liège is a philosopher specializing in ethical issues, especially virtue ethics and the philosophy of work. He received his PhD in philosophy from the University of California Riverside in 2021. Tristan creates courses for ARI and assists in grading and teaching, as well as creating intellectual content for ARI’s online journal, New Ideal.

Simon Federman is responsible for rehousing and cataloging items in the Ayn Rand Archives. In addition, Simon provides design support for the Ayn Rand Institute Press and for the development, marketing, and product teams. Simon began volunteering for ARI in 1985 prior to starting work for the Institute part time in 1997 and full time in 2001.

Itamar Feldman, BSc in mathematics, is an intellectual in development at ARI. He participates in ARI’s advanced intellectual training, does research, and writes short pieces for ARI’s online journal, New Ideal. He is a participant in the ARI Honors Program.

Vinny Freire manages the information technology at ARI, providing digital infrastructure and support for the organization’s operations and projects. He has more than 25 years of experience consulting and executing digital products. He holds a BA in fine arts and multimedia with a minor in advertising and communication.

Onkar Ghate, PhD in philosophy, is chief philosophy officer, senior fellow, and ARI board member. He is a contributing author to many books on Rand’s fiction and philosophy. He leads ARI’s intellectual development program, serves as a senior editor and instructor, and provides philosophic oversight for the Institute’s projects. (See here for his Expert information.)

David Gulbraa is the Donor Services Specialist at ARI, handling customer service for contributors and prospects. He helps run conferences and special events.

Audra Hilse manages the digital aspects of the Ayn Rand Archives, including data about the holdings and digitized archival material. She is working to make the Ayn Rand Papers and other collections available online. She completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2009 and holds a BA in history and an MA in Library and Information Studies.

Jeff Janicke provides administrative support for the business operations team and lends occasional project support to other departments. He worked in the insurance industry for many years as an agent. His background includes business operations and management.

Elan Journo leads ARI’s content ventures, including ARI’s online journal and podcast, New Ideal, and books; the Ayn Rand Archives; and our recruitment and advanced training of new intellectuals. His books include What Justice Demands: America and the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict, which became an Amazon political freedom bestseller in October 2023. (See here for his Expert information.)

Atul Kapur manages curriculum at ARI. He brings a wealth of experience in curriculum design and educational technology. Atul holds a PhD from University of Miami and completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2022.

Dagny Layman identifies, qualifies, and cultivates donor prospects for ARI. She holds a BS in mathematics and economics and brings four years of operational experience from the startup world.

Brandon Lisi is a historian who assists with physical and digital projects for the Ayn Rand Archives. He also writes articles for ARI’s online journal, New Ideal, and for Ayn Rand Today, based on his archival research. Brandon holds a master’s degree in history and has completed ARI’s advanced intellectual training.

Keith Lockitch oversees ARI’s educational programs, especially ARU, and leads ARI’s efforts in pursuit of licensure and accreditation. He teaches courses on writing and on the foundations of science. Keith also writes and speaks for ARI and serves on the editorial board of ARI’s online journal, New Ideal. He holds a PhD in relativistic astrophysics. (See here for his Expert information.)

Amanda Maxham is an astrophysicist with a passion for helping heroes find purpose and achieve great things. She mentors students and brings special ARI projects to life.

Mike Mazza, PhD in philosophy, is an ARI instructor. He develops written content for ARI and helps manage the Institute’s intellectual outreach programs.

Maria McRaven manages business processes and CRM administration at ARI. Previously, she worked in business operations and analysis roles in nonprofit and education technology organizations. She holds a BA in economics from the University of Chicago where she was a campus club leader and a winner of the Atlas Shrugged essay contest.

Donna Montrezza proofreads copy and assists with a wide variety of projects, including for the Ayn Rand Archives. Over the years, she has proofed and copyedited the published works of many Objectivist authors.

Matthew Morgen directs ARI’s fundraising team. Prior to working as ARI’s director of Donor Relations, Matthew served as ARI’s high school programs manager. He has a BA in history and CFRE and CSPG fundraising certifications.

Hailey O’Brien supports the marketing team in multiple ways, including data analysis, reporting, and copywriting, as well as managing ARI’s events. She is a long-time Objectivist and is excited to be supporting ARI.

Grant Parker supports the project management and operations of the growth and tech teams, whose work ranges from ARI’s Free Books initiatives to the design and implementation of the ARI Live Courses website and mobile app. He completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2018 and has a BS in psychology and philosophy.

Jason Rheins is a scholar specializing in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and the history of ideas. For many years, he was a university professor and now teaches for ARI and mentors developing intellectuals.

Romy Salgado is a senior accountant responsible for bank reconciliations, revenues, payments, and most of the month- and year-end accounting closing activities as she is knowledgeable in GAAP. She is assistant to the controller in all accounting and HR operations.

Steven Schub is manager of ARI’s Student Success program. He is a lifetime member of The Actors Studio, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has starred in 25 feature films and television shows. He was the singer in two rock bands: The Fenwicks and HaSkaLA. He is a happy husband and proud father of two. Steven is thrilled to be helping ARI students achieve their goals.

Jeff Scialabba oversees the operations of ARU and ARI Live Courses. He collaborates with faculty and the Curriculum Manager to design and implement live courses and manages admissions processes, course operations staff, and ARI’s student success team. He also supports the Intellectual Incubator. Jeff is a former ARI student, having completed training through the Objectivist Academic Center.

Kate Sherwood provides administrative support to the ARU operations team, providing customer support with enrollment, applications, payments, and scheduling. Her background includes several years in administration and education.

Sarah Silverman is the project manager for ARI’s content team. She helps to manage, coordinate, and integrate the content team’s output. She holds an MA in philosophy and completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2010.

Ibis Slade is a participant in the ARI Honors Program. He is dedicated to studying Objectivism, particularly Rand’s philosophy of history, to produce culturally relevant commentary that bridges scholarly work and the general audience. Ibis mostly focuses on 19th-century American history.

Aaron Smith, PhD in philosophy, teaches and develops educational content for ARI’s e-learning and intellectual training programs. He also writes, lectures, and gives interviews for ARI. (See here for his Expert information.)

Anna Steinberg directs ARI’s planned giving program, the Atlantis Legacy. She graduated summa cum laude and Honors Distinction from Drexel University with a BS in Business Administration and dual concentration in Finance and Accounting. Prior to coming to ARI, Anna led complex projects in IT, finance, and M&A and founded a private school for grades 1-8 to inspire entrepreneurship in youth.

Tal Tsfany is the president and CEO of ARI. He has been an entrepreneur, investor, and executive in the software world. He has built and grown successful teams and businesses in Israel and the United States. Tal is a co-founder of the Ayn Rand Center Israel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA in business management.

Agustina Vergara Cid writes and speaks for ARI, focusing primarily on immigration policy and its intersection with philosophy. She is also a teaching assistant for ARI course offerings. Agustina holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law and has completed the Objectivist Academic Center training.

Don Watkins oversees ARI’s fundraising and marketing efforts and teaches courses on business and capitalism. He is the bestselling author of six books, including, most recently, Effective Egoism: An Individualist’s Guide to Pride, Purpose, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Sam Weaver holds a Conceptual Education Fellowship at ARI. He is a teaching assistant for ARI course offerings and develops educational programs and materials. He also writes and speaks for ARI, focusing on issues in the field of education. Sam holds a BA in English and completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2019.

Alex Wigger provides research and support for content development, data analysis, and reporting, and oversees student relations for ARI Campus. He has a BA in philosophy and completed the Objectivist Academic Center training in 2018.

Geraldine Yumping manages the finance, accounting, HR operations, and facilities requirements at ARI, and supervises the support staff under the business operations team. She holds a BS in accountancy and is a certified public accountant who has extensive experience in audit and the nonprofit industry.