Our Team

Sarah is cofounder and president of Objective Standard Institute and general manager of The Objective Standard. In an earlier career, she taught literature, language arts, history, and math at VanDamme Academy and LePort Schools in Southern California. She holds a BA in history from Mary Baldwin College. In addition to her work at OSI and TOS, Sarah  reads voraciously, gardens with a (mostly) green thumb, and loves ballroom, salsa, and country western dancing.

Craig is cofounder and executive director of Objective Standard Institute, cofounder and editor in chief of The Objective Standard, and executive director of Prometheus Foundation. His books include Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It; Rational Egoism: The Morality for Human Flourishing; and the forthcoming Forbidden Facts: Moral Truths Your Parents, Preachers, and Teachers Don’t Want You to Know. His book-in-progress is on thinking in principles. Learn more and join his mailing list at CraigBiddle.com.

In addition to being director of development at OSI, Robert works as a speaking coach, helping TedX speakers and businessmen deliver more memorable messages. He constantly seeks to integrate the principles of Objectivism with those of effective self-development systems to create a personalized “supersystem” for success in work and life. And he teaches courses on these integrations for OSI, called “Your Supersystem for Flourishing.” He is also host of The Hero Show. When he is not working, he enjoys swimming, playing basketball, practicing Bikram yoga, and dancing ballet.

Dylan is a design and media specialist at Objective Standard Institute. His work includes producing digital media and branding for OSI’s social platforms and outreach campaigns. While he’s not on the job, he enjoys sports writing, exercise, and grilling.

Xavier provides assistance in several areas at OSI, including fundraising, course hosting, social media posting, and event planning. Outside of OSI, she is an entrepreneur, massage therapist, and esthetician.

Jon Hersey (@revivingreason) is managing editor of The Objective Standard and holds fellowships at Foundation for Economic Education, where he writes in defense of freedom, and at Objective Standard Institute, where he teaches “How to Write Powerfully in Defense of Liberty.” He hosts the podcast “Philosophy for Flourishing.” He’s on a mission to identify and apply the principles of human flourishing. Get his ebook on writing in defense of liberty here, and join his mailing list at JonHersey.com.

Ely is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute focusing on the foundations and applications of individual rights, with an emphasis on intellectual property rights. He studies economics at the University of Bristol (UK), where he founded and is president of the UoB Liberty Society. Ely is also a Don Lavoie fellow at the Mercatus Centre at George Mason University, a policy fellow at the Pinsker Centre, and a Britannia fellow at the Common Sense Society.

Justyna is a fellow and social media strategist at Objective Standard Institute, focusing on her generation’s (Gen Z) challenges and reality through the lens of reason. She holds a BA in American Studies and is the European Regional Director of Ladies of Liberty Alliance. She has helped organize various liberty-oriented events including Liberty International World Conference 2021 in Medellín, Colombia and 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia; and a TEDx conference in Gdańsk, Poland. She loves to sing, trains in karate, and is a shameless cat lady.

Jackson (@JacksonUpmann) is director of marketing at Objective Standard Institute. His responsibilities include running OSI’s social media, drafting marketing emails, and managing ads. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, weightlifting, and spending time in nature. You can join his mailing list at jacksonupmann.com.

Angelica is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute, an assistant editor and writer for The Objective Standard, and an Ayn Rand Fellow with Foundation for Economic Education’s Hazlitt Project. Her roles at OSI include co-hosting the podcast Innovation Celebration, course administration and development, writing and editing for On Solid Ground, and event organization. She holds bachelor’s degrees in horticulture and Spanish from Clemson University and enjoys reading, playing the piano, ballet, and traveling. To see more of her work, visit www.walker-werth.com.

Thomas is a fellow and editor at Objective Standard Institute, an assistant editor at The Objective Standard, co-host of the podcast Innovation Celebration, and an Ayn Rand Fellow with Foundation for Economic Education’s Hazlitt Project. He holds a master’s degree from Oxford Brookes University and has done research for the Adam Smith Institute. His hobbies and interests include travel, aviation, photography, and science. To see more of his work, visit www.walker-werth.com.

Kiyah Willis is a fellow at Objective Standard Institute focusing on cultural trends and their causes and consequences. A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Kiyah worked as a data analyst before transitioning to philosophy. Her hobbies include hiking, playing with her boxer, Apollo, and writing for her Substack. You can find her advocating reason, individualism, and liberty on Twitter (@growingtotruth).

Maddox is an intern at Objective Standard Institute, a Hazlitt Project Fellow, a Content System Designer for the Foundation for Economic Education, and a seasoned writer. He’s had a unique educational path. At 17, he decided to skip college and attend an alternative called Praxis, where he unearthed a love for writing. Since then, he’s written more than 200 articles and has developed a passion for studying the philosophy behind sound education.

Melanie is an intern at Objective Standard Institute and an undergraduate student of International Relations at Francisco Marroquín University (UFM) in Guatemala City. Growing up in a region where the media and artists have often been censored, her concern for freedom of expression led her to explore digital journalism. She leads the Communications commission of Youth & Democracy delegation in Guatemala. She never misses an opportunity to travel, learn about other cultures and study foreign languages. (Currently she’s learning French and Portuguese.)

Seamus is an intern at Objective Standard Institute, a lead draftsman at ERDMAN (Healthcare Architecture), and an architectural designer of experimental buildings. Top of his class in Architectural Technology, and a building science and fire & life safety design expert in his professional work, his goal is to create the best buildings possible to our age by mastering the philosophy which underlies good design. He can be found at his desk.

Andrew Bernstein holds a PhD in philosophy from the Graduate School of the City University of New York and taught philosophy for many years at Marist College. He is the author of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters (2020), Capitalism Unbound: The Incontestable Moral Case for Individual Rights (2010), Capitalist Solutions (2011), and Why Johnny Still Can’t Read or Write or Understand Math: And What We Can Do About It (2022).

Carrie-Ann Biondi holds a BA and MA in American studies and an MA and PhD in philosophy. Her research interests and publications range from virtue ethics, egoism, and individual rights to Socratic pedagogy and popular culture.

Tim is an entrepreneur, marketing consultant, author, and speaker. He’s CEO of Platform, a digital marketing agency and software company, and a cofounder of Main Street Marketing, a training program for small business owners. His most recent book is High Hanging Fruit: A Proven Marketing Strategy for Ambitious Real Estate Agents.

Eric Daniels holds a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He has taught history, political science, and economics at Duke University, Georgetown University, and is currently the Assistant Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism at Clemson University. In addition to his contributions to The Objective Standard, he has published on the history of monopolies, American individualism, and economic freedom.

Hannah Frankman is a career coach, writer, and speaker who cut her teeth in the startup world. She’s spent the past four years at Praxis, a college alternative that helps people start careers without degrees, where she began as an intern, advanced to program manager, and now works as the job support advisor.

Timothy Sandefur holds the Duncan Chair in Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute and is a contributing editor of The Objective Standard.

Luc Travers is the author of Stories in Paint: 50 Moving Artworks from American Museums and Touching The Art: A Guide to Enjoying Art at a Museum. He leads art museum tours around the world and teaches art appreciation and literature to all ages. Learn more about his work at www.TouchingTheArt.com.