Neil Chilson

Neil Chilson is obsessed with emergent order. He is a lawyer, a computer scientist, and the senior research fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute. He spearheads the Institute’s efforts to foster an environment that encourages innovation and the individual and societal progress it makes possible. He is also author of the book Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World.

Prior to joining CKI, Chilson was the chief technologist at the Federal Trade Commission, where he created the Blockchain Working Group and focused on privacy issues. He also advised acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen on a wide range of technology-related investigations, cases, and reports.

Chilson is a regular contributor to multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Seattle Times, and Morning Consult. He has a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and a M.S. in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.