PRESS RELEASE – FREEDOM TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES TWO NEW HIRES

Willem Landis, Policy Associate

Mr. Willem Landis has experience in policy and geopolitical analysis across the private sector, public sector, and academia. He previously worked as a corporate strategy intern in CACI International Inc.’s Mission and Engineering Services division. At Georgetown University, he served as a research assistant for Professor Burton Gerber and a teaching assistant for Professor Elizabeth Grimm. In 2023, he completed a fellowship at the University of Oslo’s International Summer School, focusing on the emergence and erosion of global democracies. In the summer of 2022, he worked as a legislative intern in the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders.

Mr. Landis holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Politics, with minors in Statistics and Intelligence Analysis, from George Mason University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in May 2025.

Cole Trautman, Policy Associate

Mr. Cole Trautman has experience researching emerging technologies from a security perspective. He previously tracked global threats and cybersecurity incidents as a consultant and has led multiple student research projects for client organizations. Cole received a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he was previously a Fellow with the Emerging Technologies Initiative.

Randy Cantz, Policy Associate

Mr. Randy Cantz is a Policy Associate with a background working in internet governance, digital ethics, and privacy law. His work experience includes researching digital deception and cybersecurity governance for Dr. Laura DeNardis at Georgetown’s Center for Digital Ethics and spearheading original research on emerging technologies, policies, laws, and regulations as a Policy Intern for Ethics and Data Sharing at the Future of Privacy Forum. At FPF, Randy contributed to a blog post on international neuroprivacy regulation and led a working group call with Dr. Yoel Roth, former head of Trust and Safety at Twitter, on how to best mitigate the harms of misinformation and disinformation in research. Mr. Cantz has also worked as a Research Assistant for UC Berkeley’s Citizen Clinic, located in the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, on assessing cybersecurity threats to organizations specializing in open-source investigations, provided research assistance to Professor James Rule on his book Taking Privacy Seriously, and interned for Congressman Brad Sherman. Fueled by the conviction that privacy is one of the defining human rights of our time, Mr. Cantz enjoys crafting well-researched reports and staying current on legislative developments to ensure impactful and enduring policies at the state and national level.

Mr. Cantz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with high honors, and a Master’s degree from Georgetown University’s Communication, Culture, and Technology program.

Lauren Blechschmidt, Legal Associate

Ms. Lauren Blechschmidt is a student at the Georgetown University Law Center with a background consisting of both legal and policy experience. Her experience includes interning for the United States Agency for International Development, where she tracked and briefed international policy developments, while also drafting and editing public press releases. Additionally, she has experience interning at a law firm where she assisted attorneys in multiple practice areas with research, drafting, and editing.

Ms. Blechschmidt received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Baylor University in 2022. She expects to receive her Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law in May 2026.

Matthew Brown, Senior Policy Associate

Mr. Matthew Brown is a Policy Associate with a background in international security. His experience includes multiple extensive research projects on counter-terrorism and political violence. He also has a strong background in teaching. After working for several years as a tutor, he taught English as a Second Language in the United States and in Russia, and continues to teach English as a Second Language to Ukrainian humanitarian parolees in the United States.

Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of Chicago. He also studied international security at Sciences Po – Paris and completed a Master of Science degree in Conflict Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yaegy Park, Legal Associate

Ms. Yaegy Park is a student at the Georgetown University Law Center with an extensive background in violin performance and pedagogy with a Bachelor’s and Master’s from The Juilliard School. Her experience includes cultivating relationships with public schools and hospitals in NYC by directing interactive concert programs for diverse audiences. She is also an active teacher with experience in the classroom as well as private instruction. During the pandemic, she organized a Black Lives Matter online benefit concert bringing together over 30 musicians worldwide

Before coming to FTI, Ms. Park interned at an IP-focused law firm in NYC where she focused on copyright registration, and at the Superior Court of Maricopa County where she drafted motions and bench memos for the Criminal Court.

Currently, at Georgetown Law, she is a Research Assistant for the Center on National Security.

Owen Crandall, Engineering and Policy Associate

Mr. Owen Crandall has work experience including in support of the federal government process for the review of telecommunication systems and certification of spectrum support, where he has reviewed NTIA preliminary assessments of government agency requests for system review. With his participation in this process, Mr. Crandall has become familiar with the regulations and procedures provided within the NTIA Manual, gained insight into the process of managing the electromagnetic spectrum on a national scale, and studied the mechanics of radio waves. More specifically, his reviews included telecommunication system conformance to the national table of frequency allocations, transmitter emission spectrum requirements, technical standards, and rules and regulations applicable to system operations in proposed frequency bands.

Mr. Crandall has successfully completed the requisite course of study for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and has one semester remaining for his bachelor’s degree in computer science. Mr. Crandall is expected to graduate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in May 2022.