The Atlas Network, formerly known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a nonprofit organization based in the United States. The group aims to promote free-market economic policies across the world.

The Atlas Network was founded in 1981 and promotes independent pro-free market organizations around the world. ¹ The network says it backs “individual liberty, free enterprise, and voluntary cooperation to prevent future poverty.” ²

Background

The Atlas Network is a free-market think tank, originally known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and develops “intellectual entrepreneurs” that support the organization’s mission. ³

The Atlas Network partners with 500 think tanks in more than 100 countries. ⁴ The network’s partners push public opinion in favor of a free society and look to promote freedom and create credible institutes abroad. ⁵

The Atlas Network holds seminars and workshops and says it supports “locally grown solutions to localized issues” because “cultural buy-in always comes from the bottom up.” ⁶ The network’s “Coach, Compete, Celebrate” model focuses on providing training and mentorship to expand free-market organizations and encourages friendly competition. ⁷

The organization says it believes all individuals around the world have the right to prosper and live life “without coercion or persecution.” ⁸

Though it supports libertarian-conservative policies, the network notes that its name was not derived from the book Atlas Shrugged. ⁹

History

Anthony Fisher founded the Atlas Network. Fisher’s father was killed in World War I. He served in the British Royal Air Force in World War II. ¹⁰ He became a fan of F. A. Hayek, Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economist and author of The Road to Serfdom. In 1981, Fisher came to the United States and established the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. ¹¹

The Atlas Economic Research Foundation adopted the Atlas Network as its trade name in 2013. It still has the same corporate name. The group says the change came in part because the “legal name gave the false impression that we publish economic forecasts.” ¹²

Critics of the organization noted that the Atlas Network has received money from fossil fuel companies and tobacco firms, while also funding organizations expressing skepticism of man-made climate change such as the Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. ¹³ The organization has opposed some climate legislation in Congress. ¹⁴

Leadership

Brad Lips is the chief executive officer of the Atlas Network, taking the post in 2009. He is the author of “Liberalism and the Free Society” in 2021. Previously, he co-founded an internet start-up, conducted equity research for Smith Barney, and worked in a policy research capacity for the Progress and Freedom Foundation. ¹⁵

Matt Warner is president of Atlas Network. He is also the editor of Poverty and Freedom: Case Studies on Global Economic Development. ¹⁶

Lyall Swim is the chief operating officer at Atlas Network. He was previously the director of operations for Sutherland Institute. ¹⁷

Tom Palmer is the George M. Yeager Chair for Advancing Liberty and the executive vice president for international programs at Atlas Network. He is also a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He was previously vice president of the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. ¹⁸

Amanda Ashworth is the vice president of marketing and communications at Atlas Network. She is a publisher at Taylor and Francis. ¹⁹

Chad Goote is the vice president of development for Atlas Network. He joined the organization in 2019. Previously, he was vice president of advancement at the Foundation for Government Accountability. ²⁰

Patricia Hohlbein is the vice president of training and events at the Atlas Network. Previously, she worked for the business school faculty and in senior administrative positions at Ohio Dominican University and Otterbein University. ²¹

Casey Pifer is the vice president of institute relations at the Atlas Network, where she manages the grants and awards programs of Atlas Network that includes the Templeton Freedom Award. ²²

Katherine Price is the vice president of operations for the Atlas Network.  She was previously a senior fraud investigator for the NASDAQ stock exchange. ²³

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