Matt is a Fulbright scholar who completed his PhD in computational biological engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He focused on network analysis, multi-objective optimization, and the advanced simulation of high-dimensional systems in the context of DNA nanotechnology.

From there Matt has developed powerful predictive analytical methods for application to Big Data. He co-founded the data-science start-up, Tenji and is also the Lead Technologist of Open Data Durban, a civic technology non-profit that leverages modern technologies to democratize knowledge.