Dr. Matt Roberts is founder of The Kernmantle Group, an economics research and training consultancy and acting President of Vertical Adventures, a rock-climbing gym in Columbus, OH. Dr. Roberts is a renowned expert and speaker on the economy and agricultural markets. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and Forbes, and has been interviewed on CNBC. Roberts received a B.A. in Economics from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, and a Ph.D. in Economics from North Carolina State University.

Prior to graduate school Roberts worked as a commodity and energy derivatives broker in Vienna, Austria and as a market research consultant to the pharmaceutical industry in North Carolina. From 2001 through 2016, Roberts was and Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at The Ohio State University. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of Sutton Bank, where he also serves on the loan and audit committees, and USA Climbing, for which he is the Treasurer-Director.