It took over 70,000 nautical miles – and some intervening adventures – before Matty Oates put down his roots in Maine. At the age of 18, he began traveling the globe and taking on odd jobs (like standing in police lineups for cash in Scotland), eventually stumbling into the world of Tall Ship sailing. Moving to France in 2007 to join the iconic 1911 sailing yacht Mariquita, he managed a crew of 25 in high-pressure racing situations, while often tilted at a 45-degree angle. Returning to the US in 2015, the vibrant Portland drew him in, and was soon brought aboard as the program director of Tall Ships Portland, a local nonprofit dedicated to youth education at sea. By 2017, he joined the marketing team at Shipyard Brewing Co. to manage their media strategy. Through side projects, he encountered Chris Marine; recently set out on his own to turn the advertising world on its head through a holistic and transparent approach. Together with their partner Kate Reilly, they launched Dirigo Collective in 2018 – specializing in brand-to-consumer media strategy. Out of the office, he enjoys standing sideways on any sort of board, and as a classical violinist, he and his brother created a podcast called Bach to Bock; exploring classical music and beer, breaking down stuffy barriers, and getting his generation reengaged with this fascinating era of music. He rabidly insists on building as much of his own wooden furniture as possible.
