Stephen A. Myrow
MANAGING PARTNER
Stephen Myrow is Managing Partner of Beacon Policy Advisors LLC, an independent policy research firm. Before founding Beacon in 2014, he built and managed the policy research line of business for a Washington-based strategic consulting firm for over four years.
Among Stephen’s roles in the federal government, he served as Chief of Staff to Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert M. Kimmitt. In this capacity, he was responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the department in coordination with the Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. He also oversaw the design and operationalization of the Office of the Chief Investment Officer for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), including the structuring of TARP participation in the Federal Reserve’s Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF).
Prior to joining Treasury, Stephen served for two years as Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff and acted as the CFO at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the official export credit agency of the United States with a $57 billion credit portfolio at that time, where he was responsible for coordinating the Bank’s internal operations and external relations. He has also served in a variety of legal and policy roles at the State Department and Defense Department.
Stephen practiced corporate law with an emphasis on international transactions in New York and Washington, DC from 1997 to 2003. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Russian Studies from Colgate University, a master’s degree in International Economics and Strategic Studies from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
He is a CNBC contributor and regularly appears as a guest commentator on an array of financial news programs.
Stephen is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Brandon R. Barford
PARTNER
Prior to founding Beacon in 2014, Brandon worked with Stephen as the Vice President of the policy research line of business for a Washington-based strategic consulting firm for over three years. In that role he advised clients on risks and opportunities emanating from the public policymaking process, regularly authored research notes and client presentations, and managed a team of research analysts.
Previously, Brandon worked in public service for the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee where he served as Professional Staff under then Chairman/Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL) from 2006-2009.
Before the Senate Banking Committee, Brandon worked in the United Kingdom for the Conservative Party on the campaign staff of then-Party Leader Michael Howard MP (now Baron Howard of Lympne) during the 2005 general election and in Parliament for former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP. He has also worked for local and state elected officials and on multiple campaigns in his native Pennsylvania.
Brandon is a graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he received a Master of Public Administration degree focusing on the relationship between business and government. He is also a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science where he received a Master of Science degree in European Political Economy from the European Institute. For his undergraduate degree, Brandon studied History at Boston College, where he graduated cum laude and with departmental honors.
Ben A. Koltun
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Ben Koltun is the Director of Research at Beacon Policy Advisors LLC, where he oversees the daily research and writing process. He also helms the political analysis for the firm and plays a leading role in the research around the federal budget and appropriations process, taxes, infrastructure, financial services, cannabis and tobacco, healthcare, and the DC power dynamics. Prior to joining Beacon in 2017, Ben was a Senior Analyst at Hamilton Place Strategies, a Washington-based consulting and public affairs firm.
Ben previously worked as a Hedge Fund Analyst at Pluscios Management LLC, a manager of hedge fund portfolios, and was a Public Finance Summer Analyst for Citigroup Inc.
Ben is a contributor at Forbes where he writes about the world of policy and politics for markets. He has written various public commentary that has been published in USA Today, Chicago Tribune, CNBC, Roll Call, The Hill, and Morning Consult. He has also appeared on the BBC’s ”Talking Business,” Yahoo Finance’s ”The First Trade,” BNN Bloomberg’s ”The Close,” and Channel News Asia’s ”Asia First.” He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Yahoo Finance, NPR, NBC News, Business Insider, The Hill, MarketWatch, and Quartz.
Ben completed his bachelor’s degree in economics at Northwestern University.
Owen Tedford
Senior Research Analyst
Owen Tedford is a Senior Research Analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors LLC. Prior to joining Beacon in 2020, Owen interned at a New York-based hedge fund focused in the healthcare sector.
Owen has direct experience in Democratic politics having worked for Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). He also previously worked as a research assistant at Princeton University, focusing on trade relations during the Cold War.
Owen graduated from Princeton University in 2020 with a B.A. in Public and International Affairs. While at Princeton, Owen was a senior staff writer for the Daily Princetonian. His senior thesis and one of his junior papers focused on the political effects and motivations of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in Europe.
In his free time, Owen enjoys cooking, playing rugby, golf, and board games.
Andrew Lokay
Senior Research Analyst
Andrew Lokay is a Senior Research Analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors LLC. Prior to joining Beacon in 2021, Andrew worked at a consulting firm serving U.S. Navy clients.
Andrew has experience engaging with policy on multiple levels. He has completed internships with the United Nations Economic, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, France and the State Department in Washington, D.C. Raised in Virginia, he interned at U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s office in Vienna, Virginia.
Andrew graduated with distinction and Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 2020 with a B.A. in international relations and French. He wrote his senior thesis through Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) Honors Program.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys reading, visiting art museums, and baking, and his goal is to visit all the U.S. national parks.
Maxwell Shulman
Research Analyst
Maxwell Shulman is a Research Analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors LLC. Prior to joining Beacon in 2023, Maxwell interned at a non-profit focused on expanding the offshore wind industry.
Maxwell has several years of work and experience with policy and international affairs. In addition to two previous internships, he graduated from the Bard Globalization & International Affairs program in 2020.
Maxwell graduated from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs with a Master’s degree in Global Policy Studies in 2022. He graduated summa cum laude from Bard College at Simon’s Rock with a baccalaureate in Geography, Biology, and Classics in 2020.
In his free time, Maxwell enjoys badminton, the local D.C. museums, philosophy, and writing academic papers.