Ben Edtl, a Portland native, is a serial entrepreneur who has started businesses across various industries in the last two decades. While his family inspired his passion for education, he embraced Republicanism at the age of 18 and became the Vice-Chair of the Multnomah County Young Republicans. He played a critical role in passing Measure 11 and worked on the gubernatorial campaign for Kevin Mannix. In 2018, he surpassed his coffee roastery and owned multiple cafes and had high-profile accounts. However, with the pandemic, all of his wholesale accounts closed, and in November 2020, he decided to close down his business. It was then that he founded Free Oregon, Inc., moved by his desire to fight back against government overreach.