Matt Haggman

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT MATT HAGGMAN

Matt Haggman recently launched Solving For, a journalism project that explores one major problem each month — what’s broken, what’s driving it, and what can actually be done.Each deep-dive series unfolds in three moves: The Problem → The Forces → The Solutions. Long-form, in-depth posts are published every Thursday, with audio versions for listeners. Go to: solvingfor.ioHaggman spent the first decade of his career as an award-winning journalist, most of it at The Miami Herald. He covered legal affairs, business, and government in a city building itself in real time. He helped expose widespread mortgage fraud, wrote stories that led to a mayor’s recall, and with his colleagues won some of journalism’s top honors – including the Gerald Loeb Award, the highest honor in business journalism.Over time, he wanted to play a more direct role in shaping things he cares about and moved to Knight Foundation, overseeing community grant making in Miami. There he designed and built a program that played a pivotal role in catalyzing Miami’s startup community. Many of the programs funded and started under Haggman\'s leadership are pillars of Miami\'s growoing innovation ecosystem today, including: Endeavor Miami, The Idea Center at Miami Dade College, eMerge Americas, and Miami Angels, among many others. Upon leaving this role, Haggman was called in The Miami Herald “a pioneer in Miami [who] has spearheaded the entrepreneurial movement.\"During his tenure at KF, Haggman also provided the first grant in support of The Underline, a widely acclaimed 10-mile linear park now being completed in Miami. Haggman subsequently launched Opportunity Miami, a community-wide initiative focused on imagining the Miami of 2040 and helping the community build it. He did this in his role as Executive Vice President at The Beacon Council, Greater Miami’s public-private economic development organization. He later joined Right to Start, leading strategic initiatives as part of an effort to make entrepreneurship a national priority. He is a founding Board Member of Endeavor Miami and a Trustee at New World Symphony. More than a decade ago, Haggman joined with friends and launched TEDxMiami, which continues today.