Affiliation: dgtlfutures
Candidate Assessment: Qualified
Candidate Questionnaire
1. Public Contact Information:
a) Please provide one URL to an online location (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) where community members can dialogue with you. [Optional.]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcowen/
b) Please identify your organizational affiliations. Note that Advisory Council (AC) members serve as individuals required to take ARIN’s best interests into account—not those of the organizations with which they are affiliated.
dgtlfutures
2. Relevant Biography:
a) Please describe your relevant professional experience and expertise and explain how this background will make you an effective AC member.
I believe I am a good candidate to serve on the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN) advisory council, given my interest and motivation in Internet governance over the past several years. I am a twice-ARIN Fellow and attended the ARIN52 policy meeting in San Diego. I have also participated in several remote meetings, where I engaged in discussions on both policy and general topics. I have consistently demonstrated an active engagement and interest in the work of ARIN and the broader Internet governance community, and I would now like to serve on the Advisory Council to further that commitment and contribute to policy development.
Given that I am based in the French West Indies, I also have an interest in Internet Governance more broadly in the region and am certified by LACNIC, as well as by the Virtual School of Internet Governance, in Introduction to Internet Governance.
I believe I have a unique standpoint on Internet governance in the region, given that I am based in Martinique. This French territory is geopolitically attached to Europe but intrinsically connected to North America and the Caribbean. Over the last few years, I have noticed virtually no representation from the French West Indies, which I would like to change and hopefully serve as a bridge to help extend ARIN’s work in the region.
As a member of the advisory council, I would bring my experience and knowledge in ICT to the table, actively contributing to discussions and providing valuable insights. My motivation to serve on the council stems from my desire to help shape the future of the Internet and ensure that it remains open, accessible, and secure for all, particularly the underserved and vulnerable.
I am a seasoned expert in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) with over 30 years of experience in infrastructure and other areas. Having resided in the French West Indies for over 20 years, I have dedicated a significant amount of time to understanding the region from a technological perspective. I am fluent in English and French, and understand French Creole. My passion lies in exploring how technology shapes our world, both technically and socially.
As the owner of the small consulting practice dgtlfutures, I have successfully worked on various projects across the Caribbean, in both English-speaking and French-speaking territories. This experience is detailed in my Curriculum Vitae (see the web link), which lists several significant projects.
I also write a regular newsletter called The Future is Digital, which delves into issues surrounding digital technology, its use, and its impacts in the Caribbean. The newsletter occasionally explores global topics, reflecting the inherently global nature of digital technology. Additionally, I have been a regular guest on two podcasts, ICT Pulse Podcast (Caribbean) and Innovation, Agilité, et Excellence (Canada), discussing various tech topics on local news and radio. His goal is to help businesses understand and thrive in the digital environment.
I hold a master’s degree in Operational Management from ESSEC Business School (Paris), and also possess numerous industrial and sectoral certifications from organisations such as UNCTAD and Microsoft. I have worked with NGOs like UNESCO and USAID, as well as with individuals on business development projects in the Caribbean. I am also an experienced and officially certified trainer for adults.
I believe that this broad experience and exposure to technology and its impacts would serve me well in work related to policy development and the management of processes required to shepherd policies to their conclusion.
b) Attach a resume, curriculum vitae, or other biography highlighting your experience most relevant to the duties of the AC. (PDF, DOC, DOCX files only)Remove any personal contact information (postal address, email, and/or phone number) from your resume/CV, as it will be posted publicly as part of the candidate information.
https://arin-elections.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cowen_matthew_resume.pdf
c) Optionally, you may also include additional web links to external websites (e.g., social media), though not as a substitute for your biography.
https://matthewcowen.org/consulting/
3. Eligibility:
a) Please disclose any conflicts of interest you may have, real or perceived, that would impact your ability to perform your duty as a member of ARIN’s Advisory Council. How do you propose to resolve any such conflicts?
None
b) Are you currently eligible to serve on the Advisory Council, according to the Conflicts of Interest Policy?
Yes
c) If not currently eligible, how will you become eligible to serve if elected (e.g.. “If elected, I will resign from the position of ______ before 31 Dec 2025”). If not applicable, simply enter “N/A”
N/A
d) Describe any limitations on your ability to: attend AC and Public Policy Meetings in person; or serve all of the elected term.
None
4. Nominee Information
a) Have you attended ARIN meetings or otherwise participated in ARIN activities in the past? What did you find the most rewarding from those meetings or activities? What suggestions for improvement do you have?
I attended ARIN 52 as a Fellow and ARIN 53 virtually, and ARIN 54 as a Fellow. From 2019 onwards, I attended previous webinars and meetings, specifically the ARIN & CaribNOG Webinar Series in 2019.
The online meetings provided an excellent foundation for understanding the importance and work of ARIN, whereas the in-person meetings offered human contact and interaction with members of the AC, board, and administration, as well as with other attendees. I found this valuable for gaining a much deeper appreciation of the importance of Internet Governance, not just ARIN’s remit.
I previously submitted feedback following the fellowship program, suggesting that Fellows could follow a workflow from A to Z as clients request, gain, and manage resources. The intent is to introduce new fellows to the operational side of resources. The Fellowship program is so well-structured that, as Fellows, we learn a lot, and there is little room for improvement.
I additionally participated in the tests for the new training platform giving feedback on the pilot project.
b) What areas of Internet number resource policy, if any, need more attention by ARIN, and why?
One area that I’d particularly like to dive into is the transition to IPv6. The technical reasons that hold back deployment are clearly an issue, but there are also incentives that do not appear to be in place. If the goal is to truly transition, this will not occur unless there are business or regulatory reasons to do so. The status quo is easy to maintain, and new technologies have pushed the need further and further down the road, leaving the IPv6 deployment in a no-man’s land currently. I believe it is something worth exploring and possibly proposing a policy change for in the future.
c) Aside from the professional experience and expertise detailed above, describe any other specific skills, background, and/or areas of expertise you believe will assist the Advisory Council in carrying out its duties.
I am a skilled researcher who can effectively convey complex topics in clear and concise ways. This skill has been honed over several years of teaching and writing a newsletter on the future of “digital” in the Caribbean, and the research reports I write for clients. I am a regular guest on a few podcasts, discussing issues related to technology, and Internet Governance is an area I have explored in depth over the last five years or so. As a passionate Internet enthusiast since before the World Wide Web was a thing, I have always worked in a field closely related to the Internet. I channel that passion into inspiring others and lending a hand where I can.