FTG 0078 – Active Entrepreneurship with Smart Passive Income President Matt Gartland '05

Oct 7, 2025
1h 26m

Episode Description

Overview:

In this episode, Matt Gartland ’05 IST shares his journey from Penn State to becoming a leader in the tech and startup world. Matt discusses his unexpected path to Penn State, his experiences in the College of IST, and his involvement with the Schreyer Honors College. He offers insights into his career, including his time at Lockheed Martin and Johnson & Johnson, and his transition into entrepreneurship. Matt emphasizes the importance of mentorship, leadership, making connections, and taking action, providing valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and students.

Guest Bio:

Matthew Gartland ’05 IST graduated as the Student Marshall of the 3rd ever class of IST students. He added an honors degree in IST from Schreyer. His academic and honors career at Penn State led him into an exclusive leadership development program with a Fortune 50 company. He left that successful corporate career to get into startups. His startup experience has spanned the DTC e-commerce, Creator Economy, and SaaS industries as a founder, operator, and c-suite executive. 10+ years and a few exits later, he leads SPI Media as CEO and is an advisor/investor to early stage tech companies operating at the intersection of commerce and content. His greatest joys are spending time with his wife and two little girls and traveling the world.

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Schreyer Honors College Links: 

Website 

Instagram 

LinkedIn 

YouTube

Upcoming Events 

Scholars – Need Assistance? Book an Appointment! 

Alumni – Learn Why and How to Volunteer 

Make a Gift to Benefit Schreyer Scholars 

Join the Penn State Alumni Association 

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Credits & Notes:

This show is hosted and produced by Sean Goheen '11 Lib (Schreyer), '23g Bus. It was edited by Riya Agarwal '28. The artwork was created by Isabella Gasparraj '28. The sound effect is “Chinese Gong,” accessed via SoundBible used under Creative Commons License.

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