The Unconventional Pilot: How Matt Chasen Turned a Moving-Day Frustration into Two Tech Ventures

The Moment a 20-Foot Truck Changed Everything

It all started in 2001. When Matt Chasen was relocating from Seattle to Austin — en route to business school at McCombs School of Business — he had reserved a modest 9-foot rental truck. Instead, he was handed a 20-footer that ended up mostly empty. That little absurdity struck him as a glaring inefficiency: unused nationwide shipping capacity that could be matched with people needing to move bulky items affordably. 

That road-trip epiphany — spurred by a moving-day headache — became the germ for what would become a major logistics platform. Smartly combining his engineering training with a fresh MBA curriculum, Chasen wrote the business plan for what he saw as an “eBay for freight” as coursework at McCombs. 

In 2003, alongside cofounders Jay Manickam and Mickey Millsap, he formally founded uShip. By March 2004, uShip.com was operational — and a new chapter in Chasen’s life had begun.

Scaling uShip: From Dorm Room Idea to Global Freight Network

uShip quickly found its footing. Early on, Chasen realized the critical need for liquidity — making sure there were enough shippers and carriers to make the marketplace functional. Borrowing lessons from eBay’s marketplace model, he focused heavily on building demand first, knowing carriers would follow once booking volume looked reliable.

Under his leadership, uShip grew steadily. The company attracted attention not just for innovative logistics disruption — but also as a behind-the-scenes star of the reality-TV show Shipping Wars (2012–2015), which brought unprecedented visibility to the platform.

By the mid-2010s, uShip had become a major freight marketplace; billions of dollars in goods had moved through its platform, and hundreds of thousands of independent transporters worldwide were registered.

Yet, Chasen’s ambition didn’t stop there. On December 1, 2016, he announced he was stepping down as uShip’s CEO to pursue new ventures and passions — signaling the end of one era and the beginning of another.

Toward the Skies: uShip Founder Reinvents Himself with LIFT Aircraft

With uShip under stable leadership, Chasen turned his attention skywards. Combining his mechanical engineering background (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering — 1998) with his MBA, he set out to make personal flight accessible. 

His new venture — LIFT Aircraft — aims to create an “experiential entertainment business” built on electric, personal aircraft. The idea: allow individuals to experience flying without the steep barriers of traditional aviation (pilot’s license, specialized training, etc.) by leveraging automated multicopter technology. 

LIFT’s bold mission: to democratize flight. Aiming to deploy vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) electric vehicles for short-range hops, Chasen envisions a world where commuting, short-distance travel, and recreation can all involve personal aerial mobility. 

It’s a vision befitting someone with Chasen’s hybrid of technical flair and business acumen — and it speaks to an entrepreneur continually chasing the next frontier.

Wealth, Work, and What’s Public: Understanding the “Net Worth” Claims

Public estimates — such as those from the site CelebrityNetWorth — place Matt Chasen’s net worth at approximately US$50 million. 

That valuation appears rooted in the success and sale-value of uShip (alongside his equity) — though it should be taken as an estimate rather than a verified figure, as is the case with most net-worth tallies. The estimate also reflects the tangible value of his ventures and entrepreneurial track record. 

To be clear: “net worth” in this context is a snapshot — not a guarantee. Regardless of the precise figure, what’s indisputable is that Chasen’s efforts scaled from a single moving-day frustration to founding globally recognized companies, proving both his ambition and business savvy.

Life Beyond Business: Family, Flight, and Adventure

Beyond board meetings and investor decks, Matt Chasen leads a dynamic life. On his public profile, he lists himself as a “private pilot & sailor, husband, father of 2,” among other personal passions. 

Before launching uShip, Chasen worked as an engineer at Boeing in Seattle — contributing to advanced aerospace projects including the avionics integration for the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. 

He is also known for adventurous tastes: sailing, scuba diving, and even completing the Texas Water Safari — often billed as one of the toughest canoe races in the world. 

These varied interests — engineering, entrepreneurship, adventure sports — reflect a man equally comfortable navigating spreadsheets, the open sky, or a rugged river.

What We Still Don’t Know: The Elusive Personal Details

Despite the public record of Chasen’s career, there is little credible information about his exact birthdate, birthday, or age. Major profiles from his alma mater, business articles and his corporate biographies omit these personal details. 

As a result, while many sites conflate “Matt” with “Matthew,” or attempt to extrapolate age from degree dates, none offer a verified full birthdate. Because of this lack of authoritative data — and in the interest of factual integrity — I cannot confidently provide a birthdate or birthday for Matt Chasen.

Similarly, claims about net worth (like the $50 million figure) come from secondary sources and are not corroborated by verified filings or disclosures. They should be treated as informed estimates rather than firm facts.

Why Matt Chasen’s Story Matters — And What It Shows Us

Chasen’s journey is emblematic of a certain breed of entrepreneur: the kind that sees inefficiencies in everyday life — like a misused rental truck — and refuses to let them stand. Instead, they build solutions. From uShip’s freight-market disruption to LIFT Aircraft’s ambition to revolutionize personal flight, his ventures illustrate how engineering know-how plus business insight plus a dose of audacity can reshape entire industries.

In a world increasingly driven by logistics, transportation, and the promise of new frontier tech, Chasen stands out. He doesn’t just adapt to existing frameworks — he builds new ones. And even if some personal details remain private, the imprint of his work is public, tangible, and forward-looking.

Note: There is no publicly verified source for Matt Chasen’s exact date of birth or birthday — major institutional, media, and corporate profiles omit such details. Likewise, net-worth estimates (e.g., US$50 million) should be understood as approximations rather than official valuations.