Zachary Janowski is the director of external affairs at the Yankee Institute, Connecticut’s free-market think tank. He joined Yankee in 2010 as an investigative reporter uncovering waste, fraud and abuse in state government. Now, in addition to his reporting responsibilities, he builds relationships and shares Yankee’s ideas. Janowski was born and raised in Nashua, N.H., and he’s trying to teach Connecticut how to “live free or die.” He first became fascinated with healthcare policy as a local reporter when he realized healthcare spending made up nearly half the state budget, making good healthcare policy the master key to a lower budget. In 2012, he explored how government contributes to the rising cost of healthcare as a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow. He lives in Plantsville, Conn., with his wife, daughter and son.