After a successful career as a nonprofit founder, executive director and institutional consultant at a large financial services firm, Ben founded Syntrinsic Investment Counsel in 2008. He could see the opportunity for a service-focused, deeply ethical investment advisory firm to serve the nonprofit sector. He wanted to help those who were working hard to make their communities better in Colorado and beyond. Today, Ben serves on the Syntrinsic Investment Committee and leads the team that serves as investment advisors and strategic partners to private foundations, public charities, community foundations and private clients interested in using financial resources for good.

Prior to launching Syntrinsic, Ben was Senior Vice president of Investments at UBS where he led the BVC Institutional Consulting Group. His first career was as an educator and nonprofit founder and executive director. Chief among his efforts, Ben created and directed Denver Summerbridge, an academically rigorous educational opportunity program enabling economically disadvantaged young people to attend and succeed in college and beyond while training talented high school and college students to become impactful educators and community leaders. The program has served as a model and catalyst for several other educational opportunity programs, and it continues to thrive over 25 years later as Breakthrough Kent Denver.

Ben was appointed by then-Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to be one of three independent trustees for Colorado’s $40+ billion Public Employee’s Retirement Association (PERA). He served on the PERA Investment Committee, was elected to be the vice-chair of PERA’s Board of Trustees and today serves as a member of the State of Colorado’s Legislative Pension Review Subcommittee. Ben chairs the Board of Colorado Zoological Trust, is an active member of The Colorado Forum and serves as a founding CEO of Colorado Inclusive Economy. He was selected as the Conscious Business Leader of 2019 by Conscious Company. Ben is author of the award-winning book, “Leadership Magic”, while his articles and insights have been featured in numerous media including The Financial Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and American Public Media’s Marketplace among others. He is a frequent speaker on fiduciary duty, behavioral finance and investment management at conferences throughout the country.

A fourth-generation Coloradan, Ben earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University and his MBA from the University of Denver. Ben, his wife and children enjoy the outdoors. They travel, play music, make stuff, write, cook, play games and generally enjoy each other’s company from their home in Denver.

“Throughout my life, I have striven to create highly effective organizations driven by a social purpose. I love seeing what people are capable of when they are empowered, motivated and committed to creating something transformative.”