Ben is an inspired entrepreneur, creative and strategic director with over 20 years experience developing, designing and driving products, services and experiences for Fortune 500 brands and startups globally. He uncovers and incites grounded, researched and labored over truths. He ignites and sparks clients and colleagues who cross his path. He emboldens ideas in the rough, in the mundane and in the marvelous for dozens of iconic brands. He is invigorated by complex creative challenges, dynamic cross-cultural discovery sessions and provocative global strategy. His collective experience has taught him that to profoundly engage human beings, one must teach as well as sell.
Ben began his career working on award-winning concert promotional merchandise for Nirvana, Public Enemy, New Kids on the Block, Paula Abdul and the Grateful Dead. Ben promptly launched a full-service graphic design firm supporting Nike NYC, Price-Waterhouse, CBS, and Sony Music. Over the next decade as an Art Director, Ben worked for some of New York’s leading creative shops on top brands like Mercedes-Benz, Weight Watchers, RJR Reynold’s, 7UP and Woodpecker Cider at Doug Elliot Shur, on Smirnoff at JWT, on Sprint/Nextel at TBWA\Chiat\Day and on MasterCard WorldCup with IconNelson where he began to hone his strategic approach to creative. Next, he spent three years as Chief Creative Officer for Fly Communications where he launched the Kanye West Foundation and G.O.O.D. Music and developed launched strategies and campaigns for Amazon Kindle, Amazon Groceries, Stoli as well as The French Culinary Institute and led multi-platform marketing campaigns for Pernod Ricard. Mobilizing his entrepreneurial spirit, Ben founded A Different Kind of Animal, where he developed international campaigns for BET, NBCU Universal, Discovery Networks, Cartier, Grand Mariner, Don Julio, Paris Chamber of Commerce, SEB Global; KRUPS, Rowenta, Lagostina, TFal, All Clad, and Ducati Motorcycles. Ben recently founded Gold Rhino to continue building and servicing a diverse portfolio of start-up brands, like One Cannabis Group, Charlotte's Web, Columbia Cleanroom, ClearRevive and 1906.
