Ben Wallerstein

For over a decade, Ben has advised the most transformative companies and investors in education, health, and wellness on complex policy challenges and communications strategy. Ben is a frequent commentator on the intersection of policy and innovation, and Whiteboard Advisors' research and commentary has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, TechCrunch, EdSurge, VentureBeat, and The Huffington Post, among others.

An active education investor, Ben serves as a Senior Advisor to New Markets Venture Partners. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Rethink Education and the investment committee for the Jefferson Education Fund, which was founded by the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education Foundation.

Ben serves on the Boards of Blyth-Templeton Academy and the American Institute for Foreign Study Foundation and on the B Lab education standards working group.

He particularly enjoys advising early stage entrepreneurs, and has served as a judge for the Milken PENN Education Business Plan Competition, the 1776 Challenge Cup, and the Yale School of Management Business Plan Competition. In 2014, Ben curated “Three Minutes to Launch,” for the New York Times Schools of Tomorrow Summit.

Ben began his career as an aide to former Xerox CEO, David Kearns.

The product of public schools in Norwalk, CT, Ben is committed to issues of equity and access in public education. He attended the University of Richmond and received his J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University, where he was an editor of the Law Review.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]