Ben Datema

Ben has spent the past decade fostering sustainability on higher education campuses.

As a student activist at the University of Missouri, Ben orchestrated a series of campaigns to put sustainability on the map. These efforts culminated in the creation of a student fee devoted to supporting student engagement with environmental issues. Upon graduation, Ben was hired to manage this fee and build the MU Environmental Leadership Office from the ground up.

Once the ELO was well-established, Ben made the leap to GreenerU, a mission-driven company in Watertown, MA, that engineers solutions to save energy and accelerate sustainability in higher ed. In his role as Change Manager, he has worked with dozens of institutions across the country to drive holistic sustainability on campus and beyond.

Over the past year and a half, Ben has volunteered his social entrepreneurship skills to help his friend Lillian Medville develop “Your Privilege Is Showing,” an experience-based card game that harnesses the power of dialogue to transform beliefs about privilege and social justice. Ben’s contributions revolve around the dynamics of group facilitation, with a goal of ensuring that the difficult conversations at the heart of the game are constructive and deeply transformative.

Ben spends much of his free time helping out at the Humanist Hub in Harvard Square, riding around in absurd costumes as a member of Boston Bike Party, and explaining why he always carries a fully-stocked pocket protector.

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