Raised in Phoenix, Ben was brought up on his parent’s record collection: Crosby , Stills, Nash, & Young, Paul Simon, The Doors, and Credence Clearwater Revival, instilling an inherent understanding and appreciation for great music. While his friends formed bands, Ben knew that his place was behind the scenes, and at only sixteen, after years of attending local concerts, he founded an upstart record label on which to release friend’s music he deemed worthy. As Phoenix soon proved limiting for Ben’s career aspirations, he moved to New York City to immerse himself in the music industry. But even New York, with all its diversities and opportunities couldn’t hold him long, as he quickly found himself traveling through China, researching the emerging hip-hop culture in Beijing and penning both a scholarly analysis and contributions to local publications in China. Ben is currently the Marketing Manager at CMJ, where he works to seek and promote the brightest new talents, networks with college and non-commercial radio, coordinates industry events across the country, and plays a crucial role in producing one of the largest music festivals in America, The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival.