Skills :
Writing: I have written award winning newspaper and radio articles, website content, essays, white papers, video and podcast series, essays, criticism, press releases, profiles, in-depth research, blog posts, and crisis communication, among many other things. I have a published collection of short stories, a novel, and a forthcoming non-fiction book in the spring of 2019.
Training and Management: I have served on the board of directors of an arts non-profit and the executive team of an online university. I have taught university level courses; recruited, trained and led employee and volunteer teams; led workshops, and managed events for organizations ranging from small non-profits to large institutions.
Marketing and Branding: I have done soup-to-nuts branding for non-profit and educational institutions, and consulted on branding and writing for tech companies.
Staff Positions I have held include:
- Lead Writer/Researcher (2016-2019), Burning Man Project
- Director of Communications (2011 – 2015) and Senior Writer (2008 – 2011), Saybrook University
- Communications Manager (2007) Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area
- Senior Reporter and Columnist (2003 – 2006) Messenger Post Newspapers
Organizations I have contracted for include:
- TaxNinja.com (Web Marketing and Branding)
- The San Francisco Chronicle (Arts Reporter)
- SecondNexus.com (News Reporting)
- Village Voice Media/SF Weekly (Reporter/Columnist)
- Playboy.Inc (Writer and Critic)
- Gatehouse Media (Columnist)
- Sourcebits (Tech Marketing)
- Activa PR (Tech Marketing)
- The National Center for Minority Civic Engagement (Research and Grant Writing)
- The Center for the Integration and Improvement of Journalism (Research and Grant Writing)
Volunteer Work:
- San Francisco Institute of Possibility (Board Chair, 2013-2018): I served as chair of the Board of Directors of this Bay Area arts non-profit, for which I have also produced publicity videos, and led event organization and marketing efforts.
- Burning Man (2008 – 2013): Served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the media team of this internationally known arts event. I was responsible for recruiting, evaluating, training, and supporting media team volunteers both year round and during the event.
Education:
I have a Masters Degree in Linguistics (specializing in Semantics) from Purdue University, have taught college courses at Purdue and Monroe Community College, and have guest lectured at numerous institutions.
See a partial list of awards and media references here
Contact me: Benjamin (at) FascinatingStranger (dot) com