BEFORE THIS:

THERE WAS THIS:

Grew up in the Highlands neighborhood in Louisville, KY

(now District 8)

Left to go overseas to work for World Bank

(Sarajevo for two years)

Moved back here to join massive Reno-Payette family in Highlands

Met the love of my life, Theresa, in Boston

(singing karaoke…seriously)

Became CEO of the KY YMCA

Had three amazing children (not original size)

(pictured with Gammy)

Became Director of the Greater Louisville Project

Co-founded volunteer tech company MobileServe

Started Microsoft Future of Work Initiative to diversify Louisville’s tech talent

(this is our avatar Fleur,

not Ben)

Joined UofL & Humana partnership “Health Equity Innovation Hub” to grow companies focused on Health Equity here in Louisville

Still want to know more?

I grew up in what is now District 8, and after leaving Louisville to study and work on the east coast and overseas, I have now been back and raising my family here for 12 years. In that time, I have been deeply involved in tracking our city’s progress (or lack thereof) with the Greater Louisville Project, and I have been fortunate enough to run businesses and nonprofits here, as well as working at various points for Metro Government and philanthropy, so I understand the complexities of creating vital communities.

I call myself a social entrepreneur because I believe entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a sector. I believe that the issues we face are best understood by the people closest to the problems, regardless of whether those people are community members, businesspeople, nonprofit leaders, or government employees. I also believe that collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship should be at the heart of how we address them.

I am seeking this appointment because I believe Metro Council is and should be a platform for working on the most pressing issues we face as a community together. At a moment when we are still grappling with the ramifications of COVID, the opioid crisis, and an overdue racial reckoning, we have the opportunity of a new Mayor, ten new Metro Council members, and leadership transitions at many key institutions to help us work on them.

My wife Theresa and I have been deeply involved in supporting the key institutions in our community, including the JCPS schools our children attend since we came back here. The opportunity to continue that support by serving on Metro Council would be an honor.

In my current role at the University of Louisville supporting businesses and innovations that close health equity gaps in Louisville, I get to see the underutilized potential of many parts of our community. I believe that as a Metro Council member I can work with your help to resource, connect, and support those solutions, and the innovators who drive them, to achieve our common goals, which is why I am interested in the position. And what we hear is remarkably similar across all parts of the community: public safety, jobs, and infrastructure.