BEN SCHULMAN

Ben Schulman makes cities make sense. He was a founding team member of Small Change, one of the first SEC-regulated equity crowdfunding platforms for real estate. As Vice President of Memphis Medical District Collaborative, he provided strategic and capital leadership that catalyzed over $500M in equitable development.

He created TEL, a multimedia editorial exploring Jewish histories in cityscapes, and co-founded Good Form, a studio that curates, programs, and develops civic projects.

His work has been featured in ARCHITECT, Belt, CityLab, and Metropolis. He advises municipalities and civic institutions on brand strategy and civic transformation as Director of Civic Strategies at a5 Branding & Digital, and serves on the boards of Equiticity and the Progress & Poverty Institute.
  1. good form
  2. TEL
  3. WORK
  4. Publications
  5. Writings
  6. SOUND
  7. PODCASTS
  8. Other
Contact 
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Hi, I’m Ben.

I’m a strategist working at the intersection of narrative, capital, and civic imagination. I help developers, architects, institutions, and cities plan what’s next—aligning capital, communications, and strategy to guide how places grow.

Over the past 15+ years, I’ve helped launch mission-driven platforms like Small Change, led teams that catalyzed over $500M in equitable development at the Memphis Medical District Collaborative, and worked with organizations on projects spanning real estate, finance, policy, and urban design.

I currently serve as Director of Place at a5 Branding & Digital, where I blend branding, placemaking, and development strategy to help clients rethink how people invest in, build, and experience place.

My writing has appeared in CityLab, Metropolis, and ARCHITECT. I’ve spoken at Columbia GSAPP, the University of Chicago, and taught at the University of Memphis.

Sometimes I host podcasts and radio shows exploring history, design, urbanism, and songs about cities. Other times (like now), I serve on the boards of Community LIFT and the Progress & Poverty Institute. I’m a Next City Vanguard and Good Work Institute fellow.

Let’s talk culture, cities, systems, and story. Better yet, let’s do so in Buenos Aires.

Talk to me.