Civic Strategist | Narrative Design | Creative Capital | Soapboxing Cities
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.
Select Work:
- Founder, good form — Lab for creative capital, systems storytelling, and civic communications
- Director of Place, a5 Branding & Digital — Advising public- and private-sector clients on strategy, brand, and the built environment
- Vice President & Director of Real Estate, Memphis Medical District Collaborative — Led planning and real estate strategy, catalyzing $500M+ in inclusive development
- Director of Communications and Investor and Developer Outreach, Small Change — Helped launch equity crowdfunding platform connecting investors to community-driven real estate projects
- Editor & Writer — Published in ARCHITECT, CityLab, Metropolis, and Belt; former editor of Newcity Design and Chicago Architect
- Speaker & Lecturer — Columbia GSAPP, University of Chicago, University of Memphis
- Board Service & Fellowships — Community LIFT, Progress & Poverty Institute, Next City Vanguard, Good Work Institute
What I Do:
- Creative Comms & Narrative Strategy – Crafting stories that make complex systems legible and capital actionable
- Creative Capital & Platform Design – Structuring investment tools that support community-scale development
- Placemaking & Development Strategy – Translating brand, design, and strategy into experiences rooted in place
- Stakeholder Alignment – Building coalitions across public, private, and civic sectors
- Writing & Broadcasting – Exploring cities, systems, and culture through articles, talks, and sound
Who I Work With:
I work with real estate developers, design firms, community development and advocacy organizations, early-stage tech platforms, public agencies, and policy labs.
A Few Recent Articles:
- “How A Land-Value Tax Could Transform Memphis” - Daily Memphian
- “Homefront: The Year That Housing Broke” - Newcity
- “Chicago’s Streets Make Confident Kids” - Newcity
- Subscribe now to Different Landscapes
Let’s chat:
🗓️ Book some time via calendly
Let’s talk systems, culture, cities, and story. Better yet, let’s do so in Buenos Aires.
Available for consulting, advisory, and other opportunities in strategy, brand, creative collaborations or platform development.