Ben Edelman

Ben Edelman Email and Phone Number

economics + strategy + policy + product @ GERADIN PARTNERS
Ben Edelman's Location
Bellevue, Washington, United States, United States
About Ben Edelman

Ben is an independent researcher and consultant — combining software engineering, law, and economics to explore and improve some of the Internet’s biggest problems. Ben was previously the Chief Economist for Web Experiences, Strategy, and Policy at Microsoft, where he advised the company at the intersection of software, economics, and public policy. From 2007 to 2018, Ben was a faculty member at Harvard Business School, where he studied and taught about the economics of online markets — aiming to understand both how online markets function and also how they might improve.Ben holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Economics at Harvard University, a J.D. from the Harvard Law School, an A.M. in Statistics from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and an A.B. in Economics from Harvard College (summa cum laude). He is a member of the Bar in Massachusetts and Washington.

Ben Edelman's Current Company Details
GERADIN PARTNERS

Geradin Partners

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economics + strategy + policy + product
Ben Edelman Work Experience Details
  • Edelman Consulting
    Owner
    Edelman Consulting Aug 2024 - Present
    Consulting about all manner of Internet systems and software including security, forensics, and accountability.
  • Law Offices Of Benjamin Edelman
    Owner
    Law Offices Of Benjamin Edelman Aug 2024 - Present
    Class action litigation on behalf of small businesses and consumers.
  • Geradin Partners
    Senior Advisor
    Geradin Partners Nov 2024 - Present
    Brussels, Brussels Region, Be
    Advising at the intersection of technology, law, economics, and policy
  • Microsoft
    Chief Economist For Web Experiences, Strategy, And Policy
    Microsoft May 2018 - Aug 2024
    Redmond, Washington, Us
    Practical, actionable advice about a variety of questions at the intersection of software, strategy, economics, and public policy. I combine these subjects to advise a variety of Microsoft teams on questions of economics and strategy, with a focus on devising new products and features with sound economics and sustainable competitive advantage. Recent focus on measuring the productivity benefits of AI and new AI-enhanced products.
  • Harvard Business School
    Associate Professor
    Harvard Business School Jul 2012 - Jun 2018
    Boston, Ma, Us
    Studied and taught about the economics of online markets — combining software engineering with legal and economic analysis, aiming to understand both how online markets function and also how they might improve. Highlights:* Among the earliest skeptics of Google's dominance, its market power, and its harm to both advertisers and publishers.* Wrote the first game-theoretic analysis of sponsored search auctions (Google AdWords and kin), now with >2000 citations. * Designed an experiment that proved widespread discrimination at Airbnb, leading to the "Airbnb while black" movement and compelling Airbnb to make improvements.* Wrote the first academic analysis of Bitcoin economics -- early to question Bitcoin's benefits, identify cheaper and more efficient alternatives, and flag its irreversibility and lack of dispute resolution as serious impediments to mainstream use.* Taught >1000 HBS MBAs and advised >200 hundred student entrepreneurial ventures.* Wrote 25 HBS teaching cases (plus abridgments, translations, and supplements), including multiple best-sellers and award-winners.
  • Harvard Business School
    Assistant Professor
    Harvard Business School Apr 2007 - Jun 2012
    Boston, Ma, Us
  • Law Offices Of Benjamin Edelman
    Owner
    Law Offices Of Benjamin Edelman Nov 2005 - May 2018
    Class action litigation on behalf of small businesses and consumers. Representative matters: * Caught a top-three ad platform that widely charged advertisers for low-quality traffic they hadn't agreed to pay for. Collected direct-observation caught-in-the-act proof of violations. Put together a team of attorneys to bring first-of-its-kind advertiser class action litigation, which succeeded in forcing the ad platform to let advertisers opt out of the unwanted placements.* Flagged app stores and in-app-purchases that told kids and parents that "all sales are final" and systematically rejected refund requests. Litigation required the marketplaces to provide refunds to all users who so requested. This first-of-its-kind case prompted follow-up cases by the FTC against other marketplaces engaged in similar practices.* Uncovered airline IT flaws that caused the largest airline in the world to charge passengers to check bags the airline had promised would be free. For most affected passengers, litigation yielded full refunds plus interest. Legal work called "exemplary" by a judge ordinarily skeptical of class actions, who found that the team earned higher-than-normal fees.
  • Edelman Consulting
    Owner
    Edelman Consulting Nov 1998 - May 2018
    Consulting about all manner of Internet systems and software including security, forensics, and accountability. Representative consulting engagements:* For dozens of top-tier advertisers and select ad networks, I audited affiliate traffic and banner and video ad placements, providing direct-observation caught-in-the-act proof of malfeasance. - I caught Shawn Hogan and Brian Dunning, who stole $20m+ from eBay's affiliate marketing program -- sparking an FBI investigation, criminal charges, and jail time. - For a top-five US affiliate merchant, I proved that nine of its top ten marketing affiliates were engaged in fraud. My finding positioned the merchant to shift its focus to legitimate affiliates who delivered genuine ROI. - Licensed my automation to multiple clients to help them scale up in-house.* Multiple "red team" dissections of harmful sites and software to uncover their engineering and legal vulnerabilities, including who they targeted and how to make them stop.* Webcast the first twelve ICANN public meetings (in eleven cities on five continents) and made them available for remote public participation.* For ARIN, designed market mechanisms to encourage IPv6 migration and mitigate IPv4 scarcity.Representative litigation engagements: * Qualified as an expert in federal court at age 19, giving testimony (on behalf of the NFL) that led to a preliminary injunction shutting down the "pirate TV" streamer iCraveTV -- the first well-known .com shut through litigation.* Built automation to find thousands of false-positives from "adult" filters used in libraries and public schools (on behalf of ACLU). Based on my analysis, a three-judge panel found it unconstitutional for federal law to require such filters.* Explained the installation and operation of early adware that replaced publisher ads with its own ads and covered publisher sites with pop-ups (on behalf of publisher alliance including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post).
  • Berkman Center For Internet & Society
    Student Fellow
    Berkman Center For Internet & Society Mar 2003 - Jan 2004
    Original research about Internet architecture, systems and policy, with a focus on filtering, domain names, and pop-up ads.
  • Berkman Center For Internet & Society
    Researcher
    Berkman Center For Internet & Society Apr 1998 - Mar 2003
    Original research about Internet filtering, domain names, and streaming media. Operational responsibility for Berkman Center network, including webcasts and special events.

Ben Edelman Skills

Strategy Entrepreneurship Analysis Research Business Strategy Start Ups Advertising Strategic Planning Social Media Digital Marketing Social Media Marketing Networking Management Consulting Public Speaking Marketing Strategy Business Development Event Management Awesomeness General Awesomeness

Ben Edelman Education Details

  • Harvard University
    Harvard University
    Economics
  • Harvard Law School
    Harvard Law School
    J.D.
  • Harvard University
    Harvard University
    Statistics
  • Harvard University
    Harvard University
    Economics
  • Wilson High School
    Wilson High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Edelman

What company does Ben Edelman work for?

Ben Edelman works for Geradin Partners

What is Ben Edelman's role at the current company?

Ben Edelman's current role is economics + strategy + policy + product.

What is Ben Edelman's email address?

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What is Ben Edelman's direct phone number?

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What schools did Ben Edelman attend?

Ben Edelman attended Harvard University, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Harvard University, Wilson High School.

What are some of Ben Edelman's interests?

Ben Edelman has interest in Travel.

What skills is Ben Edelman known for?

Ben Edelman has skills like Strategy, Entrepreneurship, Analysis, Research, Business Strategy, Start Ups, Advertising, Strategic Planning, Social Media, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Networking.

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