Dr. Ben Hurst is the co-founder and Director of The Salvation Army's first-in-the-world Center for Applied Research and Innovation, and also the 14-acre, $100 million comprehensive homeless care campus, The Center of Hope in Anaheim, California. He is recognized as one of The Salvation Army's foremost experts on homelessness in the United States. Some of Ben's unique talents include the ability to think strategically with large systems models, to be able to message and market transformational ideas with passion and inspiration, and to gather funding and broad community support for enterprise-size projects and innovative new program initiatives. Ben is the principal creator and program architect of the Homeless Throughput System, a revolutionary model that aims to reduce homelessness and increase self-sufficiency. He recently designed and established the Life Transformation Program, a breakthrough Substance Use Disorder recovery program designed specifically for the homeless population. Ben also led the completion of the construction of the 224-bed Anaheim Emergency Homeless Shelter in a local record 79 days. His work has been profiled in media outlets and recognized as significant advances in the quest to end chronic poverty, social isolation, and homelessness. In 2023, Ben was appointed to serve as a Commissioner on the County of Orange Commission to End Homelessness. Ben has a Doctor of Social Work from the University of Southern California, and also an MBA.