Benjamin Dean Burke Email & Phone Number

United States

• Creating engaging content and providing services to assist nonprofits in securing grants.• Developing strategies to increase grant acquisition for nonprofit organizations.• Building relationships with clients and funding stakeholders.

Cottonwood, Arizona, United States

As the Executive Director of Manzanita Outreach, I led efforts to address food insecurity and expand community services throughout Yavapai County. A key aspect of my role involved writing and securing grants to fund vital programs, growing the organization’s budget, and strengthening its impact.Key Accomplishments: • Grant Writing & Fundraising: Successfully secured local, state, federal, and private foundation grants. • Partnership Building: Fostered and maintained relationships with grant-making institutions, local government, and community organizations to enhance program sustainability and secure continued funding. • Program Development & Compliance: Led the creation and expansion of impactful food distribution programs, benefiting thousands of families. I also ensured that programs met grant reporting and compliance requirements, securing ongoing support from funders. • Leadership & Team Building: Guided a dedicated team of staff and volunteers, cultivating a collaborative and results-oriented environment.My expertise in grant writing, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership enabled Manzanita Outreach to thrive and increase its reach to those in need. I am passionate about using my experience to help other organizations secure the funding necessary to drive their missions forward.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

As a mentor for the capstone entrepreneurship class at Olin Business School, I had the privilege of working with highly driven students to develop innovative business plans, with a strong emphasis on double bottom line and social enterprises. My role was to guide students in blending financial sustainability with positive social impact, fostering the next generation of socially conscious entrepreneurs.Key Contributions: • Business Plan Development: Mentored dozens of students through the process of creating viable business models, ensuring they aligned both profitability and social responsibility. • Focus on Social Enterprises: Provided guidance on how to incorporate social impact strategies into their business plans, including environmental sustainability, ethical practices, and community engagement. • Real-World Application: Helped students translate academic knowledge into practical, actionable business strategies that can succeed in the marketplace while achieving measurable social outcomes. • Entrepreneurial Insight: Shared insights from my own experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising to help students understand the challenges and opportunities in building mission-driven businesses.My mentorship experience allowed me to contribute to the growth of socially responsible business leaders and support innovative approaches to solving social challenges through entrepreneurship.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

As an online instructor of entrepreneurship at Webster University’s Walker School of Business & Technology, I taught and inspired students to develop entrepreneurial mindsets and build innovative business ventures. My focus was on equipping students with the skills needed to identify opportunities, create business plans, and navigate the complexities of starting and managing their own businesses.Key Contributions: • Entrepreneurship Education: Delivered engaging, practical online courses that guided students through every stage of the entrepreneurial process, from ideation and market research to business plan development and execution. • Business Plan Development: Supported students in crafting detailed business plans, teaching key concepts such as financial forecasting, market analysis, and growth strategies. • Focus on Innovation & Social Impact: Encouraged students to explore innovative and socially responsible business models, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship as a tool for positive societal change. • Real-World Application: Integrated case studies and real-world examples to help students apply theoretical concepts to real entrepreneurial challenges. • Mentorship & Guidance: Provided one-on-one mentorship to students, helping them refine their business ideas and offering feedback to foster entrepreneurial success.Teaching online allowed me to reach and inspire a diverse group of students, helping them cultivate the skills and confidence needed to launch successful and impactful business ventures.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

At Arch Grants, a highly successful grant-giving organization, I served as Director of Entrepreneurship, where I played a pivotal role in supporting and scaling high-potential startups. While my focus was on fostering entrepreneurial growth, I also worked closely with the fund development team on program design and data reporting, contributing to the organization’s strong track record in securing and distributing grants.Key Contributions: • Program Design & Development: Collaborated with the fund development team to design innovative programs aimed at empowering entrepreneurs and enhancing the impact of grant recipients. • Data Reporting & Impact Metrics: Led efforts to collect and analyze key performance data to demonstrate the success of our programs, providing crucial insights for ongoing fundraising and grant reporting. • Entrepreneur Support: Guided startups and emerging entrepreneurs through critical stages of their growth, offering mentorship and resources to help them scale their businesses. • Collaboration with Fund Development: Worked alongside the fund development team to align our programs with funding priorities, ensuring that program design met the needs of both entrepreneurs and grantors. • Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development: Helped strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in St. Louis by connecting grant recipients with local and national resources, furthering the organization’s mission to promote economic growth and innovation.This role allowed me to contribute to the success of a grant-giving organization while utilizing my expertise in entrepreneurship, program design, and data-driven reporting to ensure continued growth and impact.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

As an adjunct professor at the highly ranked Brown School of Social Work—one of the top graduate social work programs in the U.S.—I had the opportunity to teach and mentor a diverse cohort of graduate students, including MBAs, MPHs, MSWs, and JDs. Over two semesters, I focused on developing the next generation of social entrepreneurs by integrating academic theory with real-world applications, with a special emphasis on creating social impact through innovative business models.Key Contributions: • Curriculum Development: Designed and delivered a rigorous curriculum that combined entrepreneurship fundamentals with social impact strategies, providing students with the tools to launch and scale socially responsible ventures. • Diverse Student Body: Taught a highly interdisciplinary and diverse group of graduate students, ensuring that content and discussions were relevant to various professional backgrounds and aspirations. • Focus on Social Innovation: Emphasized the role of entrepreneurship in solving pressing social issues, encouraging students to explore double bottom line and triple bottom line business models that balance profit with positive societal outcomes. • Real-World Case Studies & Application: Utilized case studies and hands-on projects to bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping students translate their academic knowledge into actionable business plans. • Mentorship & Support: Provided individualized mentorship to students, supporting them as they developed innovative solutions to social challenges and navigated the complexities of social entrepreneurship.My time at the Brown School allowed me to shape future leaders in the social impact space, fostering innovation and entrepreneurial thinking among a diverse and talented student body.

Midwest

As Vice President of Young Entrepreneurs Across America, I managed a distributed workforce across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa, overseeing operations and leadership development for a large, remote team. My role involved hands-on management of regional teams, while leveraging remote collaboration tools to ensure operational success and growth across multiple states. This experience honed my skills in remote leadership, marketing writing, sales strategy, and proposal development.Key Contributions: • Remote Workforce Management: Led a geographically dispersed team across four states, utilizing virtual platforms to oversee recruitment, training, and daily operations for young entrepreneurs, ensuring productivity and alignment with company goals. • Marketing Writing & Sales Strategy: Developed and implemented marketing strategies that targeted key demographics, creating compelling content for outreach campaigns that led to increased sales and program enrollment. • Proposal & Business Plan Writing: Authored detailed proposals and business plans for internal and external stakeholders, securing partnerships and resources that supported the expansion of entrepreneurial programs. • Sales Growth & Leadership Development: Guided teams in achieving sales targets, providing mentorship and hands-on support in areas such as client relations, business development, and leadership. Successfully grew regional sales and helped aspiring entrepreneurs launch and scale their own businesses. • Strategic Planning & Operations: Directed the strategic planning process, ensuring smooth operations and the execution of business plans in a remote setting. Maintained a hands-on approach to leadership despite the distributed nature of the workforce.My experience managing remote teams and developing high-impact marketing, sales, and proposal writing strategies makes me well-suited for roles requiring strong leadership and effective remote collaboration.

Masters In Business Administration

B.S.