Ben Block Email & Phone Number

Chicago, IL, US

Chicago, Illinois, US

I currently run a consultancy offering software and web development services; in particular, I have a knack for revamping and improving existing codebases and systems. Serving as a senior developer and advisor, I overhaul systems that are in need of improvement, offer advice to the internal teams, and mentor junior developers. Although not directly.

Evanston, Illinois, US

For two to three quarters each year, I teach Introduction to Software Development and similar courses to business students with an interest in technical entrepreneurship. This involves assisting students in understanding foundational concepts in web development, building MVPs of their product ideas, and translating non-technical problems into software.

Chicago, IL, US

Scale Down, acquired in 2017 by Anthem Insurance, offered a clinically-proven weight loss management platform. I developed the codebase that ran the platform (which used proprietary logic and algorithms and API integrations with the Scale Down smart scale, Twilio SMS, and Stripe payment processing) to process user data and create personalized text messages.

Chicago, IL, US

As a Faculty Coach, I provided teaching support for web development courses taken by students in the Booth School of Business MBA program and graduate Computer Science department.

San Francisco, CA, US

Utilizing my background in mentorship and advising and my software development expertise, I mentored students in Bloc’s online software development bootcamp (Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, HTML, CSS). I held weekly 1:1 meetings with students to answer questions, pair program, and offer project feedback and support.

Riyadh, SA

As acting COO, I supervised all business operations in support of company growth. I supervised the Finance, HR, and Customer Service teams and assisted in growing delivery personnel from 20 employees to over 600. I also partnered with the sales team to help them analyze and establish pricing for new product and service launches and collaborated with the.

Riyadh, SA

I built internal applications (core technologies included Ruby on Rails and MongoDB) to monitor company logistics, including all delivery requests, orders, and personnel data. As needed, I updated and improved app functionality. In particular, I developed new features for the customer support team to enable higher efficiency.

Reston, Virginia, US

After a promotion to Lead Developer and Scrum Master, I took on requirements analysis, features planning, team management, code reviews, and client interaction while also responsible for existing developer work.

Reston, Virginia, US

As part of an event management contract for the Department of Veterans Affairs, I utilized agile development methodologies to develop and maintain an application to support the needs of both attendees and event coordinators, enabling better planning and networking.

Chicago, Illinois, US

I curated and produced (with a small team) the inaugural Chicago Ideas Week weeklong event series, attended by over 6,000. I successfully created 40 innovative, behind-the-scenes experiences at businesses and institutions and coordinated all operations and logistics for 100+ experiences. This included event ticketing, managing volunteers and production.

Developed strategic marketing plan to increase sales and brand awareness; designed product marketing material.

As co-producer, I managed all business operations for production of three independent feature films (a $30M war epic, an $8M 1920s mystery/thriller, and a $1M romantic comedy). I successfully negotiated deal structures, held budgetary responsibility, and coordinated all logistics for set and crew. In addition, I developed and managed partnerships with.

Supervised staff and high school participants from around the country, providing educational programming regarding public policy and social activism in Washington DC.

I supported various non-profit organizations by planning and executing strategic fundraising campaigns; analyzing operational efficiency and areas of improvement; consulting and advising leadership and membership to meet organizational goals and growth objectives; and other fundraising and client-facing activities.

Acted as mentor and advisor to high school students; facilitated outreach programming and events to educate and offer social opportunities to youth.

New York, New York, US

Directed and educated 24 high school students on outdoor survival and awareness in the Pacific Northwest. Trained and managed four staff members. Planned and executed all trip programming, itinerary, budget, and safety.

Washington, DC, US

Coordinated logistics and operational support for major Smithsonian events including public and private conferences, fundraising events and exhibit openings.

New York, New York, US

Increased regional involvement and oversaw youth leadership and other initiatives and programs. Supported local chapters, Director, and regional office. Planned state-wide programs and youth conventions.

Ba, Political Science

Code Academy

Film Studies, Government

Education record