Ben is a multi-award winning senior policy officer with the Northern Territory Government’s Department of People, Sport and Culture where he is responsible for leading the Office of Youth Affairs team, and providing high quality, evidence-based advice and analysis of social policy and community engagement strategies to progress Northern Territory Government priorities as they relate to young Territorians. A passionate advocate for international education, youth empowerment and multiculturalism, Ben is also the Co-Founder of the multi-award winning not-for-profit organisation, Kindness Shake. A charity that provides support and services to international students and temporary visa holders in the NT to facilitate personal and professional growth through free meals, employability workshops, wellbeing programs, social events and cultural festivals.Prior to joining the public sector, Ben held numerous roles in the education and not-for-profit industries with Charles Darwin University, Navitas and UniLodge. He is also a Member of Australia's Council on Australia Latin America Relations; the NT Ministerial Advisory Council for Multicultural Affairs; and a Board Member of Melaleuca Australia.Ben was a nominee for the 2024 Australian of the Year Local Hero Award, the recipient of the 2021 Minister for Youth Excellence in Youth Leadership Award, the 2020 CDU International Alumnus Award and the 2018 StudyNT International Student of the Year Award.Ben was raised in Villavicencio, Colombia and moved to Australia in 2015 as an international student to study English and accounting. During his studies, Ben held representative office, as the 2019 President of the Charles Darwin University Students’ Association and the Undergraduate Representative on the CDU Council. Ben was the Student Representative in the NT International Education and Training Industry Group, and a StudyNT, CPA and CDU Student Ambassador. In 2018 he was elected as the National Secretary of the Council of International Students Australia.
Listed skills include Communication, Leadership, Public Speaking, Management, and 6 others.