Ben Parr

Ben Parr Email and Phone Number

Co-Founder and President @ Octane AI
New York, NY, US
Ben Parr's Location
United States, United States
Ben Parr's Contact Details
About Ben Parr

Ben Parr is an award-winning entrepreneur, journalist, author, artificial intelligence expert, and investor who has spent his career exploring how technology — especially A.I. — is impacting society and our future.He is President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, the generative AI and zero-party data platform for ecommerce brands. Octane AI powers AI-enabled quizzes and surveys for thousands of merchants and brands, helps them personalize marketing channels like email, SMS and ads, and build deeper relationships with their customers using AI. Octane AI, founded in 2016, is backed by General Catalyst, Javelin Partners and an array of Silicon Valley’s top investors. Shopify elected Octane AI as its Best Storefront App in 2021.Parr regularly talks about artificial intelligence and technology on his popular newsletter The Social Analyst and his TikTok, where he educates the public on AI and its future.Parr currently sits on the board of directors of the Leila Janah Foundation and previously sat on the board of its sister company Sama, a leader in AI data training and development. LJF's mission is to give work and accelerate social enterprise in Africa and beyond. He's been an investor and advisor to a dozen private and public companies, including Lufthansa, Aug X Labs, LeadIQ, Elanza Wellness, and Ustream (acquired by IBM).Parr is the author of the award-winning book "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention", named a must-have marketing book by Strategy+Business Magazine, Forbes, The New York Post, and more. His book dives into the science and psychology of attention and features interviews and insights from over 50 of the world’s top scientists, psychologist, and business leaders, including Sheryl Sandberg, Steven Soderbergh, David Copperfield, and Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.Previously, Parr was the Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable (acquired by Ziff Davis), where he wrote over 2,400 articles on technology, media and startups; and was a technology columnist for CNET (acquired by Red Ventures). Parr was named one of the top 10 tech journalists in the world by Say Media and a “Technology Industry Trendsetter, Luminary & Chronicler” by the Public Relations Society of America. Ben was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012 and is an alum of Northwestern University.

Ben Parr's Current Company Details
Octane AI

Octane Ai

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Co-Founder and President
New York, NY, US
Website:
octane.ai
Employees:
51
Ben Parr Work Experience Details
  • Octane Ai
    Co-Founder And President
    Octane Ai
    New York, Ny, Us
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  • Octane Ai
    Co-Founder & President
    Octane Ai Aug 2018 - Present
    San Francisco, California, Us
    Octane AI is the AI and zero-party data platform for ecommerce brands. Our mission is to democratize AI for all and empower entrepreneurs in the process. Shopify elected Octane AI as its Best Storefront App in 2021. Octane AI powers AI-enabled quizzes and surveys for thousands of merchants and brands, helps them personalize marketing channels like email, SMS and ads, and build deeper relationships with their customers using AI. Octane AI’s patented conversational technology enables thousands of merchants to collect zero-party data directly from customers and leverage it to build lasting relationships across owned marketing channels. Octane AI’s users experience an average increase in revenue by 20% and marketing opt-ins by 3-6x. Octane AI an all-remote company employing team members in over 12 countries. We've raised funding from top-tier investors including General Catalyst, Javelin Venture Partners, Bullpen Capital and Boost VC.
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  • Octane Ai
    Co-Founder And Chief Marketing Officer
    Octane Ai May 2016 - Aug 2018
    San Francisco, California, Us
    Co-founded Octane AI in 2016 with my co-founders Matt and Leif. Our mission is to help brands and customers build real relationships through AI-enabled conversations. Our first product was the easiest platform to build Facebook Messenger chatbots, Since then, we have grown into the AI and zero-party data marketing platform for Shopify and ecommerce brands. My responsibilities as CMO/Chief Marketing Officer focused on growing Octane AI's brand presence, building partnerships, and supporting our CEO in executing the vision.We've raised over $14 million from General Catalyst, Bullpen Capital, Boost VC, Javelin Partners, and dozens amazing angels and firms.
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  • The Leila Janah Foundation
    Board Of Directors
    The Leila Janah Foundation Feb 2020 - Present
    Milwaukie, Oregon, Us
    In 2020, the not-for-profit arm of Samasource renamed itself the Leila Janah Foundation, in honor of its late founder and visionary, Leila Janah. I serve as a Board Member of the Foundation to further her legacy of Giving Work.Leila believed that Giving Work was a far more powerful tool to eradicating poverty than giving aid, as it creates a permanent pathway toward economic security and financial independence. This foundation honors her vision of Giving Work, by focusing on non-profit programs that drive economic mobility for people living in underserved communities.
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  • Payman
    Investor
    Payman Apr 2024 - Present
    First check (with my partner Matt Schlicht) in a $3.1m pre-seed round, joined by Boost VC, Coinbase, Visa, Untapped and Spartan Group.Payman is a platform that lets AIs hire humans. Example: Imagine you had an AI that monitored your market for trends and then automatically hired someone to write a blog post.Soon, AI agents and humans will work together on projects. AIs will take care of the tedious work, and the AIs will use Payman to hire humans to do the things that AI cannot do. But for humans and AIs to collaborate, there has to be a payment layer and platform to facilitate it. Payman is that platform.
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  • Wordware (Yc S24)
    Investor
    Wordware (Yc S24) May 2024 - Present
    San Francisco, Us
    Wordware (YC S24) is an IDE for building AI agents and apps using natural language. It allows you to build AI apps 20x faster than you normally could, and you don't even have to be technical to use it!When Matt Schlicht and I first tried Wordware and met founder Filip and Robert, it was clear that this company and product were DIFFERENT. Wordware is SO beautiful and it's so easy to use. There's nothing like it.If you are building AI applications or agents, you have to sign up at http://Wordware.ai.
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  • Gumloop (Yc W24)
    Investor
    Gumloop (Yc W24) Apr 2024 - Present
    Vancouver, British Columbia, Ca
    Thrilled to be an investor with my co-founder Matt Schlicht!b Gumloop is making it easy for anyone to build powerful AI workflows -- no AI expertise or coding needed.Matt and I invested because Gumloop is hands down the easiest-to-use tool we've ever found for building AI automation and workflows. The founders are just as impressive.The round was led by First Round Capital with participation from Y Combinator, Max Mullen (Instacart), Arash Ferdowsi (Dropbox), Andrew Ofstad (Airtable), Immad Akhund (Mercury), Kulveer Taggar (Zeus), Liquid2, WndrCo, Richard Aberman(WePay), JJ Fliegelman(Wayup), and Ludlow Ventures.
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  • Harperone, An Imprint Of Harpercollins Publishers
    Author, "Captivology: The Science Of Capturing People'S Attention"
    Harperone, An Imprint Of Harpercollins Publishers Mar 2013 - Present
    San Francisco, Ca, Us
    A book on the science and psychology of attention; why we pay attention to certain people, products, companies and ideas; and how to capture, maintain, and grow attention. Analyzed over 1,000 research studies in psychology, neurology, communications, and economics, and interviewed dozens of thought leaders including Sheryl Sandberg, Steven Soderbergh, and David Copperfield to form the thesis of the book. Captivology has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Success Magazine, Forbes, Business Insider, USA Today, The Financial Times, and other publications. The book was named the best marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine.ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY: www.bit.ly/captivology
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  • Shopify
    Developer Champion (Honorary)
    Shopify Jun 2022 - Present
    Ottawa, On, Ca
    Named by Shopify as one of its first ten Developer Champions! We explain the virtues of building on top of the Shopify platform and spread the word about the MANY new innovations and features Shopify is launching. Shopify's Developer Champions include the creators/developers of some of Shopify's most popular apps.
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  • Ecommerce Magazine
    Co-Editor
    Ecommerce Magazine Mar 2018 - Present
    San Francisco, Ca, Us
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  • Worldwide Speakers Group
    Keynote Speaker
    Worldwide Speakers Group 2015 - Present
    Alexandria, Va, Us
    I speak on artificial intelligence, silicon valley, the psychology of marketing and attention, and the future of entrepreneurship to audiences large and small. Expect fireworks and confetti (literally)! Direct booking: Bill Hart -- bhart@wwsg.comSpeaker profiles:www.benparr.com/speakinghttp://www.wwsg.com/speakers/ben-parr
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  • Weekend Fund
    Limited Partner (Investor)
    Weekend Fund Sep 2017 - Present
    The Internet, Us
    A happy investor in Weekend Fund since Fund I. Led by Ryan Hoover and Vedika Jain. Investors in Deel, Intercom and Magic.
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  • Superlayer
    Limited Partner (Investor)
    Superlayer Sep 2021 - Present
    Sf Bay Area / Nyc / Remote, Us
    Investor in Superlayer, a crypto-focused studio and fund backed by Marc Andreessen, Paris Hilton, Chris Dixon, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jeff Clavier, Siqi Chen, Joe Montana and more.
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  • Aug X Labs
    Advisor
    Aug X Labs Mar 2022 - Present
    New York, Us
    I have been advising Aug X Labs, an incredible A.I. product and technology that transforms prompts (including audio) into beautiful, amazing videos using A.I. to build the whole thing. Think of it like Jasper.ai for video. Led by former WarnerMedia VP of Product Jeremy Toeman, Aug X just came out of stealth and announced their oversubscribed pre-seed round!I'm thrilled to work with Jeremy and his team and to advise them on fundraising, marketing and operations!
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  • My World Chef
    Advisor
    My World Chef Jun 2021 - Present
    World Chef is a next-generation culinary streaming platform for foodies, where you can cook alongside the world's top chefs and get deliveries of the ingredients for their most famous dishes so you can prepare meals with them! World Chef connects Celebrity Chefs with their fans through content, commerce and a community of food lovers. I've known the founders (Mike, Tim and Mark) for years. Mike and Tim won an Emmy for their award-winning Amazon show "Eat the World" with Chef Emeril Lagasse and are PASSIONATE about food and using their talents to transform the food world.I'm honored to be an advisor, helping them achieve their vision!
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  • Sama
    Board Of Directors
    Sama Mar 2017 - Feb 2020
    San Francisco, Ca, Us
    Samasource specializes in providing data solutions like artificial intelligence annotation, data verification and content moderation. We harness the power of the digital economy to lift people out of poverty by providing work that pays a living wage in places with high rates of unemployment in Kenya, Uganda, and other regions of the world. We call that Impact Sourcing.As a member of the board, I was partially responsible for governance, strategic direction, management evaluation, and moving the vision forward.
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  • Inc. Magazine
    Columnist
    Inc. Magazine 2014 - 2020
    New York, New York, Us
    I write about business, technology, media, and entrepreneurship. Check out my column at http://inc.com/author/ben-parr.
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  • Ascent Leadership Networks, Llc
    Ascent Leadership Fellow
    Ascent Leadership Networks, Llc Nov 2018 - Apr 2019
    New York, Us
    The Ascent Fellowship, led by former World Economic Forum and Spencer Stuart COO Kevin Steinberg and founded by former WEF executives, is a cohort-based program that brings together carefully-selected executive peers for a nine month engagement focused on understanding how industry, technology and societal disruptions will affect them and their organizations. Each Fellowship includes three 3-to 4-day modules over the course of nine months, The residential modules focus on particular leadership needs and are tailored to each cohort. Developed in collaboration with global partners, each module delivers forward-thinking and diverse perspectives on critical curriculum topics.
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  • Lufthansa
    Advisory Board Member
    Lufthansa Feb 2015 - May 2018
    Frankfurt Am Main, Germany, De
    I advise Europe's largest airline on growth, marketing and startups as a member of Lufthansa's innovation advisory board and innovation hub.
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  • Leadiq
    Advisor
    Leadiq 2016 - 2018
    San Francisco, California, Us
    Advised LeadIQ (raised at a $200m valuation in October 2021) on marketing, PR and fundraising.
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  • Ustream, An Ibm Company
    Advisor
    Ustream, An Ibm Company 2013 - Jan 2016
    I advised Ustream and its CEO on marketing and media strategy. Acquired in 2016 by IBM.
  • Cbs Interactive
    Cnet Columnist & Commentator
    Cbs Interactive Feb 2012 - Jul 2013
    San Francisco, Ca, Us
    Started a column at CNET calledThe Social Analyst. Analyzed the key companies, trends and players powering the tech and social media universe, from the smallest startups to tech giants.
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  • Mashable
    Editor-At-Large
    Mashable May 2011 - Nov 2011
    New York, Ny, Us
    Opened Mashable's Silicon Valley office, co-managed Mashable's editorial team, and helped grow the company from 5 million to 50 million page views and from <10 to 50+ employees.Wrote more than 2,400 articles, interviewed everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Mark Zuckerberg, and built extensive networks in technology, entertainment, and media.
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  • Mashable
    Co-Editor
    Mashable Sep 2009 - May 2011
    New York, Ny, Us
    Oversaw and developed west coast and Silicon Valley editorial.
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  • Mashable
    Associate Editor
    Mashable Mar 2009 - Sep 2009
    New York, Ny, Us
    Brought everything social media, web, and startup-related to the masses.
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  • Mashable
    Writer/Contributor
    Mashable Aug 2008 - Mar 2009
    New York, Ny, Us
    Wrote analysis articles on social media, Internet trends, and entrepreneurship.
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  • Veritas Health
    Interactive Content Manager
    Veritas Health Jun 2008 - Mar 2009
    Deerfield, Il, Us
    I oversaw Veritas Health's doctor-written health content, its web growth strategy, and helped implement new features. I was part product manager, part project manager, part designer and part engineer.
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  • Northwestern University
    Community Assistant
    Northwestern University Sep 2006 - Mar 2008
    Evanston, Il, Us
    Assisted freshmen residents of university housing as a mentor, disciplinary, advisor, and friend.
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  • U.S. House Of Representatives
    Intern
    U.S. House Of Representatives Jun 2005 - Aug 2005
    Washington, Dc, Us
    Intern for retired Congressman Jerry Weller. Conducted legislative research, constituent management and service, giving tours, administrative duties, and learning from the D.C. culture.
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  • Uc Santa Barbara
    Research Assistant
    Uc Santa Barbara Jun 2002 - Aug 2002
    Santa Barbara, Ca, Us
    Joined UCSB's Research Mentorship Program between my sophomore and junior year of high school. Assisted in the development of a musical artificial intelligence that could compose harmonic music automatically.Cool fact: If you search the UCSB library, you will find the thesis paper I wrote on the project.
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Ben Parr Skills

Social Media Entrepreneurship Start Ups Facebook Blogging Content Management Writing Strategy Digital Marketing Digital Media Digital Strategy Business Strategy Product Management Social Media Marketing Product Marketing Social Networking Online Marketing Strategic Partnerships Content Strategy User Experience Early Stage Startups New Media Journalism Mobile Marketing Technology Marketing Communications Sem E Commerce Video Public Relations Copywriting Web Analytics Attention Marketing Strategy Venture Capital Angel Investing Corporate Branding Virality Customer Acquisition Marketing

Ben Parr Education Details

  • Northwestern University
    Northwestern University
    Business Institutions Program (Minor)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ben Parr

What company does Ben Parr work for?

Ben Parr works for Octane Ai

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

Ben Parr's current role is Co-Founder and President.

What is Ben Parr's email address?

Ben Parr's email address is be****@****arr.com

What is Ben Parr's direct phone number?

Ben Parr's direct phone number is +181587*****

What schools did Ben Parr attend?

Ben Parr attended Northwestern University.

What are some of Ben Parr's interests?

Ben Parr has interest in Mobile, Entrepreneurship, Social Media, Entertainment, B2b, Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software.

What skills is Ben Parr known for?

Ben Parr has skills like Social Media, Entrepreneurship, Start Ups, Facebook, Blogging, Content Management, Writing, Strategy, Digital Marketing, Digital Media, Digital Strategy, Business Strategy.

Who are Ben Parr's colleagues?

Ben Parr's colleagues are Aoife Teague, Guillame Mendeza, Pablo Fuentes, Ariel Santos, Aleksandar Vukovac.

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