Ben Kobren has spent nearly two decades leading communications and public policy functions in the private and public sectors. He specializes in crisis management, navigating complex media and regulatory matters, developing corporate narratives, raising executive profiles, and protecting brand reputation.
From 2021 – 2023 Ben was the head of communications and public policy at Neeva, the AI-powered search engine which was successfully acquired by Snowflake in May 2023. Ben led all external and internal communications solidifying the company’s public narrative as a leader in transformational technology, including AI. Ben was also responsible for executing national and international government affairs strategies focused on regulatory policies related to competition and antitrust.
From 2021 – the present, Ben provides strategic communications to portfolio companies of Moxxie Ventures, an $85 million venture capital fund.
From 2017 – 2021, Ben was the head of communications and public policy for Color Health, a leading population health technology company. He helped Color evolve from an early-stage startup to a multibillion-dollar, high-growth company. He oversaw government affairs strategies navigating a complex and heavily regulated industry, including novel issues before the Federal Trade Commission, as well as represented Color in government briefings.
From 2015 – 2017, Ben led external communications at Apple for supplier responsibility covering 1.2 million workers and thousands of suppliers impacting human rights, labor, and the environment. Ben played an instrumental role in neutralizing existential threats to Apple’s business, including encryption and U.S. government requests for backdoor access to the iPhone. He also worked on issues related to tax and China.
From 2009 – 2011, Ben served as the Communications Director in the Office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change at the State Department. He managed communications for U.S. international climate change policy and UN climate negotiations. He concurrently served as the communications director for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.
During the 2016 presidential election, Ben advised Hillary Clinton on domestic and international environmental issues. Throughout the 2007 – 2008 presidential primary contest, Ben was a press secretary overseeing in-state communications and traveled alongside candidate Clinton arranging and preparing her for media interviews.
In the United States Senate, Ben was the New York press secretary for Senator Clinton, traveling with her throughout New York and acting as the main point of contact for all in-state media.
Ben has co-written and placed numerous op-eds for c-suite executives in top-tier outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fortune, and Fast Company.
Ben is a licensed attorney in New York and received his J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School.
Ben is a founding board member of the Nora Project, a nonprofit that works in elementary schools to teach empathy and spark friendships between children and their peers with disabilities.