About Ben Parr
Instead of me trying to describe to you who I am and what I stand for, I’ll highlight a few keystone experiences in my life that will give you a clearer picture of who I am.
If you’re looking for my accomplishments & credits, just scroll down to skip to my professional bio.
So, Who is Ben Parr? (The Personal Version)
- I didn’t talk until I was three years old. Honestly, I think I just didn’t want to talk. All of the psychiatrists and teachers thought I was possibly learning disabled and had speech problems. They were fantastically wrong. How they got it wrong, I’m not really sure, but it’s something that no longer interests me. I am me, and I love who I am.
- I was hit by a car in a parking lot when I was six. The man who hit me gave me a crisp $20 to never say anything. I was a kid who didn’t know better, so I happily obliged. This was my first experience in business and economics, and I should thank that guy some day for it.
- When I was eight, I broke my collar bone. My babysitter decided it was a good idea to swerve off the road to avoid a rabbit on the highway when she was driving me to my first T-ball practice. Two days later, she vanished, I had a broken collar bone, and our Jeep… well, that thing’s a cube of crushed metal somewhere. I blame my babysitter for my horrendous baseball skills. Luckily, it didn’t affect my swimming or tennis skills!
- I used to weight 201 pounds when I was in college. I decided to change it one summer though and dropped 40 pounds. I didn’t do it with with crazy dieting or weird workout routines, but with discipline in my workouts and in what I consumed. I had to do this. It taught me that consistent dedication, small habits, and healthy eating go a long way towards a better, more fulfilling life.
- I’m an ENTP — I love being around the action, learning about topics I know nothing about from knowledgeable people, turning ideas into reality, maximizing efficiency, and being on stage.
- A few key philosophies have guided my life. The overarching one is this: I have the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. Everything I do stems from that belief.
- I tend to learn by jumping into the pool and then learning how to swim. I am unconventional as a person and as a thinker. I’m fine with failure, so long as it leads to a bigger success later on. This is probably why I gravitated to becoming an entrepreneur. Never let failure deter you; use it as a stepping stone and an educational experience towards making your mark on the world.
- The most foundational accomplishments of my life are, in chronological order: attaining the rank of Eagle Scout; convincing Troy Henikoff to let me into his entrepreneurship class at Northwestern; launching Octane AI; publishing my first book (Captivology); meeting my soulmate Deborah. I’m more excited to add to this list! :)
- Finally, prove all your doubters wrong. They can only hold you back if you let them.
So, Who is Ben Parr? (The Professional Version)
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.
Contact Ben:
I love to hear from everybody about my work, my writing, collaboration opportunities, and everything in between. It’s how I get a lot of ideas for articles. I also love hearing about new startups or new ways to use them, so let’s chat. Warning though: I get a lot of email, tweets, and messages, so it I may not always respond.
Here are the best ways to get in touch with me:
- Speaking: Worldwide Speakers Group
- Literary: David Vigliano, Vigliano & Associates
- Television: Andrew Lear, United Talent Agency
