Benjamin Todd

Yo, so let me tell you about Benjamin Todd. This guy’s the real deal in the startup and impact world. He’s one of those rare folks who’s been crushing it at the intersection of tech, altruism, and smart thinking since forever.

Started out with a pretty solid background, double major in Physics and Philosophy, which honestly explains a lot. The guy’s got that mix of nerdy curiosity and big-picture thinking. His early gigs? Worked at Eastman Kodak for like 8 months and then at Orbis Investment Advisory for about a year and a quarter. Not exactly the typical startup grind, but it shows he’s got that finance and tech background, the kind of stuff you need to really understand how the world works behind the scenes.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of staying in the corporate grind, he jumped into something way bigger, founding 80,000 Hours. That’s a nonprofit all about helping people find careers that actually make a difference. And get this, he was the CEO for the first ten years, building it from a simple lecture into a legit team of over 25 folks, raising more than 30 million bucks. That’s no small feat. And he did all that while pushing the works well altruism movement forward, playing a key role in getting Oxford and Y Combinator on board. Y Combinator, bro, that’s the big leagues for startups, but he managed to get a nonprofit accepted. That’s some advanced hustle.

What’s crazy is, Benjamin isn’t just about starting something, he’s about changing the world with it. He’s continually writing on career planning, decision-making, how to do good and do well at the same time. Dude’s still the president of 80,000 Hours and keeps contributing to the movement. No cap, he’s all about impact over ego.

So, what does his process say about him? It’s pretty clear, he’s driven by a genuine desire to make the biggest difference possible. He’s the type of guy who sees the bullshit in “business as usual” and decides to build something that’s actually meaningful. That’s why he’s so respected. He’s proof that if you care enough and put in the work, you can build something that changes lives, not just lines of code or balance sheets.

Bottom line? Benjamin Todd is one of those rare founders who’s not just in it to make a buck. He’s here to make a dent. Whether it’s through 80,000 Hours, pushing works well altruism, or just inspiring others to think bigger, this guy’s the real deal.