An award winning multi-passionate serial entrepreneur, Ben is no stranger to the start-up world having been involved with a number of early stage companies and organizations. In fact, he discovered an entrepreneurial streak at the ripe age of 14 while others where striving for good grades. Ben has always thought he would have done much better in school if only the child next to him had applied themselves a little more.
With the last 20 years being involved in nurturing numerous technology company start-ups, his current roles include; Co-founder of ReactForge Inc. and Board Member at AR Medical Technologies. Ben is also the President of the York Region Chapter at Keiretsu Forum; the world’s largest angel investor network with 60 chapters and 3,500+ members spanning 23 countries. Fostering a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders, Ben serves as Chair of the Youth Entrepreneur Group at the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs. An invaluable advisor by some and a leadership chiropractor to others, no matter how Ben is described, clients and partners regularly welcome the impact and benefits that result from their work together.
In 2000, Ben co-founded the North American Association of Asian Professionals-Toronto Chapter (NAAAP Toronto) and currently serves as President. With Ben's leadership in the community and steadfast stewardship, NAAAP Toronto is recognized as one of the leading Chapters in the NAAAP Chapter network encompassing 30 cities in the US and Canada. NAAAP Toronto has garnered 6 Chapter of the Year Awards and numerous awards of excellence in addition to celebrating a 20th Anniversary in 2021. At the 2013 NAAAP International Convention hosted in Toronto, Ben was honoured with the NAAAP Leader Award of Excellence. Ben was one of the key architects of the NAAAP Presidents' Council and in March 2014 was appointed Vice Chair. In the following year March 2015, Ben was elected as Chair of the NAAAP Presidents' Council serving until March 2019.
Ben has served as a member of the Chinese Advisory Cabinet at SickKids Foundation and AFP Foundation for Philanthropy (Canada). His prior experiences include being Co-founder and COO of Xystar Technologies, Co-founder of Global Connexxions and was awarded the 1998 Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurship Best Business Startup Award. Ben was also a member of the advisory committee for Enterprise Toronto, City of Toronto Economic Development Office and the Progress Career Planning Institute Cultural Intelligence Advisory Council. As Co-founder and Executive Director of United Nations Trade Point Toronto (Member of the Trade Point NAFTA Forum, Member of the Inter-American Trade Point Forum, Member of the Technical Task force for the United Nations Inter-American Trade Point Forum, Member of the United Nations Global Trade Point Network), Ben was involved with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and played a critical role in fostering the efficiency of world trade with industry partnerships and technology integration between first world and third world nations.
With a passion for fitness, leadership development and personal growth, Ben loves helping others see potential that they may not see in themselves. Ben also gets the warm and fuzzies in sharing screw-ups that teach really good life lessons. When he isn't reading about himself in the third person or expanding his circles of networks, Ben can be found cruising on his motorcycle exploring the countryside in seeing where new roads can take him.
“Your ability to achieve your highest potential is directly
proportional to your willingness to act in the face of adversity.”
