BEN LABRA

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Ben brings 20+ years of experience in management, operations, technology and leadership. An entrepreneur at heart, Ben started a successful IT business at the age of 16 while working the counter at a local KFC restaurant. Over two years, Ben raised enough start-up capital to purchase two franchises by the age of 18. Two years later, he sold both businesses for a strong return and enrolled in college to pursue a degree in information technology and business.

Immediately following graduation, Ben began a career in finance with Citi as a desk trader and later moved to the risk and compliance department. After 5 years with Citi, Ben made his way into higher education, where eventually managed 150+ people as a VP of Revenue & Marketing. In 2010, Ben joined the executive team of a large beauty, health and wellness education firm as the Chief Admissions Officer. He went on to attend executive education degrees at Columbia Business School followed by WashU Law School.

After leaving corporate life, Ben returned to his entrepreneurial roots and founded the first LinkedIn for high school students; yondster.com. This afforded Ben experience in coding & software development, startup operations and technology management. Currently, Ben is the Co-Founder & CEO of Gesture Inc., a Founding Partner at 10X Ventures in NYC, a Data Science Specialist & Coach at Galvanize NY, and a start-up consultant and mentor.