Ben Provan

For the past ten years, Ben served as co-founder and CEO of OpenDoor, where he built the first US-based co-living company and helped pioneer the co-living industry. OpenDoor was started to simultaneously address the urban housing crisis and the loneliness epidemic through the creation of modern, shared living space. Ben grew OpenDoor to a portfolio of 19 co-living properties totaling 406 units and 150,000 sqft in 3 markets (Bay Area, Portland, Seattle), including the first ever net-zero-energy co-living development. OpenDoor garnered significant public attention including pieces in the NY Times, NPR marketplace and Morning Edition, LA Times, SF Chronicle, and more.

Previous roles for Ben include leading commercialization efforts at waste-to-biofuels startup Achor Innovations, where he worked with farms, food processors, and waste management companies to convert their waste into useful energy products; serving as the business manager for Magruder Ranch, a renowned Northern California grass-fed meats business; and working as a mechanical design engineer at Bose Corporation, where he worked on early stage prototypes for new products, including their linear motor automotive active suspension system.

Ben holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco, the leading impact-oriented business school. He believes deeply in the power of business and technology to scale positive solutions that benefit people and the planet. Ben is also an avid maker, with extensive experience 3D printing, CNC machining, and laser cutting.