Ben grew up primarily in Utah, the 2nd oldest of six children. Supportive parents encouraged him to fully pursue all of his interests. Like many of his friends, Ben's dad enrolled him in sports and coached dozens of his athletic teams while his mom signed him up for piano and trumpet lessons and kindled within him an interest for music. Ironically, she was also the one who taught him how to fish and camp while his dad preferred to teach life's lessons on the basketball court and baseball field. Because his parents were so supportive, Ben developed an obsession for trying new things, especially if it involved earning certifications and licenses. These endeavors include becoming a licensed land and sea airplane pilot, amateur radio operator, licensed falconer, Master Diver in SCUBA, hang glider, EMT, Search and Rescue dog handler, and Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts (in large part thanks to his mother). He graduated with honors from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with Abnormal Psychology emphasis, certification in Criminology and Corrections, a Spanish minor, and a year of study abroad completed in Australia. Ben maintains his Spanish fluency and has used it quite frequently in his work and personal life. His background in emergency response led him to complete an Executive Master's in Emergency and Disaster Management at Georgetown University. His thesis paper introduced the concept of global Reality Compromising Events, using the hypothetical scenario of extraterrestrial contact to explore the reality transformations and cascading societal effects that might likely occur in such a psychologically intensive event.
You may have also seen Ben on documentaries and series on networks such as Smithsonian, Destination America, CW, and several appearances on the Travel Channel. Outside of the U.S., he's appeared on Comedy Central UK, ProSieben in Germany, Fuji TV in Japan, Canada History, and the Yesterday Channel in the UK. In June of 2019, Travel Channel began airing the 8 episode series Ghosts of Morgan City where Ben joined a team of two other paranormal investigators that assisted local law enforcement and city agencies in the small community of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. The team attempted to resolve the cause of an increase in emergency calls related to strange occurrences. In January of 2021, Ben branched out solo on the discovery+ streaming series UFO Witness. Investigating claims of UFO and alien encounters, the series compares Project Blue Book era cases to the patterns witnesses are reporting in modern-day times.
