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About Ben Nelson
Ben Nelson started Minerva with a goal of nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world through a systematic, evidence-based approach to learning, and built Minerva University into one of the most selective and innovative universities in the United States.
Ben's Keynote Topics
When Ben Nelson, founder of Minerva University (MU) and founder and CEO of Minerva Project (MP), realized that traditional universities were fundamentally failing on their promises to develop students’ critical thinking skills and prepare them for the workforce of tomorrow, he set out to create an educational movement that pursued wisdom over knowledge. A pioneering entrepreneur and visionary with a passion to reinvent higher education, Nelson’s enlightening presentations reveal an alternative educational model that produces impressive outcomes for graduates. The numbers are clear: every Minerva University grad who applies for an elite graduate program is accepted by at least one of the programs they apply to; when they start businesses, they are ten times more likely than top Ivy League graduates to become a founder or co-founder of a funded startup. Nelson’s acclaimed book “Building the Intentional University” offers a blueprint for how other institutions can adopt the Minerva approach, which has generated vastly superior student outcomes in a more socioeconomically diverse student body, and higher rates of securing jobs post-graduation than those enrolled at elite, traditional institutions.
How do executives lead change and innovation when they’re weighed down by the traditions of their sectors? Ben Nelson, an executive, entrepreneur and technology innovator, successfully disrupted multiple archaic and rigid industries to build the first post-AI university in the world (Minerva University) and the third largest global e-commerce platform (Snapfish, which was bought by HP). In this engaging talk, Nelson gives audiences a high-level view of modern innovation strategy and how it actually works, what they should or shouldn’t do when innovating and lessons on leading innovation within a larger organization.
The future of work demands a new kind of organizational structure in businesses and institutions, but it can be hard to feel confident moving forward without an example of how to think differently. Before remote work was even in the corporate lexicon, Ben Nelson, an executive, entrepreneur, founder of Minerva University and founder & CEO of Minerva Project, built a mission-driven company focused on finding the best talent, anywhere. While he is based in Silicon Valley, his employees are home-based between Thailand and Trinidad, spanning almost every time zone. In this talk, Nelson shares how to create a mission-first culture where highly skilled employees have autonomy and drive, and where excellence in outcomes is not compromised.
The skills people need to thrive in the workforce are quickly changing. What are the top skills today’s workers – the workers of the next generation – need to succeed, and how can schools and businesses work together to help the workforce learn them? In a post-AI world, says Ben Nelson, founder of Minerva University and founder and CEO of Minerva Project, employees’ roles will shift from creation to discernment, which entails learning and applying a series of skills that are not always intentionally taught. In this talk, Nelson will outline what the durable skills often broad-brushed as “critical thinking” are, and how institutions and organizations can effectively teach them.
Books by Ben Nelson
Ben in the Media
Minerva Project launches global university system to scale HE model
What’s Next for Minerva Project?
Minerva Project: Changing an Outdated Higher Education Model?
How Innovation and Technology Can Solve Higher Education's Biggest Challenges
The Future of Education or Just Hype? The Rise of Minerva, the World's Most Selective University
Creating a University From Scratch
Minerva Project Raises $57M to Support Its Tech Platform—and Spin Off Its School
Can the Minerva Model of Learning Disrupt Higher Education?
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