Hey there! 👋🏻

I'm Ben Whitehair.

What I do | “Ikigai”

I solve complex problems at scale, strategically leveraging technology and the transformative power of storytelling to drive change that has an impact. Through compassionate coaching, I create environments where people feel safe, seen, and heard—empowering people, communities, and organizations to reach their full potential.

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

Featured In:

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<aside> 💬 Let’s chat

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<aside> 🎭 Ben’s acting work

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Recent Experience

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Executive operator with 19+ years building and scaling organizations across entertainment, consulting, nonprofit, and labor. Co-founded three multi-million-dollar companies. Currently taking on COO and Chief of Staff work, full-time or fractional.

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Fractional COO | 5280 Gymnastics Sep 2026 - Present

Fractional COO for an owner-led, two-location youth gymnastics business in Colorado. The goal is a company that runs without the owner in every decision.
Building the operating system: one master tracker with an owner and due date on every task, a leadership meeting cadence, and a monthly scorecard.
Merging years of drafts into one employee handbook, and writing job descriptions with KPIs and decision rights for every role.
Putting guardrails on money and systems: billing and expense-approval processes, plus account security and access cleanup.
Rebuilding marketing: a clear role and approval map for the new marketing lead, a review-response process, and a website redesign built around registering in three clicks.
Built the gym's first website about 20 years ago; back now to rebuild it and the operating cadence behind it.

Executive Director | Calling All Crows Jan 2025 - Apr 2026

Rebuilt operational infrastructure for a 17-year-old music-and-social-change nonprofit: SOPs, the org's first knowledge management system, and financial and legal compliance.
Reduced operating costs ~30% while redesigning staffing around specialized fractional talent.
Managed closeout reporting for a $750K Spotify grant and launched a scalable paid-volunteer festival model.

Chief Operating Officer | TSMA Consulting, Inc. May 2018 - Dec 2024

Partnered with CEO to 10x revenue to significant 7-figures, serving 6,000+ clients including celebrities & public companies.
Scaled team from 3 to >50 by leading development of all internal infrastructure, including organizational design, OKRs, leadership development, customer success, KMS, CRM, HR, legal, technology, analytics, and software.
Directed recruitment and hiring efforts, and designed holistic total rewards program for all 50+ team members in 3 countries.
Established employee onboarding procedures, reducing time to productivity from 3 months to 2 weeks.
Built people and technology systems to produce and deploy 50,000+ individual pieces of social media content for 320+ accounts, collectively garnering our clients 12M+ new followers and 150M+ impressions.

Executive Vice President | SAG-AFTRA Sept 2021 - Sept. 2023

Supported President Fran Drescher in governance of union as the second-highest elected officer of 160,000+ members.
Led majority of 76-member National Board meetings, overseeing annual budget of $131M in revenue & $109M in expenses.
Secured historic TV/Theatrical/Streaming contract worth over $1 billion as part of 34-member Negotiating Committee.
Chaired the National Communications Committee as EVP, then co-chaired it, and still serve on the committee, working weekly with the union's Chief Marketing Officer.
Led the merger of two of the union's internal political parties, a first since SAG and AFTRA merged.
Part of the leadership that won landmark AI protections for performers in the 2023 TV/Theatrical contract.
Represented the union on stages including CES and the AFL-CIO.
Chaired CARC Committee, which analyzed 350+ proposed constitutional amendments and resolutions (coordinating advice of inside and outside counsel with member interests) to provide key recommendations to 435 Convention Delegates.

Co-Founder & Lead Guide | Unison Solutions May 2017 - Nov. 2021

Co-founded management consulting firm, growing to a 21-person team that was acquired by $100M tech startup Fearless.
Guided 100+ executives, senior leaders & middle managers in aligning people, culture, strategy & ops for sustainable growth.
Facilitated client's C-Suite in annual strategic planning (OKRs), and implemented system for measuring employee engagement.

🎓 Education & Certificates

The Institutes | Associate in Risk Management (ARM)

Demonstrates proficiency in holistic and enterprise risk management, risk analysis, risk financing, data analysis, cyber risk management, strategic thinking, organizational leadership, and compliance.

University of Colorado at Boulder | Bachelor of Arts (BA) Summa Cum Laude

Political Science, Theater, Leadership (minor)
Boettcher Scholar, PLC, Phi Beta Kappa

Champion for social change through art and business.