
Ben Kozy
Startup COO & Advisor ๐ข Here to help you decide on or navigate startups
Studied at Columbia Business School
Hiring Manager at McKinsey & Company
Available Monday at 4:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Ben's Offerings
Custom hourly ยท $250/hr
Get help with Competitive Analysis, Interview Prep, and .
Ben also coaches for AI Services, Management Consulting, MBA, Career Coaching, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.
Benโs Startup Careers Qualifications
Coaches professionally
Experience level: Executive
๐ข From early 2020 to late 2025, I was fortunate to be the Chief Operating Officer at Airspace, a tech-enabled logistics company ๐ข During that period, we experienced ~10x organic growth, went from one US office to a dozen globally, and hired 100s of people ๐ข Where I'm able to offer the most guidance on the startup front is the following: 1๏ธโฃ What to look for when targeting a startup (industries, roles, revenue models) 2๏ธโฃ What to think about when preparing for or negotiating an offer 3๏ธโฃ The most important aspects beyond compensation when deciding 4๏ธโฃ What your role at a startup means for your opportunity set after the startup exits or you leave ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ Here to help!
Ben can help with:
Competitive Analysis
Interview Prep
LinkedIn Review
Networking Strategy
Resume Review
Ben also coaches for AI Services, Management Consulting, MBA, Career Coaching, Transitioning from the Military, and Service Academies & ROTC . View all.
About Ben
๐๐ผ Hi there! I'm Ben, a Californian (Los Angeles) born and raised in Texas (Houston) ๐ My path to-date has been military (Navy) โก๏ธ Capital One โก๏ธ Booz Allen Hamilton โก๏ธ MBA (Columbia) โก๏ธ Consulting (McKinsey) โก๏ธ Startup exec (COO) ๐ก I feel fortunate to be at the point where I have an array of personal learnings (good and bad) that I can share with you in a way that arms you to be more prepared for a specific task or an important decision you'll soon be making ๐ค If there's one thing that sets me apart, in both working and coaching styles, I'd say it's candor: I believe being candid (and kind) is the best way to support someone who is looking to improve and/or make the most informed decision for themselves ๐ I look forward to connecting with many of you and to helping support your journeys!
Why do I coach?
๐ข While I didn't have a formal coach until a few years ago, I've been fortunate to have informal coaches/mentors over the years ๐ข As my career progressed, I was able to be an informal and sometimes formal coach to others ๐ข These interactions, where you're learning about others while improving their preparedness, outlook, or trajectory, are among the most energizing of any professional interactions I've had.
Work Experience
Founder & Fractional COO
OpsRay
March 2026 - Present
OpsRay is an operations practice for PE- and VC-backed companies. Embedded operating leadership for businesses that need senior ops horsepower without a full-time COO. ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐: โข Fractional COO: embedded part-time, ongoing โข Interim COO: between leaders or as you plan for your first full-time COO โข Project-based: defined scope, specific outcomes (e.g., procurement diagnostic) Operator, not consultant.

Advisor
Airspace
January 2026 - Present

Chief Operating Officer
Airspace
September 2020 - December 2025
Hiring Manager
๐ค AI-native logistics startup, where I regularly discussed, prioritized, and implemented AI initiatives for our internal teams and our customers ๐ข Led global operations across three continents, driving improvements in efficiency, service quality, and cost-to-serve ๐ข Built scalable processes and operating models that enabled substantial growth across multiple geographies, customer segments, and service offerings ๐ข Led a high-performing operations organization anchored in analytics-driven decision-making, workflow automation, operational scorecards, continuous improvement, and talent development ๐ข Partnered cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Revenue to translate customer insights into automated workflows and more consistent operational execution

Senior Vice President of Operations
Airspace
February 2020 - September 2020

Engagement Manager
McKinsey & Company
June 2017 - February 2020
Hiring Manager
๐ Part of the "Recruiting" and "Cultivation" groups for 3 years โก๏ธ I administered over 100 interviews across dozens of MBA and undergrad campuses during interview season ๐ข Led large-scale operational transformations for industrial, logistics, and services clients, combining operational and financial analysis to unlock margin, throughput, and service-level improvements ๐ข Redesigned complex networks and production systems to eliminate bottlenecks, strengthen asset utilization, and improve overall reliability across multi-site operations ๐ข Directed cross-functional teams of consultants and client leaders, partnering closely with C-suite stakeholders to translate strategy into executable operating models and capability-building programs ๐ข Built capacity, production-planning, and workforce models that improved operational stability and optimized resource allocation in manufacturing and logistics environments ๐ข Delivered end-to-end performance-improvement programs, driving process standardization, waste reduction, and enhanced operational effectiveness for global clients ๐ข Developed strategic sourcing and should-cost models for an industrial client, strengthening negotiation leverage and improving procurement and vendor-management discipline

Associate
McKinsey & Company
July 2015 - June 2017

Summer Associate
McKinsey & Company
June 2014 - August 2014

Senior Consultant
Booz Allen Hamilton
August 2011 - July 2013

Business Analyst
Capital One
July 2010 - August 2011

Naval Officer
US Navy
May 2008 - July 2010
Commissioned and service selected submarines. Was medically discharged after graduating from Nuclear Power School.
Ben was also given offers to work at

Boston Consulting Group
Education

Columbia Business School
MBA, Decision, Risk, and Operations
2013 - 2015

Nuclear Power School
Graduation Certificate, Nuclear Engineering
2008 - 2009

United States Naval Academy
BS, Systems Engineering
2004 - 2008