Ben L. | Leland

Ben L.

5.0

(139)

170,865 min coaching

Building Practical AI-Integrated Solutions for Your Life

Supercoach

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Worked at McKinsey & Company

Successful clients at

Available Monday at 3:30 PM UTC

Usually responds within 48 hours

Protected by the Leland Experience Guarantee

Available Monday at 3:30 PM UTC

Usually responds within 48 hours

Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.

Ben's Coaching Offerings

Custom hourly · $449/hr

Get help with AI Fundamentals, AI Ethics & Responsible AI, and .

Ben also coaches for MBA, Management Consulting, and Master’s Programs. View all.

Ben’s AI Productivity & Tooling Qualifications

Coaches professionally

Experience level: Executive

10+ people coached for AI Productivity & Tooling

Open to working with clients outside the U.S.

Ben has helped clients get into these companies:

i'm now coaching people on how to better maximize whatever AI-based tool they use -- helping you ask the right questions and get answers that matter: a few use cases: • 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 / 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀: designing intelligent prompts, asking the right questions to get to the bottom of anything, whether it's a passion project or corporate forensics / due diligence -- then following up to make sure no stone goes unturned -- there are infinite permutations of what this might entail. i've helped 3 different businesses with this now, and about 15 real humans. it's been fun, in large part because it feels like building a dynamic skillset that's immediately testable and learn-from-able. it's also something, if you're actively investing yourself, that you ought to get good at yesterday. • 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 / 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻-𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: whether you're charting out the next 3-5 years of your career, or figuring out which direction to take your business, these thoughts cause more head-fog than most i've come across. there are many really bad ways to do "strategic" work with AI, but some clever, less obvious ways to find inspiration and corral your thinking while making the most of the internet's reach is something i've started helping people with • 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: need to figure out how to navigate your state's health marketplace? building a personal budget? getting a vacation itinerary together? bring an idea, and we'll go. i'll also help you dig into sources, understand the limitations of what these tools can and can't do, and help you spot pitfalls in an AI tool's output so you know when and how to challenge your GPT of choice -- and integrate your own critical thinking to make sure it's as thorough and accurate as something you might research independently.

Ben can help with:

AI Fundamentals

AI Ethics & Responsible AI

chatGPT

Prompting

AI Automation

AI Research

Ben also coaches for MBA, Management Consulting, and Master’s Programs. View all.

About Ben

• Stanford GSB Alum, Class of 2021 -- see relevant background & experience below: • Coaching | Advised 250+ admits into Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, INSEAD, Haas, and more (see ~100 Leland reviews), while teaching multiple courses through Leland • What I'm Doing Now | Based in NYC, building a publication 'Staying Human', working on a stealth, marketplace startup, coaching and playing chess profssionally, and advising a slate of Seed to Series C startups through Elevate LLC • Public Policy | Prior to Stanford, worked on the Policy Team for the Chicago Mayor's Office under Mayor Rahm Emanuel, focusing on 5G infrastructure policy, criminal justice policy, and citywide corporate/economic development deals • McKinsey | Before policy, worked at McKinsey & Co , with casework focused on job training for the formerly incarcerated and workforce development for at-risk youth • PE / VC / Startup Advising | After Stanford, worked in Bain's Private Equity Group on various due diliegences, managed deals with several venture capital firms, and advised multiple startups on growth and go-to-market strategy • Professional Writing | Speechwriting in public policy & political environments, Lead Editor for Nondisclosure (Stanford GSB's magazine) and Managing Editor for the Stanford International Policy Review • Additional Writing | Crafting op-eds, ghostwriting for major publications, developing a fictional short story collection, policy deep dives, a book on chess applications to life, and application essays of all sorts • GMAT / Test-Taking | Scored in the highest percentile of GMAT test-takers, but more importantly I've honed my ability to help others extrapolate top test-testing strategies in the areas they're weakest • Additional Coaching Details | 5+ years experience working with >750 individuals on essay writing and resume professionalization for top consulting firms, MBA programs, execs, and the broader job market • Interview Training | I was interview-trained with McKinsey, helping me give high-quality mock interviews for MBBs and any MBA program; I've also held 10+ events through Leland on interview prep for McKinsey's PEI and GSB's interview process in particular

Why do I coach?

The main reason I coach is the profound impact a handful of mentors have had on my own life. Whether that was helping me navigate uncertainty professionally or working to overcome something personally, I have deep gratitude for those that stepped in to give me a hand. I didn't have a formal coach when applying to places like McKinsey or Stanford GSB, and only a handful of people where I grew up get those kinds of opportunities. Paying it forward comes from feeling lucky to be where I am, and knowing I have something tangible and meaningful to give. Beyond that, I genuinely love writing and helping individuals craft their narrative. It's more complicated than meets the eye, often as much psychological as anything else. Helping people find the threads that underpin their life to date and unlock their vision for the future nearly always proves much more than words on paper. By the time we've finished working together, my hope is you've not only made yourself a compelling applicant, but found a deeper source of confidence in who you are and where you're going.

Work Experience

Startup Advisor

Elevate Advisory

August 2021 - Present

• Advising startups, small businesses, funds, and individuals looking to grow • Private equity advising for funds of all sizes & MBB / consulting arms with PE practices • Targeted work with fast-paced startups (e.g., Linus Biotechnology $16M Series A, Peak Metrics $1 Seed, G-Filtera (Pre-Seed), Orbital Studios (Seed), Imagen Tech (Series C), and more) • Contacts with VCs and alternative funds looking into new markets, particularly aerospace, health tech, and workforce development) • writing and editing services (ad hoc)

Founder

TownSquare Chess

February 2023 - December 2024

• The first dynamic online marketplace set to democratize chess coaching — giving coaches a way to build a business, and players of all levels the opportunity to learn the game the right way • Partners: Tangram.io, URBN Playground, Marshall Chess Club, FourthWall and more

Principal

17a - Advising

2022 - 2023

• Advising NYC and other City agencies on large-scale government projects • Drove creation of major city government blueprint to simplify procurement processes across City agencies

Private Equity

Bain & Company

2021 - 2022

• Worked in Bain & Co's Private Equity Group (PEG) as an independent contractor (to significantly accelerate payoff of Stanford gsb loans) before moving back into federal policy and/or speechwriting

Investor

Beyond Capital Ventures

2020 - 2020

• Venture investing in healthcare, fintech & agtech across India & East Africa

Economic Development Policy Associate

City of Chicago Mayor's Office

2018 - 2019

• Public policy work for the Chicago Mayor's Office (Emanuel administration), spanning infrastructure (5G, real estate), transportation, crime & public safety • Corporate recruitment (amazon hq2), economic development, opportunity zones, investment mapping, SMB solutions (e.g., chibizhub.com), education, workforce development

Senior Consultant

McKinsey & Company

2016 - 2018

• Focused on public sector / prison reform work • Healthcare go-to-market strategy • Business development fellow for Generation (McKinsey's social sector arm) building city partnerships & city partnerships

Ben was also given offers to work at

BlackRock
Beyond Capital Ventures
Bain & Company

Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business

MBA

2019 - 2021

• Miller Social Innovation Award | Nominated by fellow classmates • Poet's & Quants MBAs to Watch | Stanford GSB • George & Mary Lou Shott Academic Fellowship • Social Management & Innovation Fellowship (SMIF) • Editor in Chief at Stanford GSB Paper (Nondisclosure) • Managing Editor at Stanford International Policy Review • Investor @ Impact Fund's Inaugural Justice Team; Investor @ GSB '21 Fund • Design for Extreme Affordability; Opioid Crisis Response Fund • Stanford Venture Capital Club; Social Innovation Club; GSB Aerospace Club

Washington University in St. Louis

Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology; Economics

2012 - 2016

• Latin honors w/ thesis in philosophy-neuroscience psychology • Honors graduate with distinction in economics (omicron delta epsilon) • Eliot Society Alumni Donor

Ben was also personally admitted to