Ben Renda is a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot. As an F-14 senior squadron test pilot, academics instructor, landing evaluator, rape counseling coordinator, manager of training and evaluation programs, and supervisor of a 30-person maintenance division. He was selected as the USS John F. Kennedy/CVW-1 Landing Signals Officer of the Year in 2000 and was a finalist for the 2000 U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot of the Year. He was selected into the first cadre of F-18E/F Super-Hornet instructors (in the first squadron to fly the newest Navy jet). In that role, he ran the Carrier Qualifications Training Phase (the final and most rigorous training segment for prospective naval aviators) with a 99% success rate and co-created an advanced training and certification program for the Forward Air Controllers – Airborne capability. When not flying, he earned a Master’s degree in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego, serving as cohort leader and earning a 4.00 GPA.

In 2002, Ben was selected to represent the U.S. military as a strategic planner for NATO’s Southern Command, based in Naples, Italy. At Naval Striking and Support Forces, NATO, he identified the need for and created the position of Information Management Officer; co-created and led a 10,000-soldier NATO Response Force live military demonstration for the military and political leaders of NATO and Europe; and wrote military doctrine used across NATO. He also was a strategic air planner and represented tactical aviation in combined, joint amphibious warfare planning. In 2005, Ben entered a joint master’s program with the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG) at Harvard University. While at Harvard, he helped co-found a 501(c)(3) charity (Mountains for Miracles) which raised funds to support pediatric oncology research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; served in the CSG-10 Ready Reserve unit in support of the USS Harry S. Truman’s admiral’s staff; and participated in the Defense Leadership Project under the auspices of the KSG Center for Public Leadership (date of publishing to be announced). At Tuck, Ben co-chaired the Armed Forces Alumni Association; coordinated CPR classes and Emergency First Aid classes for Tuck students, faculty, staff, and partners; and served on the board of directors for a homeless shelter, food bank, and educational services organization serving homeless families in New Hampshire and Vermont.

After graduating in 2008, he accepted a management role with Google and spent two years as a Technology Business-to-Consumer and Retail manager in Online Sales. He is currently YouTube's Head of Policy and Enforcement.