Ben Kaufman, MSW

Ben Kaufman is a social worker whose expertise lies in bending health and related systems in ways that measurably improve the human experience for individuals, families, and communities. He is the founder and principal consultant of GroundsWell, where he helps nonprofits and small businesses embed their values and strategic priorities across core components of their work. Ben is skilled in the areas of project and program scoping, implementation, budgeting, staff and resource allocation, and sustainable scaling. He also uses his clinical training and relational lens to coach teams on how to engage in generative dialogue with funders and partners.

As a staff member at multiple national associations, Ben has managed a diverse portfolio of federally funded (HRSA, CDC, etc.) workforce development and capacity building initiatives. Much of this has been done with an interdisciplinary leadership development focus, aligned with his passion for helping practicing and aspiring professionals find fulfillment and their own brand of boldness in the context of challenging work. Ben has established and strengthened intensive career acceleration (e.g., internship) and mentorship programs, managed learning and action collaboratives across a wide array of public health topics, and created countless training and educational resources. He earned an MSW with a concentration in management and community organizing from the University of Maryland-Baltimore and a BA in sociology from the University of Michigan.  

Ben is an eager collaborator who enjoys cultivating friendships with good people regardless of how they meet. Outside of work you can find him on a softball field, hiking in the Shenandoah Valley with his family, or searching for restaurants that serve all-day breakfast.