Ben is the Chief Investment Officer at Aspen Funds, where he combines his analytical nature with a passion for delivering outstanding client service and strong returns through out-of-the- box investments. Prior to joining Aspen, Ben served as a Commercial Lender at First Business Bank, one of the top SBA lenders in the nation. There, he specialized in government-backed loan originations, specifically SBA and USDA loans. Before that, he worked as a Commercial Credit Underwriter for Crossfirst Bank, where he personally underwrote over $125MM in C&I and CRE loans across various industries. Ben also has experience working in the asset management industry, having served as a key member of the team at Tortoise Capital Advisors. At Tortoise, he helped grow institutional managed accounts from ~$3BN AUM to ~$7BN AUM. Ben holds an MBA from Azusa Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Kansas, where he graduated magna cum laude. Ben is the co-host of the “Invest like a Billionare” podcast where he joins his father, Bob and Aspen co-founder Jim Maffuccio, to dive into the world of alternative investments and speak with successful investors. The trio also discusses economic trends, including megatrends such as inflation, energy prices and deglobalization. Their goal is to empower others looking to explore less volatile investment opportunities improving their portfolio’s performance and enabling them to become more financially secure.