Ben Parr
AI Founder, Investor, Columnist, and Co-Founder of Octane AI
Book Ben NowIndustries:
Best for:
- E-commerce and retail technology conferences
- Startup, venture capital, and entrepreneurship audiences
- Marketing psychology and brand engagement events
- AI product and technology investment audiences
Ben Parr
AI Founder, Investor, Columnist, and Co-Founder of Octane AI
Speaker Videos & Media
Available Speaking Programs
Coworking with AI: How to Leverage AI for Productivity and Work
Entrepreneurship 01: Lessons from Starting and Building Octane AI
The Future of AI Investing: Trends Investors and Founders Should Know
Marketing When There’s Scarce Attention: Lessons from the Best-Selling Marketing Psychology Book Captivology
From Holograms to Teleporters: How Technology Is Going to Change The World in the Next 5 10 20 and 50 Years
About Ben Parr
Ben Parr is an award-winning entrepreneur, investor, journalist, author, and AI expert with a career dedicated to exploring the impact of technology on our futures.
Ben is President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, a profitable AI platform for ecommerce brands that powers AI-enabled insights and quizzes. Octane AI, founded in 2016, is backed by General Catalyst, Bullpen, and other top Silicon Valley investors and was named the Best Storefront App award by Shopify. He is also Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Theory Forge Ventures, a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital fund investing in AI-native startups and founders.
Ben is an influential voice in the AI community, serving as an AI columnist for The Information and authoring his popular newsletter, The AI Analyst. Ben started his career as Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable, where he wrote over 2,400 articles and interviewed the world’s top technology and media leaders. Ben was also a technology columnist and commentator for CNET. He is the author of the award-winning book, "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention", named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine. Parr currently sits on the board of directors of the Leila Janah Foundation and previously sat on the board of its sister company Sama, a leader in AI data training.
As a well-respected AI educator across platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn, Ben continues his mission to inform the public about the ever-evolving realm of AI. He has been featured in a variety of media, including ABC News, MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, NPR, Fox News, USA Today, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and The New York Times. He is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 and an alum of Northwestern University. He is based in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York, but remains a die-hard fan of the Chicago Bears.
Areas of Expertise
Testimonials
"Totally fangirl'ed for @benparr today. Awesome talk on @Captivology. One of the best I've heard!"
Dona Sarkar
Captivology
"Ben Parr is an incredibly engaging speaker. His energy, wit and quick thinking make his session exciting, thought-provoking and informative. And that’s the point. Parr believes that capturing attention is a science and that we can all learn how to engage our audiences effectively."
Sarah Mitton
Manager, Clarion
Book Ben Parr for Your Next Event
Transform your event with insights on AI and entrepreneurship
Frequently Asked Questions About Booking Ben Parr
Is Ben Parr a good fit for an entrepreneurship or venture capital audience?
Yes. He is Co-Founder and President of Octane AI, an AI ecommerce platform backed by General Catalyst and Bullpen, and Managing Partner of Theory Forge Ventures, a venture fund investing in AI-native startups, giving him direct founder and investor experience to draw on.
What makes Ben Parr different from other AI speakers?
He combines an active operating role as an AI startup founder with a media and research background, having written over 2,400 articles as Editor-at-Large of Mashable and authored "Captivology," named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine. Clients have noted his engaging delivery and ability to make attention and engagement feel like an approachable science.
What is Ben Parr best known for?
He is best known as the author of "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention" and as Co-Founder of Octane AI, an ecommerce AI platform. He is also an AI columnist for The Information and writes the newsletter The AI Analyst.
What is Ben Parr's speaking fee?
Ben Parr's speaking fee is typically $20k to $30k. Final pricing depends on the event's location, date, format (in-person or virtual), and specific requirements. Contact Speak About AI for an exact quote for your event.
What topics does Ben Parr speak about?
Ben Parr speaks about Entrepreneurship, E-commerce, Technology Investment, Marketing Psychology, and Startup Strategy. Each keynote is customized to the audience and event.
Is Ben Parr available for virtual events?
Yes. Ben Parr is available for in-person keynotes as well as virtual presentations and webinars for distributed audiences.
Where is Ben Parr based, and does Ben travel for events?
Ben Parr is based in Los Angeles, California and is available for speaking engagements worldwide.
How do I book Ben Parr for my event?
Ben Parr is booked through Speak About AI, the AI-exclusive keynote speaker bureau. Share your event date, location, audience, and budget via the contact form, and the team will confirm Ben's availability, provide exact pricing, and handle the contracting end to end.
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