Benjamin Ashpole
LinkedIn

Ben Ashpole is an entrepreneur, data integration scientist, machine learning researcher, and mentor whose career spans the public, for-profit, and non-profit sectors. Ben earned undergraduate degrees from Indiana University with majors in each of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Cognitive Science; and a master’s in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

As founder and CEO of Bashpole Software, Inc. since 2006, Ben leads a team of researchers, developers, and marketing specialists in pursuit of the promise of AI and Machine Learning. One concept that Ben dedicates a lot of time to is creating ways to automate the Google Ad Grants Program, which represents a vastly underutilized resource worth billions of dollars annually in free advertising.

Ben has published peer-reviewed papers on semantic integration and is the recipient of six DARPA SBIR contracts, state incentives, and National Science Foundation Grants totaling more than $5 million. Through the latter, Ben has become a sought-after subject matter expert on identifying and obtaining non-traditional sources of funding such as federal and state grants, crowd-funding, non-profit sponsorship, and partnership arrangements.

In addition to organizing three international conferences on data alignment, Ben has also served as an advisor to other startups and small businesses through the Wharton School of Business and his local Chamber of Commerce. An inventor himself, Ben is well-versed in intellectual property, holding two patents for consumer product inventions.

Bashpole Software was founded because Ben realized that he could contribute much more to society by developing technology that hundreds of nonprofits could use rather than working for one business with a singular mission. Ben feels fortunate for the great luck he has had in transitioning Bashpole Software from an idea to the growing company it is today.

He is committed to diminishing the problem of misinformation, as humanity relies greatly on accurate information in order to continue progressing toward a stronger, better world. Forging new paths with technology, as well as with university professors and industry leaders, is interesting and exciting to Ben. He actively seeks partnership and strives to turn collaboration into solutions.