Ben Willett, Ph.D. has more than twenty years of market research experience.

Highly adaptable and keenly interested in developing a deep understanding of the mindset of his research subjects, Ben passionately applies his anthropology and market experience to a wide range of research projects and industries.

Prior to founding Ethnoscapes Global, Ben gained key insights into market research managers’ (and internal market research departments’) needs in his eight years working as a Manager in the Market Research Department at Thomson Reuters and as a Senior Analyst at Teamworks International. During this time, Ben also taught research methodology courses in Capella University’s School of Education and served on numerous Ph.D. dissertation committees.

A former Ford Foundation Crossing Borders Fellow in Globalization Studies, Ben holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa (2007). As an economic anthropologist, his doctoral studies examined global flows of people, ideas, currencies, and commodities across international borders and the effects of globalization on local communities. In his doctoral dissertation, he explored the economic and social impacts of promoting Mayan focused tourism events in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

Ben has worked on numerous international projects in Guatemala, Honduras, The Netherlands, France, Morocco, India, and Columbia throughout his academic and market research careers. He enjoys international travel and he has lived in, or visited, more than 35 countries. He also enjoys sports (especially soccer and downhill skiing) as well as literature. Ben has a Bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is fluent in Spanish and highly conversational in French.

Email:  ben.willett@ethnoglobal.com

Office:  651-383-2007