Ben Johnson

Vice President, Programs, BioSTL

Ben Johnson is Vice President, Programs at BioSTL, where he leads its initiatives related to public policy, diversity/inclusion/equity, and talent & workforce development, among others. Since 2001, BioSTL has helped transform St. Louis' innovation economy through comprehensive programming that leverages the region’s medical and plant science strengths. Through this work, Ben currently serves as chair of the national Innovation Advocacy Council (IAC), which informs and educates policymakers and elected officials to modernize federal innovation & entrepreneurship policy, and as the founding president of NEXT Missouri, a statewide grassroots coalition dedicated to promoting pro-entrepreneur policies in Missouri. He was a co-creator of the St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective and STEMSTL to advance systems-level interventions that bring equitable outcomes to St. Louis’ entrepreneurship and STEM ecosystems. He is also a Board member of the Missouri Biotechnology Association, Missouri’s statewide biotechnology trade association, and St. Louis Makes, a nonprofit dedicated to reshaping St. Louis’ manufacturing future. Prior to BioSTL, Ben moved to St. Louis to complete the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and led creation of a Community Development Financial Institution focused on small business finance and affordable housing in Indiana.