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Ben Cole
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Benjamin Cole, 25, is a technologist and adventurer working for Google.org. In his prior lives, Ben has spent time as a technology pioneer for Google in Africa, a research scientist at Facebook, and a user experience researcher at Google. He has degrees from Cambridge University, where he studied as a Gates Scholar, and from Cornell University, where he graduated summa cum laude.

Entries by Ben Cole

Techie's Dilemma: International Edition

(0) Comments | Posted June 3, 2013 | 9:58 AM

A few months ago, I wrote the first article in this series on the Techie's Dilemma. In this entry, I'll continue to explore the question that I spent months wrapping my head around: Where, in an interconnected world, does a globally-minded techie settle down? As I alluded to last time,...

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Techie's Dilemma: Silicon Valley vs. New York

(4) Comments | Posted February 22, 2013 | 8:23 AM

After spending the last few years traveling the world, it seems almost every major city is an aspiring tech hub these days. No matter where I go, the locals tell me the same thing: the government has recognized the importance of tech entrepreneurship, and they're taking major steps to encourage...

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Watching and Calculating, African Governments Learn From the Arab Spring

(1) Comments | Posted July 5, 2011 | 7:25 PM

It's no secret that Africa houses some of the longest-serving and most repressive dictators on the planet. Even among the states that have progressed past authoritarian rule, many governments still restrict basic rights with heavy-handed and often violent tactics. It's also no secret that Africa has the smallest Internet penetration...

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The Web As a Spotlight: An Alternative Look at Technology in the Arab Spring

(0) Comments | Posted April 18, 2011 | 3:54 PM

Since the spring of 2009, scholars and pundits alike have been debating the role technology has played the spate of uprisings across the Middle East and Africa. From Iran in 2009 to Egypt in early 2010 to the uprisings still taking place today, the web has clearly played a new...

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What Technology Brings to the Developing World

(3) Comments | Posted April 7, 2011 | 10:16 PM

When I decided to move to Africa, I did so with the goal to do good. I had spent four years in college studying algorithms, building software and even having fun, but when all was said and done, I craved to do something meaningful. I came to Africa because I...

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