Ben Bassi - CEO and Founder
Ben Bassi is a trailblazer in Web Technologies, Digital Marketing, and Digital Strategy, with over 30 years of experience architecting and developing more than 1,000 web-based projects. As the founder of Virtual Strategy and CEO of CommonPlaces, Inc.—a CIO Review "Top 20 Most Promising Web Developers" and INC 500 company—Ben has built a career at the forefront of the digital revolution.
His Internet journey began in the 1990s, building advanced systems for the U.S. Department of Defense and national security agencies. As a founding management team member of Lycos, the first large-scale Internet search engine, and Chief Operating Officer of Firefly, the web’s first true social network, Ben played key roles in shaping early online innovation. At Firefly, he helped develop Microsoft’s Site Server and contributed to the creation of Internet Privacy Standards under President Clinton’s administration.
In 1998, Ben founded CommonPlaces, later merging it with a public company to form YouthStream Media. There, he helped acquire pioneering social networking patents and develop web infrastructure ultimately sold to LinkedIn at its launch in 2003.
Over the years, Ben has raised more than $125 million in capital, launched new businesses with giants like IBM and Waste Management, led companies through IPOs (Lycos, CommonPlaces), and executed numerous mergers and acquisitions (Six Degrees, MIT).
He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and Computer Science from SUNY ESF and Syracuse University.
"My entire professional life has been centered around the Internet. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve lived Forrest Gump’s Web Life. I've had the privilege of working with legends like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Bob Davis, Bill Townsend, Pattie Maes, Scott McNealy, Marc Andreessen, and Dr. Michael 'Fuzzy' Mauldin. It's been a front-row seat to history." — Ben Bassi
When he’s not shaping the digital future, Ben's passion is his family and friends. He shares life with his wonderful wife, five daughters, and five grandchildren. He’s an avid boater, skier, classic car enthusiast, classic rock fan, and foodie. Living on Boston’s northern shore, Ben embraces every moment. Originally from Central New York, he proudly earned his engineering degrees from Syracuse University. He also gives back by advising businesses through initiatives like the New Hampshire Governor’s Employment Board and the NSBA Leadership & Technology Councils.
