Ben Claflin holds a degree in Architectural Engineering with a History minor from the University of Texas at Austin. His undergraduate fellowship with the Clements Center for National Security sparked his interest in artificial intelligence, data, and national security. Ben gained tangible experience working on AI while assessing AI’s impact in war and manufacturing as an intelligence analyst with the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) and designing, developing, and scaling AI and ML solutions as a Product Owner at a $14 billion IT solutions provider. Additionally, Ben co-founded a startup after receiving two grants from the US Department of State and represents all 9,000 low-income students at UT Austin as a UT for Me Ambassador. In the future, Ben aims to design, develop, and deliver AI solutions to support the United States’ national security objectives.

He is a member of the NobleReach Scholars 2025 Cohort in the Artificial Intelligence domain.