Benson manages the Pittsburgh Living Product Hub, which ILFI launched in April 2017 to support the region’s growth of green manufacturing and regenerative product design. A Pittsburgh native, Benson is excited to build ILFI’s presence in the region and work with local manufacturers to pursue the Declare and Living Product Challenge programs.
Benson has spent the past twelve years studying and implementing different approaches to environmental management, including the past eight years directing the corporate sustainability program for The PNC Financial Services Group. In this entrepreneurial role, he championed an enterprise-wide sustainability program to reduce the bank’s operational footprint, mitigate environmental risk within its lending portfolio, and seek out financing opportunities to support a low-carbon economy. Prior to PNC, he worked on sustainable product design for Stonyfield Farm and the GreenBlue Institute.
Benson is a LEED Accredited Professional, who holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA and Master of Environmental Management (MEM) from Yale University. He volunteers in the community as a board member of Construction Junction, a non-profit building material reuse center.