Episode 88 | Ben Higgins - The Human Story Behind It

Ben Higgins is best known from season 20 of ABC's hit series, "The Bachelor," where he opened himself up to millions of viewers, giving them the chance to truly get to know him. The opportunity ultimately led to an enhanced platform that he now uses to share what he is most passionate about with others – his faith, his hope for humanity and his love of sports.

Born and raised in Winona Lake, IN, Ben currently resides in Denver, CO, where he moved after graduating from Indiana University in 2012. Since "The Bachelor," Ben has been keeping up with a number of projects with the help of some of his closest friends.

In 2017 Ben co-founded Generous International, a for purpose company dedicated to contributing profits to social issues around the world, starting with a cup of coffee. With a vision to change the way society thinks of consumer products, all Generous merchandise is designed specifically to create and multiply good in the world. Whether creating jobs, feeding children or improving education, it begins with giving back in order to build a world that we all want to live in.

Ben stays connected with his loyal Bachelor following with his iHeartMedia podcast, "Almost Famous," which he co-hosts with his friend and former Bachelor contestant, Ashley Iaconetti. With over 80 million downloads it's the perfect destination for fans to get an inside perspective on the popular franchise as they break down the current Bachelor season in addition to discussing pop culture, offering relationship advice and allowing listeners to keep up with their personal lives.

In 2018 Ben partnered with nationally recognized chef Daniel Asher and the team at Culinary Creative Group to open his first restaurant venture Ash 'Kara in Denver, Co. Ash 'Kara is a globally inspired restaurant with influences from Israel, the Middle East, and Mesopotamia. Ash 'Kara which is Hebrew street slang for "totally!" or "right on!" explores the continuous evolution of Israeli cuisine with ingredients and flavors from across Europe and North Africa including Yemen, Syria, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey and Spain into a menu of shareable items from Ash 'Kara's wood-fired oven.

In November of 2019 Ben teamed up with chef Blake Edmunds to open up his second restaurant "Mister Oso". Mister Oso is a Latin inspired restaurant that channels his love of Central and South American cuisine through a casual, flavor-bomb menu of salads, smoked and roasted meat tacos, ceviches, and crudos.

In August of 2019 Ben was announced by Warner Brothers as the host of their newest project "Bachelor Live On Stage". In February of 2020 Ben and the team hit the road to tour 65 cities throughout the United States hosting a live show in front of 2,000 plus people every night.

In February of 2021 Ben released his first book called "Alone In Plain Sight" which is a book focused on reconnecting with yourself, others, romance, and with God. The book was a passion project from Ben's heart where he highlights the life's most pivotal stories of his friends and himself.

In March of 2020 in a response to the COVID-19 pandemic Ben and his team announced the start of an apparel project called My Fan Threads. My Fan Threads sells custom apparel online with a print on demand process model.

In June of 2021 Ben started hosting an uplifting and encouraging yet honest podcast called "Hope Still Wins". Hope Still Wins is an attempt to interview some of the world's most inspiring and authentic thought leaders to ask them the question "Does Hope Still Win? If so, why? If not, why not?

Of all Ben's ventures, his longest-running connection has been with Humanity and Hope United, where he holds a seat on the board. Established by one of his best friends, Riley Fuller, Humanity & Hope United is a non-profit organization working to assist underserved villages in remote parts of Honduras. They partner with the people of each community to achieve sustainable change, focusing on the needs of individuals rather than a single issue or approach.

In this episode, Ben shares his enthusiasm for sustainable change by being actively involved in partnerships and kinships that fight against injustices and promote the notion that 'for-profit' businesses can do good.