Welcoming Ben Johnson II to the Lab

Bringing Ben Johnson II into the L-EAF Lab Family: A Story of Aligned Mission and Seamless Integration

Sometimes the right person walks into your life at exactly the right moment. That's exactly what happened when we met Ben Johnson II, who's now joining our leadership team as Chief Revenue Officer.

Finding Our Mission Match Over just a few conversations, something remarkable became clear: Ben and our team share an unwavering commitment to student-centricity. “Within the first few minutes of meeting Ben for the 1st time, I realized we had found our missing team member. We have been approaching student centricity from opposite sides of the same system.” according to Jeff Burstein, CEO and Chief Student Advocate of the Lab.  While we've been building L-EAF Lab around the belief that early talent deserves real-world opportunities, Ben has been championing students from the governance side for more than 21 years as a trustee for the Alvord Board of Education and currently on the Riverside County Board of Education.

"Ben understands that learning happens at the speed of trust," says Simon Holzapfel, CFO and co-founder of L-EAF Lab. "His proven relationship-building skills make him our connection catalyst. When your mission is developing talent through authentic collaboration, having someone who naturally forges genuine relationships with students, partner school districts, and clients isn't just valuable—it's essential."

What Ben Brings That We Didn't Know We Needed Ben's combination is rare: Fortune 500 sales leadership meets grassroots educational advocacy. He's elevated underperforming teams to industry recognition while simultaneously working with school districts from 125 to 70,000 students. This dual perspective means he doesn't just understand our market—he's lived on both sides of it.

The Ease of Integration What struck us most was how naturally Ben fit. No lengthy onboarding process, no cultural adjustment period. He immediately grasped how our partnership with The ASCEND Collective® represents the future of talent pipeline development, and he's already identifying opportunities to expand these strategic relationships that bridge education and industry.

Ben doesn't just help us get across finish lines—he helps us see which finish lines are worth crossing.

Moving Forward Together With Ben joining our ownership team, we're not just adding a Chief Revenue Officer; we're gaining a leader who shares our vision of transforming how early talent prepares for and enters the workforce. His educational governance experience ensures we stay true to our student-first mission while his sales expertise drives the growth that makes our impact possible.

Welcome to the family, Ben. Let's keep building something that matters.