About me
Ben Sledge is a wounded combat veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where he spent time in the United States Army serving a portion of it under the Special Operations (Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command) before leaving the military after 11 years of service. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and 2 Army Commendation Medals.
After leaving the military he began working for a geopolitical intelligence firm as a graphic designer only to move through the ranks and become the head of their Design Department before leaving to pursue his passions. Ben’s artwork has been featured in two New York Times Best Selling Novels, TIME Magazine, the Los Angles Times, the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox News, CNN, and many, many more publications. His contract work ranges from large nonprofits to small businesses as time allows.
Ben now works within the music industry for HeartSupport, a non-profit that helps Millennials battling addiction, suicide ideation, depression, sexual abuse, loneliness, broken relationships, and a host of other issues. The company was founded by Jake Luhrs, lead singer of Grammy-nominated metal band, August Burns Red, and was recently recognized for their work at the Alternative Press Music Awards where they won an award for philanthropy of the year.
Viewing art through numerous mediums, Ben is also a writer, communicator, and storyteller. A cultural expert on Generation Y and Millennials, he travels around the U.S. educating and speaking at churches, schools, businesses, the U.S. military, and other non-profits. His writing has been featured on Thought Catalog, Daily Mail Online, The Good Men Project, and numerous other publications as well as often reaching the Top 20 on medium.com.