Ben
Newman

Ben Newman founded Shaper Collective when he realized it was harder than ever for clients to get their message above the noise. Audiences have fragmented across thousands of micro-communities, but public affairs campaigns still speak with one voice. By the time traditional grassroots mobilizes, the moment has passed.

New technology is allowing for a different approach. Shaper Collective deploys Lead Shapers: advocates who post actively, join conversations, and build relationships within the feed. It's AI-native public relations that activates in hours, not weeks.

Before Shaper Collective, Ben founded AdaptIgnite, building AI workflows for private equity executives before most firms knew what to do with the technology. At UW-Madison, he led Renew the Wisconsin Idea, a student campaign that drove state-level media coverage and forced policy changes on campus antisemitism. The state campaign leveraged AI to become more effective and scale. The experience led him to Washington.

He writes The Influence Model on Substack, covering how AI is reshaping persuasion and power in Washington.