Ben Shestakofsky

Benjamin Shestakofsky is a sociologist and assistant professor in the Department of Information Science at Cornell University. His research centers on the relationship between work, technology, organizations, and political economy in the age of AI. Shestakofsky's book, Behind the Startup: How Venture Capital Shapes Work, Innovation, and Inequality (University of California Press), investigates the role of financiers in shaping our technological future. Benjamin's academic articles have been published in journals including Socio-Economic Review, Theory and Society, Big Data & Society, Work and Occupations, Socius, International Journal of Communication, and Teaching Sociology. His research and commentary have appeared in media outlets including the New York Times, National Public Radio, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Financial Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Fast Company, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Forbes India, Axios, and in a publication of the World Economic Forum. Shestakofsky holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and was previously an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.