
Ben Kaufman is an inventor and serial entrepreneur known for founding the inventor marketplace Quirky, which folded in 2015. At 18, Kaufman founded his first company, Mophie, and learned just how difficult it is to bring one single product to market. In 2009, at age 28, Kaufman launched Quirky to help break down the barriers to invention and allow creative people around the world to invent together.
After Quirky, Kaufman went on to launch Scroll, which would become the parent company to design consultancy Auxiliary, Thrice.com (which makes pool floats), and Homesick Candles (which makes state-scented candles). In 2016, BuzzFeed acquired Scroll to launch its own in-house retail division called BuzzFeed Product Lab. Kaufman now directs that ecommerce division.