Councilmember Ben Bartlett is a fifth generation Berkeley native, environmental lawyer, and respected community leader with a mission to leverage industry and government to deliver innovation, expand opportunity, and protect the environment. As the son of community activists, at a young age he learned the value of community and the necessity of progress. Those values of innovation and inclusion continue to inform Ben’s policies. His policy work is focused on 21st century economic development with job opportunities for all Californians: creating public wi-fi to conquer the digital divide and reduce the achievement gap; solving homelessness and eliminating poverty; partnering with labor to deliver green infrastructure; expanding mass transit; and the large-scale deployment of affordable housing. More recently, Ben has focused on creating a system by which municipal micro-bonds are offered using blockchain technology, completely revolutionizing the way in which we fund our cities.