{{Short description|Canadian fashion businessman}} {{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox writer/doc --> | name = Ben Barry | image = | imagesize = | caption = | pseudonym = | education = University of Toronto, University of Cambridge | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|2|09|mf=y}} | birth_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = ''Fashioning Reality: A New Generation of Entrepreneurship'' | influences = | influenced = | awards = Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case | signature = | website = | portaldisp = }}

'''Ben Barry''' (born February 9, 1983) is a Canadian entrepreneur, academic, author, and women's health advocate.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Governor General Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case - Status of Women Canada |url=https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/gg/recip-laure/2008-en.html#archived |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=cfc-swc.gc.ca}}</ref> He is currently the Dean of Fashion at the New School.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feitelberg |first=Rosemary |date=2020-12-10 |title=Parsons Names New Dean of Fashion |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/parsons-new-dean-of-fashion-1234674981/ |access-date=2022-04-27 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref> Ben is the founder and CEO of the Ben Barry Agency, a modelling agency and consultancy known for its use of diverse models, and the author of the Canadian bestseller ''Fashioning Reality: A New Generation of Entrepreneurship''.<ref name=SpeakersSpotlight>{{cite web| url=http://www.speakers.ca/barry_ben.aspx| publisher=Speakers Spotlight| title=Ben Barry| accessdate=2008-11-09| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217024556/http://www.speakers.ca/barry_ben.aspx| archivedate=17 December 2008| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=CTV>{{cite web| url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/young-model-agent-changing-the-face-of-fashion-1.232574| publisher=CTV News| date=2007-03-13| title=Young model agent changing the face of fashion| access-date=2008-11-11| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323095249/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070313/fashion_excerpt_070313?s_name=&no_ads=| archive-date=2007-03-23}}</ref>

==Early life and career==

Barry was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended the Elmwood School before moving on to Ashbury College,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.business.umt.edu/faculty/shay/LSEWEB/Sample_Plans/ben%20barry.pdf |title=Archived copy |website=www.business.umt.edu |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040202201756/http://www.business.umt.edu/faculty/shay/LSEWEB/Sample_Plans/ben%20barry.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2004 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and graduated from the University of Toronto, where he was a member of Trinity College, in 2005 with a BA in Women's Studies and Political Science. He later attended the University of Cambridge and completed an MPhil in Innovation, Strategy, and Organization in 2007 and a PhD with an Ogilvy Foundation research grant at Cambridge Judge Business School in 2012.<ref name=SpeakersSpotlight/><ref name=TorontoStar/><ref name=Judge>{{cite web| url=http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/phd/people/profile_barryb.html| publisher=Judge Business School| title=Judge Business School: Programmes - PhD - A-Z Listing of PhD Students - Ben Barry| accessdate=2008-11-11| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080929124215/http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/phd/people/profile_barryb.html| archivedate= 29 September 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=timeshighed>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=420026&sectioncode=26 |title=Super-skinny models won't supersize the profits |author=Reisz, Matthew |date=2012-05-24 |work=timeshighereducation.co.uk |accessdate=2012-12-16}}</ref> Barry's second book, ''Beyond Beauty: Discovering, Challenging, and Refining Beauty'', will examine perceptions of beauty across the world and will be based on his Ph.D. research.<ref name=SpeakersSpotlight/> He is the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Fashion Incubator, and sits on the Board of the Canadian Foundation for Women's Health.<ref name=TFI>{{cite web| url=http://www.fashionincubator.com/about/board/index.shtml| publisher=Toronto Fashion Incubator| title=Toronto Fashion Incubator Board of Directors| accessdate=2008-11-11| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907200635/http://www.fashionincubator.com/about/board/index.shtml| archive-date=2008-09-07| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=CFWH>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfwh.org/aboutUs/boardOfDirectors_e.aspx |publisher=Canadian Foundation for Women's Health |title=Board of Directors - About Us - Canadian Foundation for Women's Health |accessdate=2008-11-11 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224062117/http://www.cfwh.org/aboutUs/boardOfDirectors_e.aspx |archivedate=24 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Barry was an assistant professor of equity, inclusivity, and diversity in fashion at the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Fashion before being promoted to Chair of the School of Fashion in 2018.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Delap |first=Leanne |date=2018-05-04 |title=New Chair of Ryerson fashion school changing the world by changing culture |language=en-CA |work=The Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2018/05/04/new-chair-of-ryerson-fashion-school-changing-the-world-by-changing-culture.html |access-date=2022-04-27 |issn=0319-0781}}</ref><ref name=timeshighed/><ref name=RyersonBio>{{cite web |url=http://fashion.ryerson.ca/index.php/bios/index/51 |title=Ben Barry |work=fashion.ryerson.ca |publisher=Ryerson University |accessdate=2012-12-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915011803/http://fashion.ryerson.ca/index.php/bios/index/51 |archivedate=2012-09-15 }}</ref> In 2021, he was hired as the new Dean of Fashion at the New School in New York City, New York, USA. He also writes a bi-weekly small business column for ''The Globe and Mail'', Canada's national newspaper of record.<ref name=Globe>{{cite web| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080925.wsbbenbarry0925/BNStory/specialSmallBusiness| date=2008-10-25| work=The Globe and Mail| title=A card for all occasions| accessdate=2008-11-11}}</ref>

==Ben Barry Agency==

Barry began the Ben Barry Agency at the age of 14,<ref name=WindsorStar/> an agency known for its use of diverse models; those of widely different sizes, races, ages, and abilities. This was in contrast to most modelling agencies of the time which imposed strict height, weight, and age requirements.<ref name=TorontoStar/> The Agency took part in the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty.<ref name=SpeakersSpotlight/><ref name=TorontoStar>{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/article/189388| publisher=Toronto Star| date=2007-03-07 | title=Barry slowly breaking barriers| accessdate=2008-11-11 | first=Bernadette | last=Morra}}</ref><ref name=UofT>{{cite web| url=http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/07summer/barry.asp| publisher=University of Toronto Magazine| title=Ben Barry: Modelling Agent| accessdate=2008-11-11}}{{Dead link|date=October 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Barry has been acknowledged for his efforts to reform the fashion industry to more accurately represent women's diversity, and to end the use of a standard physical beauty ideal.<ref name=WindsorStar>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=eb9b4e34-3f5d-42ec-b7ac-82659ca697e1 |date=2008-10-13 |publisher=Windsor Star |title=Models of all shapes and sizes |accessdate=2008-11-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105121116/http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=eb9b4e34-3f5d-42ec-b7ac-82659ca697e1 |archivedate=2012-11-05 }}</ref><ref name=CBC>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2007/03/031807_2.html |publisher=CBC News |date=2007-03-17 |title=A New Kind of Fashion Model? |accessdate=2008-11-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430191221/http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2007/03/031807_2.html |archivedate=April 30, 2008 }}</ref><ref name=OttawaCitizen>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=cbf1b644-171f-4b0f-b56e-161766c103f7&k=83428 |date=2008-11-06 |publisher=Ottawa Citizen |title=Male modelling boss a winner for advancing cause of women |accessdate=2008-11-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105121101/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/city/story.html?id=cbf1b644-171f-4b0f-b56e-161766c103f7&k=83428 |archivedate=2012-11-05 }}</ref>

==Awards==

He has been awarded the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and is the inaugural male recipient of the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case.<ref name=":0" /> According to ''Maclean's'', he was recognized as "one of twenty-five leaders of tomorrow".<ref name=SpeakersSpotlight/>

==References==

{{reflist|3}}

==External links== * [http://www.benbarry.com Ben Barry Agency] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081217024556/http://www.speakers.ca/barry_ben.aspx Ben Barry] at Speakers Spotlight

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barry, Ben}} Category:Businesspeople from Ottawa Category:Canadian non-fiction writers Category:1983 births Category:Trinity College (Canada) alumni Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:Living people Category:Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case winners Category:Male feminists Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge Category:Writers from Ottawa Category:Ashbury College alumni