# Ben Relles > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ben_Relles > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ben_Relles.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Relles > Source revision: 1356180052 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American businessman (b.1975)}} {{Infobox person | name = Ben Relles | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = 1975 | birth_place = [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin), [United States](/source/United_States) | death_date = | death_place = | body_discovered = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | citizenship = | other_names = | known_for = | education = [University of Wisconsin–Madison](/source/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison), [Wharton School of Business](/source/Wharton_School_of_Business) | alma_mater = | employer = | occupation = Working with [Reid Hoffman](/source/Reid_Hoffman) | years_active = | title = | height = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | opponents = | boards = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relations = | callsign = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Ben Relles''' is an entrepreneur and creator. His career in video started with the viral [Obama Girl](/source/Obama_Girl) video in 2007. He currently works with [Reid Hoffman](/source/Reid_Hoffman) and co-created Reid AI, a digital twin based on Hoffman’s content. ==Career== In 2007, Relles founded the comedy channel [Barely Political](/source/Barely_Political), whose content has been reportedly viewed over 2.5 billion times. The channel “rose to prominence” with the ["Obama Girl"](/source/I_Got_a_Crush..._on_Obama) series of videos.{{Cite web |last=Woodson |first=Alex |date=2007-10-17 |title=Obama Girl’s latest crush: Scannell’s online startup |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/obama-girls-latest-crush-scannells-2-152723/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} During his tenure, the network’s shows included [The Key of Awesome](/source/The_Key_of_Awesome), Super Therapy, and [Auto-Tune the News](/source/Auto-Tune_the_News).{{Cite web |title=Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, and more parodied in another hilarious 'Key of Awesome' spoof: Watch it here |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/04/07/lady-gaga-justin-bieber-obama-girl-key-of-awesome-spoof/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=EW.com |language=en}} He also developed the [Vsauce](/source/Vsauce) network with [Michael Stevens](/source/Michael_Stevens_(educator)) which had a combined 1 billion views across Vsauce1, Vsauce2, and Vsauce3. In 2011, while serving as Vice President of Programming at [Next New Networks](/source/Next_New_Networks), Relles joined [YouTube](/source/YouTube) when the company and the channels Relles started were acquired.{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2019-04-09 |title=YouTube Jumping Into Interactive Programming, Led by Originals Exec Ben Relles |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/youtube-ben-relles-interactive-original-content-1203184576/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} In 2014, Relles joined the [YouTube Originals](/source/YouTube_Premium) program as Head of Comedy. In this role, he oversaw development of new content from several high-profile comedy figures, including [Kevin Hart](/source/Kevin_Hart) and [Rhett & Link](/source/Rhett_%26_Link). In 2020, Relles created the ''Good to Vote'' program to drive voter registration, and then partnered with HeadCount.org on the initiative.,{{Cite web |last=Narducci |first=Marc |date=2020-10-29 |title=This Upper Dublin High School grad is using his Hollywood connections to get people registered to vote |url=https://www.inquirer.com/life/ben-relles-head-of-inovatgion-for-youtube-originals-has-spearheaded-a-successful-campaign-to-get-people-registered-to-vote-20201029.html |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Inquirer.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Gardner |first=Chris |date=2020-09-15 |title=Shaved Heads, Co-Star Reunions and Swearing Tutorials: Inside the Starry "Good to Vote" Campaign |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/shaved-heads-co-star-reunions-and-swearing-tutorials-inside-the-starry-good-to-vote-campaign-4060861/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} To date, the program has registered over 400,000 voters by working with content creators and music artists like [Sabrina Carpenter](/source/Sabrina_Carpenter), [Ariana Grande](/source/Ariana_Grande) and [Harry Styles](/source/Harry_Styles). The program continued for the 2022 midterms and in the 2024 election. Since 2022, Relles has worked with [LinkedIn](/source/LinkedIn) co-founder [Reid Hoffman](/source/Reid_Hoffman). In 2024, they worked together to create Reid AI, a “digital twin” of Hoffman. Reid AI was reportedly trained on 20 years of Reid’s content, including his books, podcasts, and interviews.{{Cite web |title=Reid Hoffman's digital twin to give keynote at video summit {{!}} AV Magazine |url=https://www.avinteractive.com/territories-news/us-canada/reid-hoffmans-digital-twin-to-give-keynote-at-video-summit-06-01-2025/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |language=en}} Relles has given keynotes alongside Reid AI at multiple events, including the 2025 Silicon Valley Video Summit. That same year, Reid AI won the [Webby](/source/Webby_Awards) for ''Best Use of AI in Video and Film''.{{Cite web |last=BASIC® |title=NEW Webby Gallery + Index |url=http://winners.webbyawards.com/2025/video-film/performance-craft/best-use-of-ai/332625/reid-hoffman-meets-his-ai-twin |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=NEW Webby Gallery + Index |language=en}} He received his MBA in Marketing from the [Wharton School of Business](/source/Wharton_School_of_Business).{{Cite web |title=Ben Relles |url=https://magazine.wharton.upenn.edu/ben-relles/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Wharton Magazine |language=en-US}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140306020608/http://www.tubefilter.com/2014/03/02/obama-meets-with-youtube-advisors-on-how-to-reach-online-audiences/ Obama Meets With YouTube Advisors On How To Reach Online Audiences] *[http://vimeo.com/71820923 FOX Business: The Willis Report] *[https://www.uwalumni.com/awards/forward_relles/ UW Alumni Association: Ben Relles, 2013 Forward Under 40 Award Honoree] *[http://www.fastcompany.com/3002442/innovation-agents/how-youtubes-next-lab-can-quadruple-channels-subscribers Fast Company: How the Next Lab Can Quadruple Your Subscribers] *[https://www.c21media.net/archives/78075 NATPE Daily: Developing for Digital] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyuazh2SGBU Anderson Cooper Show: YouTube Guest Ben Relles] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpdSmitOY6k 20/20: The Key of Awesome] *[https://vimeo.com/9664773 CurrentTV: The Obama Girl] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnT6YE2aNd4 C-SPAN: Interview with Ben Relles] *[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/07/16/a-crush-on-obama-and-an-e_n_53057.html Huffington Post: A Crush on Obama and an Eye on the Prize] *[https://www.news.wisc.edu/on-wisconsin/e-lectorate/ On Wisconsin Magazine: E-lectorate] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131010062203/http://blip.tv/barely-political/obama-girl-abc-417456 ABC News: Obama Girl, Caught] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Relles, Ben}} Category:1975 births Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Category:Living people Category:Wharton School alumni Category:21st-century American businesspeople --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ben Relles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Relles) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Relles?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.