Ben Cort

Ben’s passion for recovery, prevention and harm reduction comes from his own struggle with substance abuse. Sober since 6/15/96, Ben has been a part of the recovery community in almost every way imaginable; from a recipient to a provider to a spokesperson Cort has a deep understanding of the issues and a personal motivation to see the harmful effects of drug and alcohol abuse minimized.
Aside from frequent speaking engagements in the community, Ben built his career outside of the substance abuse industry. Until 2007 he was a HR Director at an S&P 500 firm. Ben left this role to help start a small Colorado based nonprofit, Phoenix Multisport (PM). As an original board member and then their first full time employee, Ben was instrumental in building this company that has received frequent national recognition for their innovative approach to building sober communities around sport and healthy activities. While with PM, Cort worked extensively with the treatment community as well as drug courts and the therapy community as advisor, a member of clinical teams, frequent speaker, liaison, etc.

Ben left PM in 2012 feeling compelled to play a larger role in the organized effort to defeat Colorado’s Amendment 64. A frequent presenter and debater on the subject, Ben was well respected by both sides because of his fair, patient and informed approach.

As someone who understands the experience of the treatment recipient as much as the leadership of the program they are being treated in, Cort brings a holistic, compassionate, informed and very serious perspective to the effort.