Meet the Team at EdOdyssey

Chief Operating Officer

Ben Polansky

Ben brings to EdOdyssey over 15 years of experience in global education, operations, and experiential learning. Prior to joining EdOdyssey, Ben spent the past decade leading Global Glimpse, an award-winning nonprofit organization that provides students and teachers from 100+ high schools with international travel and service-learning experiences. As the third full-time employee at Global Glimpse, Ben helped scale the organization to impact over 10,000 high school students and educators, distributing more than USD $20 million in travel scholarships to underserved communities across the U.S. He helped launch and scale programs and teams in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, while also leading national expansion efforts into key cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

At EdOdyssey, Ben leads operations, business development, and sustainable expansion to support the company’s next stage of growth. He is focused on building systems and partnerships that enable the team to deliver high-quality, human-centered global education at scale—while making EdOdyssey a great place to work and grow.

Ben is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an award-winning experiential educator. He lives in Ventura, California with his wife and two young kids, and believes deeply in the power of travel to build empathy, shift perspectives, and transform lives.

A Fun Fact About Ben:
”After years as an educator, trip leader and group facilitator, I know an embarrassing number of team builders and icebreakers. Some even sneak into my extended family gatherings—like the time we had a game of “Dance Telephone” with 7-year-olds and 70-year-olds copying each other's best moves.”

Ben’s Favorite Travel Memory:
”In the Ecuadorian Amazon, I had the honor of joining Waorani and Siekopai families and elders on a multi-day foraging and camping trip down the Aguarico River. Sharing chicha around the fire, I gained a deeper appreciation for Indigenous land rights and the wisdom these communities bring to the frontlines of climate and cultural resilience—some of the best lessons and travel memories I carry with me.”