Ben Passer

Ben Passer joined the McKnight Foundation in September 2021 as a senior program officer for the Midwest Climate & Energy program. He oversees and develops significant grant portfolios that support efforts to build power through partnerships, aligning McKnight’s climate and equity goals to advance solutions to the climate crisis. He came to McKnight from Fresh Energy, where he directed energy access work that secured regulatory results at the Public Utilities Commission and policy change at the Minnesota State Capitol. He spearheaded the creation and growth of Fresh Energy’s Energy Access and Equity program and led the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism initiatives. A licensed attorney and member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Passer holds a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Minnesota and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law).