Ben Kessler has spent nearly 20 years in government service and advocacy, serving in both the executive and legislative branches of the United States government. He is the Director of Government Affairs for the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).  Prior to joining the AFM, he served as Director of Congressional Affairs at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), under President Joe Biden.  The NEA is a federal agency and is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in the United States.

He is a graduate of Amherst College and has a law degree from American University Washington College of Law.  His legal training is in intellectual property and copyright law