Ben Rattray

MSc Political Theory 2003

Ben Rattray is the founder and Executive Chair of Change.org, the world’s largest platform of social change. Graduating from Stanford in 2002 and completing a master’s degree at LSE in 2003, Rattray created Change.org in 2007. The idea was inspired by the emergence of Facebook in 2005, recognising the potential of this kind of technology to connect people around the world to create social change. Following a period of introspection after his brother came out to him as gay and, in doing so, highlighted to him the LGBTQ+ discrimination in their own community, Rattray told The Guardian in 2013 that "I decided instead of serving myself I wanted to serve others".

In 2013, Rattray was named as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and one of Fortune’s 40 under 40 rising young business leaders. Change.org has enabled more than 500 million people in 196 countries to start or support petitions. Change.org is proudly people-powered, existing to make an impact, not to make a profit. Every day, people use its tools to transform their communities – locally, nationally and globally.

Rattray leads Change.org’s strategic vision and is a frequent public speaker about the intersection of technology and social change.