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Ben Davies on Connecting People and Driving Growth Through Community-Led Strategies

Ben Davies has been building communities since the Myspace era, long before social media became a staple of business strategy. From working with tech powerhouses like Canva to leading grassroots initiatives for social causes, Ben’s experience spans industries and scales.

In this interview, he talks about what first drew him into the community space, how he’s navigated the challenges of building engaged communities for startups and nonprofits alike, and his biggest lessons for creating spaces where people feel connected and inspired.

Ben, you’ve been in the community-building game for a long time, starting back in the Myspace era. What was it about community-building that first captured your interest, and how do you keep it fresh after all these years?

Jumping into the community space during the early days of tech and Web 2.0 felt like discovering that there was this secret role where you could build expertise and do almost anything inside a business.

I wasn’t boxed in—I could think like a product manager one day, a marketer the next. Always building connections between people internally and externally, helping create an outsized impact where the combined efforts of members and team contribute to something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Keeping it fresh is actually pretty easy. There’s endless possibilities to embrace and there’s always something new to be curious about. The tech landscape evolves, people’s needs shift, and new ways to connect emerge all the time. You get good at riding those waves, always looking for the next opportunity to bring people together in meaningful ways.

You’ve worked with tech giants like Canva and also built high-impact communities in the not-for-profit space. What are the biggest differences you’ve found between building communities for fast-growing startups versus social causes?

I still remember walking into my first day at Canva to find a table overflowing with every kind of breakfast food you could imagine. A few hours later? One of the tastiest lunches I’ve ever had—and they did this every single day! The kicker? The cost of that one day’s breakfast for me was more than the entire budget we had for a year‘s worth of team celebrations at ADACAS, one of the NFP’s I worked at. They also gave away hundreds of times my entire NFP’s budget to those who need it the most each year. Talk about a different world!

The big challenge is the lack of constraints and figuring out which of the infinite possibilities to chase first. You’ve got to be savvy about prioritising because, despite all the resources, time is still finite. At that scale, you have to master the art of automation in community-building. Done right, it helps people connect across a sea of millions.

Done wrong, it turns a thriving community into just another mediocre marketing play. And let’s not forget, you’re rubbing shoulders with some of the brightest minds who’ve fought hard to be there, which is fantastic—even if you have to get good at drinking from the information firehose without drowning.

Switch over to the not-for-profit world, and it’s a whole different ball game. Resources are tighter than skinny jeans after Christmas. You’re working with folks from all walks of life—former CEOs and tech founders giving back in the twilight years of their careers, people with a wealth of lived experience who’ve taught me more than anyone else, and volunteers whose combined efforts make changing the world feel possible.

You’ve got to be scrappy—building your own tools, hacking together free platforms, pulling rabbits out of hats just to keep things moving. Waiting months or even years for budget approval? Yep, that’s the norm so stop waiting and do something.

Every cent spent and every minute used on anything that doesn’t make an impact feels like a betrayal of the trust donors and funding bodies have placed in you. Nothing has taught me more about resourcefulness and the true meaning of impact than working in that space.

Community-led growth is such a powerful concept, and you’ve seen it in action at both massive companies and grassroots organisations. What’s the secret to building a community that people want to be part of and stay engaged with?

Want the secret sauce? Make it all about them. Create a space where people don’t just connect with your brand—they connect with each other. Spark those “aha!” and “me too!” moments by making space for people to connect, discover common ground, and learn from each other. Keep things lively, and don’t be afraid to shake things up. People stick around when they feel seen, heard, and maybe even a little challenged.

Canva’s rise from $4 billion to $40 billion is incredible, and you were right there fostering their community along the way. What were some key strategies or moments that helped connect the community with the company’s growth?

Canva was where I learned to manage a community at a scale that could make your brain do backflips. The core principles—helping people connect and support each other in ways that also benefited the business—still held strong. But those high-touch tactics that work in smaller communities? At Canva’s scale, they were about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

So how did we bridge the gap between an ever-growing user base and a thriving community? There’s a lot to it, but I think it boils down to three key moves:

Smart Gamification: We laser-focused on rewarding members for contributions that genuinely mattered—to other users and to the business. This wasn’t about handing out gold stars for participation; it was about encouraging actions that created real value. By aligning incentives with meaningful engagement, we kept the community buzzing and the quality high.

Tuning the Social Architecture: We got downright obsessed with tweaking the structure of community spaces and fine-tuning ranking algorithms in search tools. The goal? Make sure the right information popped up at the right time for each member. With millions searching and thousands posting, and sharing, you have to ensure everyone finds their perfect needle in the digital haystack.

Empowering Member-Powered Contributions: We created spaces that made it ridiculously easy for members to create and share their own content. Then we automated feedback loops—signals, ratings, comments—so they could keep dialling in exactly what the community was hungry for. Voting systems, feedback mechanisms—you name it. Even with tens of thousands of uploads per day, members could guide each other and keep the ecosystem thriving.

You can’t hold everyone’s hand but you can still provide a meaningful, fun and nurturing experience that gets close. It’s about building systems that empower the community to steer the ship, all while aligning with the company’s mission.

You’ve helped raise millions for social causes and built health communities for organisations like ReachOut.com. Is there a project or initiative that had a particularly personal impact on you?

Absolutely. One experience that stays with me is about a young person who was navigating an immensely painful and terrifying chapter in their life. They were wrestling with deep-seated traumas from their childhood—demons that made the terrifying idea of ending it all seem like the only way to stop it.

I talked to them almost every day, helping them unearth reasons within themselves to keep going. I encouraged them to continue seeking support and treatment, walking alongside them on their path to recovery. There were definitely days when they were holding on by a thread, but we never gave up. They were constantly uplifted by our community—other young people who listened, offered comfort, and gently guided when there was space to breathe.

Fast forward about five years, and I get a message from this person. Can’t share it word for word. I don’t want to put them out, but the essence was this: “I made it. Life is good. Thanks for helping me live long enough to have this.”

That moment hit me right in the feels. Knowing that our efforts contributed to someone being able to make it—to them finding joy and purpose.

And here’s the kicker: ReachOut.com does this hundreds of times a day. If that doesn’t make you want to support them, I don’t know what will. Seriously, go check them out and please consider donating. 

With your experience coaching and advising startups, what’s the one piece of advice you always give to early-stage companies trying to create a vibrant community around their brand?

One piece of advice? Don’t make it about you. Listen to your community—really listen—and build around their needs. Keep it simple, make it valuable, and for goodness’ sake, skip the marketing fluff. Give people a reason to be excited, and they’ll bring the energy right back.

You’ve juggled so many different projects across various sectors. How do you manage your workload, stay motivated, and continue to innovate in the community-building space?

Honestly? A good cup of coffee helps—a lot! But seriously, I thrive on variety. Jumping between projects keeps things interesting and keeps me on my toes. It’s the love of connecting people and tackling big challenges that keeps the fire burning. Plus, community experts are emotionally intelligent passionate folks who challenge me, which doesn’t hurt either. 

About Author

Hey there! I'm Hao, the Editor-in-Chief at Balance the Grind. We’re on a mission to showcase healthy work-life balance through interesting stories from people all over the world, in different careers and lifestyles.