J. Scott Benson

 J. Scott Benson had a successful career as a serial entrepreneur in the computer industry. Benson started his first computer company in his early 20s in 1978. It was a microcomputer company created two years before the announcement of the IBM personal computer. Throughout the years, he started multiple computer companies. Benson’s early interest in networking computers continued as the industry slowly evolved into a connected world.

In the mid 1990s, Benson cofounded an email server software company that merged with Software.com to create the first company with commercial-grade internet email server software. After Software.com, he founded an early social media company, which he sold to Lycos in 2000. He retired in 2000 and has been helping entrepreneurs build their companies, taking on the roles of board member, advisor, and mentor ever since.

Benson served on Berklee’s Board of Trustees from 1999 through 2005. He has supported Berklee by creating scholarships for songwriters and business students. Additionally, he established the Gary Burton Chair at Berklee. His most recent project is a melding of classical and metal music called Lost Symphony, which will release albums on his record label, XOFF Records, Inc.