Benjamin Shestakofsky

Benjamin Shestakofsky is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, part of the School of Arts & Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (2018) and has published extensively on digital technologies' impact on work, venture capital dynamics, and AI ethics.

Education:

• Ph.D. Sociology, UC Berkeley, 2018
• M.A. Sociology, UC Berkeley, 2014
• B.A. Sociology & American Studies, Wesleyan University, 2005

Research Focus: His work examines how venture capital shapes startup cultures and labor practices, with a focus on inequality in tech ecosystems. His book Behind the Startup (2024) explores how financial pressures drive exploitative labor practices in high-growth tech firms. Current projects include AI governance, platform labor, and organizational ethnography.

Key Awards:

• 2019 W. Richard Scott Award for Distinguished Scholarship
• 2021 Star-Nelkin Paper Award

Grants & Affiliations:

• Funded by the W.E. Upjohn Institute, Horowitz Foundation, and UC Berkeley's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
• Part of the Center on Digital Culture and Society and AI at Wharton initiatives

Labs/Teams: Engages in interdisciplinary research on digital labor and AI ethics through affiliations with Penn’s sociology department and cross-campus initiatives.