Ben Nemtin

Biography

Ben had an academic scholarship to a top-tier school and the dream of making the U-19 Canadian Rugby Team had just become a reality. Then, everything went south.Out of the blue, Ben was hit with a crippling depression. His anxiety stopped him from going to school, and it stopped him from going to rugby practice. Ben dropped out of college, and was dropped from the rugby team. Then Ben became a shut-in in his parent’s house, unable to leave. Ben slowly realized that he had been living the life he wanted other people to see — not the life he wanted for himself.In an attempt to re-set, Ben decided to only surround himself with people who inspired him. He made a list of ‘100 things to do before you die’ with his three friends, Jonnie, Dave, and Duncan. They decided that for every bucket list item they accomplished, they would help a complete stranger accomplish something on their list.They called their missionThe Buried Life. The Buried Life was named after a 150 year-old poem by Matthew Arnold which articulated our frustrations perfectly – our dreams felt buried. They borrowed an RV, bought a second-hand camera and hit the road for a two-week road trip to tackle our list of impossible dreams and help others. What happened next was completely unexpected.Total strangers reached out to help us with our bucket list, and also sent us their dreams asking for help. We had no idea the ripple effect our mission would have, ultimately inspiring millions to write their list and pursue their buried dreams. That two-week road trip has lasted over a decade. And the list items that Ben was once convinced were impossible, had somehow been checked off the list. As a result, Ben now truly believes that anyone can do anything and I have seen how this belief changes how you make decisions and, ultimately, how you live your life. Ben's goal is to instill this belief in you and prove that you are capable of the impossible.