Mr. Ben Ruiz

Mr. Adolfo (Ben) Ruiz

Mr. Ben Ruiz

Adolfo (Ben) Ruiz, born in Mexico City, became a U.S. citizen in 2006. He is founder, principal partner, CEO & Creative Director for Adhawks, LLC, a multicultural marketing communication and PR agency in business since 1984 with clients such as GE, Toyota Motor Manufacturing KY, Fifth Third Bank, LG&E, Presbyterian Church USA, Brown-Forman and Humana. Ben’s many recognition awards include: 2017 Insider Louisville’s Top 100 Influencers (this includes being no. 4 among the 2018 Insider Louisville’s Top 100 Influencers in Marketing & Advertising), 2016 Service For Peace “ManUp Community Leader” Award, Lyman T. Johnson Dis- tinguished Leadership Award 2014, Leadership Louisville Community 2010 Connector, JFCS MOSAIC 2010 Community Leader Award, Junior Achievement Bronze Leadership Award, Agave’s Ferda Porter Community Leader Award, one national CLIO award and several local Louie creative advertising awards, including the

Public Relations Society of America’s Landmark of Excellence Award. In addition, Ben is the recipient of significant community awards for his volunteer work: namely, the National Oracle Volunteer of the Year Award and Lifetime Service Award for the Corn Island Storytelling Festival. In 1994, Ben and Sonia Ruiz were appointed as Kentucky Colonels. Ben has served on various community organizations’ boards: The Mayor’s Louisville

Latino Council, The Louisville Hispanic Latino Coalition, GLI’s Hispanic Latino Business Council, Adelante Hispanic Achievers, Advisory Board Member for the University of Louisville Latin American & Latino Studies and member of LCCC’s Cultural Arts Commercial District Committee. Together with his wife, Sonia, he is the co-founder of the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Cinco De Mayo at 4th St Live Fiesta as well as the 100 Dreamers El Sueño Centenario Kentucky Latino Scholarship Fund.

Ben’s current affiliations include: Member of the U of L President’s Council (formerly known as the Board of Overseers), American Advertising Federation of Louisville Life Member, Member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the American Red Cross, Board Member of Dismas Charities, Advisory Board Member for Simmons College of Kentucky, Community Ambassador for Louisville Central Community Centers, Advisory Committee Member for U of L’s Hite Art Institute, Community Advisory Member for Jefferson Community

& Technical College’s Portfolio Review, Founder/Chair of the Mayor’s Louisville Latino Council and Advisory Board Member for the Kentuckiana Hispanic Business Council.

Ben has taken various art, English and marketing courses at the Art Institute of Chicago, New York University, Art Center College of Los Angeles, Jefferson Community College and Texas Academy of Art (a graduate school of graphic design). Ben has taught Graphic Design and Advertising Copywriting as part of Adjunct Faculty for Brown Mackie College, Webster College, Ivy Tech Indiana, the University of Louisville—and, more recently, at Jefferson Community Technical College.

Ben and his wife, Sonia, have three children: Monica, Ben and Marcella who have all married and live nearby in Kentucky.