Ben Cooper

Ben Cooper serves as the Managing Director of Watts Gwilliam & Company and its Optic Asset Management division. He is responsible for strategic initiatives and day-to-day management of the firm. He is also a partner and co-manager of the Vista and Zona funds, a series of alternative investment opportunities with a focus on real estate and private equity.

Previously, Ben provided real estate development and entitlement assistance around Arizona through his consulting firm, Cooper Development Strategies. Before that, Ben worked in similar functions at Norris Design, Rose Law Group, and Kent Cooper & Associates. In each of these roles, Ben has helped numerous national and regional residential and retail developer clients navigate city, county, and state regulations. Ben also has been very involved in his local community, serving as an elected member of the Gilbert Town Council from 2010 to 2015. Ben currently volunteers with “Gilbert Talks,” a local non-profit that promotes Civil Discourse in the community.

Ben received his MBA from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and holds a BA from Brigham Young University. Ben resides in Gilbert with his wife and three daughters, who all love to travel together.