After volunteering to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ben Smilowitz founded the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), the very first organization of its kind, to provide independent oversight of the agencies and organizations receiving funds to assist with similar national emergency situations. Among its many notable efforts, DAP filed a successful complaint in New York against the American Red Cross for gross mismanagement of funds after Superstorm Sandy, winning a $4 million release for those who had lost their homes, and much more. Ben then created SmartResponse.org, an interactive data repository where users can sign up, become a part of the disaster relief community, and work together to more efficiently administer local responses to emergency situations. Ben has been an Echoing Green Fellow, and is a graduate of UCONN Law. His work has been covered by the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN.