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Ben Summers
Born	Benjamin Daniel Dicharry (1976-07-05) July 5, 1976 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Louisiana State University
Occupation(s)	Managing Director of Adagio, LLC Founder of The Scholar Athlete Academy by Ben Summers

Benjamin Daniel Summers (born Benjamin Daniel Dicharry on July 5, 1976 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an American businessman and former professional baseball player. He is the founder of Houston-based private investment company Adagio, LLC and The Scholar Athlete Academy by Ben Summers.

College

Ben graduated from Louisiana State University ("LSU") with a Bachelor of Science in physics having studied music (piano performance/theory & composition) as a second discipline in spring 2002.

Athletic Career

Ben’s athletic career began as a quarterback (under offensive coordinator and former professional quarterback Robbie Mahfouz) and pitcher at Class 5-A Louisiana High School East Ascension where he earned Academic All-American honors. He suffered a torn rotator cuff and detached labrum early in his senior baseball season. After surgery and completing physical therapy, Ben became a protégé of Team USA Olympic Lifting Coach Gayle Hatch where he regained competitive strength and speed. After a 19 month layoff in January 1996, Ben continued his athletic career in college at Louisiana-Monroe ("ULM") as a pitcher (under head coach Smoke Laval) where he was also extended the opportunity to continue his football career as a quarterback for the D-1A Warhawks (under offensive coordinator George Haffner). In 1997, ULM defeated the #1 ranked LSU Tigers in Monroe giving them their first loss of the season. In spring 1998, Ben transferred to LSU to play baseball for the Tigers (under head coach Skip Bertman) where he suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow fall of 1998. After rehabbing at Louisiana State University in Shreveport ("LSUS") in the spring of 1999, Ben signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres organization. He spent most of the 2000 season bouncing on and off the disabled list with several different teams. In 2001, Ben was the opening day starter for the minor league Baton Rouge Blue Marlins who won the All-American Association championship that same year. In February 2002, Ben participated in the LSU baseball alumni game featuring the current LSU squad against Tiger baseball alumni who were active in professional baseball at the time. Ben's baseball career came to an end in June 2002 when he declined a short season A assignment with the Houston Astros in favor of pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry.

Energy Services Career

After Ben’s playing career came to an end in 2002 he changed his last name from Dicharry to Summers. He joined Turner Industries in Houston as a project engineer before quickly moving into business development. In April 2004, he went on to manage large-scale infrastructure development projects in West Africa with Willbros International on behalf of Shell Petroleum Development Company ("SPDC") and Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas ("NLNG") such as the Offshore Gas Gathering System and Receiving Facilities ("OGGS"). In 2007, Ben moved on to developing global markets for innovative drilling technologies with National Oilwell Varco with specific focus on managed pressure and underbalanced drilling applications in the North Sea. Throughout his tenure in the energy services sector, Ben achieved high profit margins while managing up to half-billion dollar budgets.

Entrepreneurship

In 2005, Ben founded Adagio, LLC developing unique real estate investment strategies designed to increase liquidity and extend holding periods in order to mitigate risk and capture value appreciation. Adagio now engages in a full complement of investing activities and provides consulting services to the finance world regarding real estate and energy matters. In 2009, Adagio moved into venture capital and asset based lending and is responsible for funding The Scholar Athlete Academy by Ben Summers.

External links

• The Scholar Athlete Academy by Ben Summers
• ADAGIO, LLC - A Private Investment Company
• Louisiana Football Magazine Article on Gayle Hatch
• Robbie Mahfouz on Fanbase