Ben Kennedy started out on framing crews as a teenager, learning construction from the ground up. That early work showed him he wanted to build smarter, not only harder, and he went on to study construction management in college. 

  

In 2010, Ben founded Brighton Builders, a luxury custom home builder serving Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and the greater Lowcountry. The company is known for a design-first, client-driven approach, building homes that work exactly the way the owner wants to live. Over the years, Brighton Builders' portfolio has grown from custom homes to cabin communities, apartments, mixed multifamily and single-family projects, and boutique commercial buildings across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. More recently, the company has expanded into commercial construction, including medical, dental and professional office buildings, among them two recently completed real estate offices. 

  

In 2012, Ben founded Brighton Development to take on land and community development: entitling land, planning communities and bringing new product to market with partners. 

 

Ben's work has been recognized with the Home Builders Association of South Carolina Pinnacle Award, the Hilton Head Area HBA Hammer Award, and ABAC's Outstanding Young Alumnus (2018). He also served as a project manager on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. 

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In 2024, Ben partnered with Mark to establish Brighton Real Estate Ventures, focusing on identifying new real estate investment opportunities and building strategic joint venture partnerships. Today, Ben plays a key role in expanding the firm’s investment portfolio, with a focus on growing its RV resort platform throughout the Southeast while pursuing new opportunities in small-bay industrial and mixed-use developments. He works closely with Mark to execute the firm’s long-term investment strategy, establish partnerships, and secure capital to support continued growth.