Authenticity and Transparency to a Fault
Bruce “Zen” Benefiel is an accomplished author and speaker who holds an MA in Organizational Management, an MBA in Project Management, and certifications as a Secondary Teacher, Transformational Life Coach, and Hypnotherapist, along with an honorary Doctorate in Divinity.
“I consider Zen to be one of those superlative examples of what the human brain can store and serve up in unique and appealing ways at will on most any occasion or assignment… his range of knowledge and interests are ‘eclectic’—an understatement. Smart fellow! Great ally!”
— Dudley Lynch, President, Brain Technologies, Inc.
Zen came to the Valley as a machinist, first working for a contact lens manufacturer, then a miniature machining firm supplying aerospace parts, before becoming a production grinder specialist at AirResearch (later Honeywell). His precision work operated within tolerances of ten-thousandths of an inch — the kind of detail that shaped his lifelong relationship with exactness, discipline, and process.
A brief turn in the health food industry had him managing a 13-state territory in the Midwest, growing market penetration from 15% to 61% in 18 months. When he returned to Arizona, he rejoined Garrett Pneumatics as a grinder specialist and soon became the Lieutenant of the second-shift Emergency Response Team. Not long after, he was promoted to manage the Commercial Spares desk — an $7-million-per-month product line with over 800 part numbers.
Zen has always gravitated toward unifying people and ideas. He coordinated Arizona’s first large metaphysical event at the Biltmore Resort, hosted more than 120 episodes of One World television in the early 1990s, and facilitated multiple peace, justice, and environmental events. He also served as co-chair of the Phoenix Indian School Preservation Coalition, presenting to the Mayor Paul Johnson, staff, and Parks and Recreation planners to secure Native American heritage integration in the park plan. Steele Indian School Park opened in 2001.
From One World to community activism, Zen consistently invested his energy in people doing meaningful work. His love of creating “order out of chaos” led him into large-scale logistics management — including Tempe’s New Year’s Eve Block Party (250,000+ attendees), Tempe Arts Festivals, Glendale Arts and Antiques Festivals, and the first Arizona Bike Week spanning downtown Tolleson, SpeedWorld, and thousands from across the U.S..
After earning his MBA in 1997, Zen became a certified Secondary Teacher and taught in Phoenix Union High School District and multiple charter schools, developing curricula and multiple-intelligence learning centers. His MA thesis (2003) outlined a holistic model for a school/village using best-practice integrative education. The model was based on significant relationships – body, mind, spirit, planet, and cosmos.
He later worked in micro-lending and small-business development, helping women and minority entrepreneurs secure over $200,000 in micro-loans. He developed and taught business-plan curricula at post-secondary institutions, including an entire business-plan writing program for a healing arts college.
Zen also spent several years touring with national musical productions and artists as merchandise and stage manager before joining the launch team of the Higley Center for the Performing Arts.
He served as COO for Club-E in Tempe for a short time, later offering LinkedIn and social media classes through Phoenix SCORE with a workbook he compiled and published in 2014.
He co-hosted 2 Small Biz Guys radio on Star Worldwide Networks and continues to run several businesses, including:
Be The Dream LLC – Transformational Coaching
Planck Social Media Agency LLC
Team Partnering LLC
United We Stand Productions LLC
- Planetary Citizens public charity – 509(a)(2)
You might say he’s a true renaissance man with a new-millennial mindset — one skewed toward harmony among people and planet. His 2010 presentation at the International Association for Near-Death Studies bridged science and spirituality in ways that still shape his coaching and leadership today.
“Zen meets challenge with style and grace… a highly qualified facilitator and transformational life coach.”
— Steve Clarke, MCC
Orphaned at birth, adopted at 6 weeks, and raised in Indiana, Zen moved to Arizona in 1981 after the auto industry crash brought economic devastation to his rural community. Divorced in 1988 with four children and nine great-grandchildren, he re-married in 2017, his soulmate, Luba — a St. Petersburg–born concert pianist, music educator, and Kundalini yoga instructor. Between them, they celebrate a large, multigenerational family and a lifetime of lessons learned through “the trials and tribulations of parenthood.”
A New Chapter: Enter Paul Johnson & the Rise of the Arizona Independent Party
In 2025, Zen’s long history of civic engagement intersected with a pivotal moment in Arizona’s political landscape. Former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, who had been leading the Arizona chapter of the No Labels Party, faced a crossroads when the national organization withdrew from ballot-access efforts. Rather than let the recognized ballot line dissolve, Johnson envisioned transforming it into a true home for Arizona’s growing independent electorate.
To move forward, Johnson needed access to the party-name infrastructure — and that meant calling Zen.
Zen had previously established LLCs aligned with the “Arizona Independent Party” name, anticipating the need for independent-minded political organization in the state. Johnson reached out and asked if Zen would be willing to release those LLCs so the movement could take its next evolutionary step.
Zen did not hesitate. He transferred the LLCs, clearing the path for the rebranding of the No Labels Party into the Arizona Independent Party — and soon after, he joined the board of the newly formed organization.
The intention was simple and sincere:
Give Arizona independents a legitimate, functional political home, and level the playing field for candidates currently disadvantaged by signature requirements and ballot-access barriers.
The Clean Elections Lawsuit: A Challenge to the Name Itself
The transition was not without turbulence. Shortly after Secretary of State Adrian Fontes approved the name change from No Labels Party to Arizona Independent Party, the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission sued the Secretary, arguing he lacked the statutory authority to approve such a change and that the name “Independent” would confuse voters already registered as unaffiliated independents.
The lawsuit — still active — claims:
Voters may believe registering with the Arizona Independent Party means remaining unaffiliated
State law does not clearly permit mid-cycle party name changes
Ballot and registration systems could face administrative confusion
Supporters of the name change counter that multiple U.S. parties have historically used “Independent,” and that restricting it would stifle democratic access rather than protect it.
Zen’s role at this stage is not about political theatrics but about principled empowerment — helping build infrastructure for citizens seeking alternatives to hyper-partisan systems.
For the Curious…
Explore Zen’s early and recent letters of recommendation, personal story, and ongoing initiatives.
Visit his LinkedIn profile to learn more.
