He received a master's degree from Boston University and a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University, both in creative writing. He received his law degree from Northwestern University. A longtime fan and member of CHF, Benno was an inaugural Shortlist Committee member in 2011. His personal CHF highlights over the years have included introducing the "Gentlemen Prefer Bonds" discussion during the 2012 festival and attending the discussion between Gary Shteyngart and Aleksandar Hemon in early 2014.