Changing Where Games Come From | Ben Kvalo

Ben Kvalo on Building Midwest Games and a More Sustainable Publishing Model

In this episode, Susan talks with Ben Kvalo, founder and CEO of Midwest Games and former Netflix Games production lead, about changing where games come from, how developers see themselves (creatives vs entrepreneurs), and how they are supported. Ben shares growing up in Portage, Wisconsin, his early goals, and how a university M&A capstone project led him to the business side of games. He describes mentors and cultures at 2K and Netflix, lessons from industry politics and early career setbacks, and how he became a “fixer” and builder across operations, tech, marketing, and esports. Ben explains Midwest Games’ publishing approach—white-label services with no IP grab, flexible cancellation, and alternative fee/recoup options—plus his focus on building a Midwest ecosystem through events, education, investment, and storytelling.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:48) - Partners & Sponsors
• (01:19) - Introducing Ben Kvalo
• (06:03) - The Journey into Games
• (07:23) - The Business vs the Hobby of Making Games
• (09:28) - Mentors & Influence
• (12:41) - Leadership, and the Importance of being "seen"
• (16:35) - Jumping at the Opportunity to Build
• (22:17) - Homecoming
• (26:09) - Community
• (33:54) - Midwest Games; a Different Approach to Publishing
• (39:38) - What's next for Ben Kvalo?
• (42:00) - A Word of Advise
• (44:31) - Where to find Ben & his work
• (46:08) - Thank you!
• (47:34) - Outro

🎮 Guest Bio: Ben Kvalo is the founder and CEO of Midwest Games, North America's first full-service work-for-hire publisher for all while also providing traditional publishing for select projects. He is focused building alternative approaches to create new opportunity within the games industry in both how we do work and where we do i.

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