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.

Ben's LinkedIn

Join our Substack!

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

In this episode, Susan sits down with Jenny Xu—long-distance runner, fitness instructor, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and founder / CEO of Talofa Games, a studio creating games to make movement more fun through titles like "Run Legends" and "Monster Walk." Jenny recounts what it was like to grow up as a shy kid in Cupertino, finding belonging in online communities thanks to Pokemon fan art, Neopets and her anonymous alter ego, "chibixi", as well as how she taught herself game development to become a prolific solo creator at just 12 years old. She describes being publicly “outed” by her Forbes recognition at 19, the painful reality of having to learn how to network, and how she rebounded from a failed post-college startup by entering—and winning—the Niantic Beyond Reality Developer Contest, earning $300,000 that helped launch her studio and hire a team. Jenny defines success as the impact her games have in player's lives, she emphasizes mentors and support systems, and shares lessons on ambition, burnout, and prioritizing mental and physical health.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:48) - Partners & Sponsors
• (01:35) - Introducing Jenny Xu
• (02:29) - Who is Jenny Xu?
• (04:01) - The Mission
• (05:16) - Beginnings
• (07:57) - The Self-Taught Journey
• (09:21) - Who is Chibixi?
• (10:53) - Prolific Game Making
• (13:06) - Game Dev vs Software Engineer vs Athlete
• (14:50) - Identity Outed.
• (16:57) - Finding the Courage to be Yourself.
• (19:30) - Niantic Beyond Reality Contest
• (23:58) - The Creation of Talofa Games
• (26:23) - Creating at the Intersection of your Passions
• (28:41) - Mission Driven Team
• (30:03) - Measuring Success
• (31:26) - Mentors
• (33:36) - Mentees
• (35:32) - Ambition
• (38:17) - How Being an Athlete was Helpful
• (40:01) - Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
• (42:18) - Actionables
• (44:28) - What Chapter are you on?
• (46:28) - A Thought for the Listeners
• (47:48) - Where to find Jenny and her work
• (48:33) - Thank you!
• (48:53) - Get Involded
• (49:18) - Outro / Credits

🎮 Guest Bio: Jenny Xu is a long-distance runner, fitness instructor, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, CEO of Talofa Games. She began running and making games at age 12, studied Computer Science at MIT, and has shipped 10 mobile titles with over 10 million downloads. A Niantic Beyond Reality Contest grand prize winner, she raised $6.3M in venture capital, making Talofa one of 2025’s Top 25 innovative gaming companies. She taught 1,000 consecutive virtual fitness abs classes, holds a professional group exercise certification, and sets marathon PRs (2:56). Jenny also successfully completed Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp, Google’s Growth Labs, and a16z’s SPEEDRUN program.

Learn more about Jenny HERE
Jenny's Twitter
Jenny's LinkedIn

Join our Substack!

This episode was sponsored in part by The University of Miami, School of Communication & the Knight Foundation

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Click here to view the episode transcript.

In our very first episode, producer Shirley McPhaul turns the mic on host Susan Gold - educator, organizer, and co-founder of the Global Game Jam - to explore how a fine arts professor who “lost boyfriends to video games” ended up creating one of the largest collaborative events in the world. Together they trace the origins of GGJ, Susan’s lifelong impulse to build community, and the quiet labor of making things happen so other people can thrive.

Susan Gold is an educator, facilitator, and organizer best known as a co‑founder of the Global Game Jam, the world’s largest game creation event. Across her career, she has worked to bridge academia and industry, designing experiences that let students, educators, and developers learn by making together while building a global network of trust, collaboration, and creative support. After retiring from the non-profit in 2020, she continues to champion innovation in game development and education.

As host of The Global Game Jam Podcast, Susan spotlights voices at the intersection of creativity, technology, and education. Her mission is to empower diverse creators and inspire the future of games through accessible, inclusive storytelling

https://www.linkedin.com/in/susangold/

http://globalgamejam.org

https://tinyurl.com/GGJPodcastSubstack

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Click here to view the episode transcript.