I would never have classified myself as a “gamer” until I sat down to talk with Ben Kvalo, the former Netflix exec who launched his own video game publishing firm in Green Bay last year.
But by the end of our conversation, Ben had me rethinking the entire notion of video games and who constitutes a gamer. Turns out, completing the New York Times’ daily Wordle over my morning coffee is enough to plant me firmly in that category — a category I never had considered part of my identity.
As the founder and CEO of Midwest Games, Ben is challenging everything we thought we knew about video games — from who plays them to who makes them.
Video game players themselves are quite diverse. In fact, a majority of Americans (65%) play video games at least one hour a week. But that same diversity doesn’t translate to who is developing these games. As Ben shared in our interview, the majority of games come from just three states.
Midwest Games is working to democratize the video game industry by focusing on developer talent in underrepresented regions. Turn to page 22 to read more about Ben’s impressive career and vision to grow the video game ecosystem in the Midwest.
Speaking of growth, contributor Nikki Kallio wrote this month’s Insight Insider, which takes a look at the booming secondhand retail market. The re-commerce market grew twice as fast as the greater retail market in 2021 and will likely reach $289 billion by 2027. The resale clothing market is growing even faster, at five times the broader market. Head to page 28 to read how local organizations are benefitting from this growing market.
In the spirit of recognizing excellence, I want to remind you of two upcoming deadlines for Insight awards programs. Nominations for Insight’s 40 Under 40 awards are open until Feb. 1. I strongly encourage you to take this opportunity to highlight the outstanding achievements of the young professionals in your circle by nominating them today at insightonbusiness.com/40U40. Recipients will be honored at a live event and in the pages of Insight’s June edition.
In addition, applications for the inaugural statewide Best Places to Work in Manufacturing awards are due Feb. 2. This is a new opportunity for Wisconsin manufacturers to celebrate all their efforts in creating positive workplaces for their employees. The application process is super simple. To learn more, visit insightonbusiness.com/bptw.
I hope you take advantage of these opportunities to recognize yourself (self-nominations are encouraged!) and others.
Wishing you a prosperous year ahead.
