Ben Smith

Chapter One

Games, Media & the Industry

For over a decade, games have been the thread running through Ben's career — first as a writer and critic, then as a media producer, and eventually as a publishing professional helping indie studios get their work in front of the world.

2025 – 2026

indie.io

As Marketing Manager and Project Lead at indie.io, Ben published, marketed, and managed 75+ indie games in under 18 months — across PC, console, and mobile — within a 200+ title active portfolio that generated 3M+ Steam wishlist additions and 1.3M+ units sold during his tenure.

Beyond managing titles, Ben built a full suite of internal tools: Steamworks automation, creator outreach platforms, festival submission workflows, developer communications systems, and a press kit platform — turning what had been the most labor-intensive parts of the job into streamlined, repeatable processes.

2021 – 2025

Lillymo Games

As Producer and Production Manager, Ben managed platform submission workflows across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Steam for Lillymo's catalog — handling metadata, certification, pricing, promotions, and release coordination. He worked directly with platform representatives to resolve issues, negotiate visibility, and keep releases moving through complex multi-platform pipelines.

lillymogames.com ↗

2019 – Present

Lambsmith PR

Through Lambsmith PR, Ben partners with independent studios and media creators on launch strategy, PR campaigns, press outreach, and audience development. The work spans press materials, store page positioning, influencer coordination, and practical marketing guidance for teams that often don't have a marketing department at all.

lambsmithpr.com ↗

2020 – 2025

Last Stand Media

Last Stand Media is one of gaming's most distinctive podcast networks — home to Sacred Symbols, KnockBack, and a live event series that has sold out venues across the country. As Producer, Ben built and maintained the production systems that kept a high-volume, multi-format operation running consistently: audio, video, publishing, community, and live events.

The highlight was An Evening with Last Stand — a live show that drew thousands of fans and put the network on stage in front of its most dedicated audience.

An Evening with Last Stand II ensemble poster

laststandmedia.com ↗

2016 – 2022 · Podcast ongoing

Handsome Phantom

Ben served as Editor-in-Chief of Handsome Phantom for six years — overseeing a community-focused games outlet producing reviews, previews, podcasts, interviews, and features. He managed a team of writers and creators, built editorial processes that kept output consistent, and cultivated press relationships that secured access to major releases and events.

HP took the team to conventions, press events, and behind the scenes at some of the industry's biggest launches — and built the relationships that shaped everything that came after. The HP Podcast is still running today.

The HP Podcast ↗

Chapter Two

Mayor of Butler, Pennsylvania

In 2017, while running Handsome Phantom and Lambsmith PR, Ben ran for Mayor of Butler, Pennsylvania. He won with 60% of the vote and served a full term from 2018 to 2022.

"It's Smith in a Rout"

Butler Eagle, November 8, 2017

Running a City

For four years, Ben led all city operations for Butler — a municipality of roughly 15,000 residents — overseeing a $12M+ annual budget across public safety, infrastructure, code enforcement, and community development. One term was always the plan. He ran to get things done, not to make a career of it.

The role demanded the same skills that define everything else he has done: managing complex operations, coordinating across departments that don't always agree, communicating clearly with people who have real stakes in the outcome, and building systems that outlast any single person.

15,000Residents

$12M+Annual Budget

4Years Served

60%Vote Share

Chapter Three

Entrepreneur

Long before the games industry, Ben was building something in downtown Butler — a brewery that became a gathering place, and later a speakeasy that turned an old space into something people still talk about.

2013 – 2022

Reclamation Brewing Company

Ben co-founded Reclamation Brewing in Butler, PA and ran it for nine years alongside everything else — a staff of around 20, a full operational build-out from scratch, and the daily reality of running a small business in a mid-size city. Payroll, scheduling, vendor relations, marketing, community events, financial planning. All of it.

Reclamation became a real anchor for the community downtown — a place people came back to. Building that from nothing remains one of Ben's proudest achievements.

2013 – 2022

RB Speakeasy & Cigar Bar

Alongside the brewery, Ben and his partners built the RB Speakeasy — a cigar bar and cocktail lounge that brought something Butler didn't have before. Exposed brick, leather, craft cocktails, a walk-in humidor. The kind of place that takes real care to get right.

Chapter Four

Where It Started

Penn State. Student Body President. A band called The Rented Bodies. A theater stage. The same instincts — perform, lead, connect — just in different rooms.

The Rented Bodies

Before any of the professional chapters, there was a band. The Rented Bodies came out of Ben's high school and college years — the same restless energy that would eventually find its way into everything else, just pointed at a stage with guitars.

Theater & Performance

Theater during the college years — playing characters, learning timing, understanding what it means to hold an audience. The throughline from the stage to every room Ben has run since isn't hard to see.

Penn State Student Body President

Ben was elected Student Body President at Penn State — his first experience running something real, with real stakes and real people counting on the outcome. The same instincts, the same energy. Just younger, and with better hair.

B.S., Business Administration — Penn State, 2010
Minors in Management, Marketing & Finance

M.A., Higher Education — Geneva College, 2014

Want the full picture?

The resume covers the professional track record in detail — 75+ games published, platform operations across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo and Steam, the AI-assisted tooling work, and the career arc that connects it all.

Download Resume (PDF)

LinkedIn ↗ Twitter / X ↗ BenSmith2588@gmail.com ↗