Ben Grindrod

Head of Marketplace @ Spark Universe

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

About

Creative leader and Head of Marketplace at Spark Universe, building standout experiences in the Minecraft ecosystem. I’ve led in-game content for A Minecraft Movie, produced hit Marketplace content like Star Wars and SpongeBob, and helped grow our LiveOps Essential platform to over 7M users. I work where games, IP, and tech meet - turning big ideas into content people love.

Experience

  • Spark Universe (5 yrs 4 mos)
    • Head of Marketplace
      Apr 2025 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos

      Lead all in-game activations for A Minecraft Movie, including a record-breaking Live Event, DLC, Add-Ons, Skin Pack, and custom in-game items for the Minecraft x McDonald’s collaboration. Led my team of creatives focused on UGC games with an emphasis on production, product, game design, and R&D. Worked closely with Mojang, Microsoft, and Warner Bros. to ensure brand authenticity and alignment across all content. The Minecraft Movie suite of activations stands among the most successful in-game campaigns to date, with millions of downloads and the most popular Live Event in Minecraft history.

    • Executive Producer, Head of Production
      Apr 2023 - Apr 2025 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Oversaw all production across Spark, including internal development and client-facing projects. Executive Producer on Minecraft Marketplace projects such as Star Wars: Path of the Jedi and SpongeBob DLC, leading some of the platform’s highest-profile brand integrations. Produced RealismCraft, one of the best-selling products of all time on the Marketplace. Partnered with Microsoft on the launch of the new Add-Ons content type. Led the growth of Essential, Spark’s proprietary platform, from 2M to over 8M users, driving a 500% revenue increase. Headed internal teams across development, infrastructure, support, art, design, QA, and more - about 70+ across all initiatives. Helped evolve Spark's operations from a scrappy startup to a stable and scalable games company.

    • Producer
      Apr 2022 - Apr 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Producer on a range of high-profile Minecraft Streamed Live Events for partners including (RED), GCX, St. Jude, 100 Thieves and Twitch - designed to drive brand engagement and raise funds for charity. Led a small, nimble team of developers and creatives focused on fast, cutting-edge development while delivering high-energy streamed experiences. Helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars through these interactive events. Spearheaded multiple R&D initiatives, including an industry-first system for dynamic environmental objects in Minecraft Java, and innovations in gameplay UI/UX, animation, and modelling.

  • Strategic Consultant at Starfish Studios Inc
    Jul 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 1 mo

    Strategic Consultant across key areas of the business at Starfish Studios, supporting growth through hands-on work in operations, product strategy, and business development.

  • Level Designer at Pixels & Blocks
    Jan 2020 - Apr 2021 · 1 yr 4 mos

    Level Design on Marketplace