Welcome to our Members Only video series, where we interview clients about the impact of shared ownership and the cooperative business model. Come along to hear from owners and cooperators about their challenges and experiences.
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In the second interview of our Members Only series, Jason Wiener speaks with Eli Allen, co-founder and Studio Director of Wild Blue Studios, an artist-owned co-op providing art services for the video game industry, as well as TV and film. Eli shares how choosing a cooperative structure created real agency, safety, and longevity for creatives.
From “crunch” culture to burnout, the games industry has its scars. Eli explains how co-ownership flips the script: members vote on strategy, share in the value they generate, and can hold leadership accountable by voting on leadership roles to keep the studio aligned with its mission. The results are remarkable retention and consistent A-team quality that clients actually feel project after project.
We also dig into what founders sometimes find most surprising – that someone needs to actually run the business. Eli’s candid story about embracing the “business monkey” role, building trust, and learning to lead as a service to members, offers a blueprint for sustainable creative studios. He reflects on working with JWPC through Wild Blue Studios’ reincorporation as a Colorado cooperative corporation and why specialized, values-aligned legal guidance matters.
2025 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Cooperatives, celebrating how cooperatives build a better world. Wild Blue Studios embodies that vision through its artist-owned model, redefining what creative work can be. By putting ownership in the hands of artists, the studio cultivates fairer, more sustainable workplaces and delivers stronger, more collaborative results for clients.
If you’re curious about co-op foundership, client experience, or simply want an honest, energizing conversation from the front lines, don’t miss this one!
👉 Watch the full interview on JWPC’s YouTube channel.
