Ben Swire

Initiator
DISC Type : Di

Co-Founder at Make Believe Works

New York City Metropolitan Area, United States

Overview

Ben Swire is the founder of Make Believe Works and the author of "Safe Danger, " specializing in building team trust and creativity through workshops. An IDEO alum with a Masters from The New School, colleagues describe him as imaginative, rigorous, and poetic in his work.

Outside of his professional focus, Ben has a long-held appreciation for the arts, having bonded with a close friend over drawing in boarding school. He is often described as witty and possesses a fresh sense of style, with an interest in powerful brand narratives like those from Nike.

Ben won a Core77 Design Award for an interactive installation he co-created for AARP designed to move beyond superficial conference small talk.

Personality Overview

Confident

Impact-Oriented

Conviction Driven

They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.  They usually prefer to drive the conversation. They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships.

Topics They Care About

Team Trust & Safety
His book 'Safe Danger' and his company Make Believe Works are centered on building psychological safety through shared emotional risk, not just comfort.
Creative Collaboration
As an IDEO alum, his career is dedicated to helping teams connect and unlock their creative potential through imaginative and relevant activities.
Brand Storytelling
A core skill from his time as a Design Lead at IDEO, he focuses on transforming complex ideas into compelling and inspiring narratives for brands.

Media Appearances

Ben Swire – Co‑Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Make Believe Works. Featured in Make Believe Works (official website)

See Now

Work History

1-2021
Co-Founder at Make Believe Works
10-2025 - 10-2025
Author, Safe Danger at Hachette Book Group
1-2021 - 8-2022
Senior Director, Content Design at InVision
1-2017 - 1-2021
Senior Design Lead, Content, Storytelling, and Brand at IDEO
9-2014 - 12-2016
Senior Communications Designer/Writer at IDEO

Education

1991 - 1995
Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Occidental College
1997 - 1999
Master's degree from The New School

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 10 Location : New York City Metropolitan Area, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder at Make Believe Works
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Insights For Selling To Ben

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Clearly address the competitive aspects
  • Look like someone who is on top of their game
  • Focus on the big picture and the strategic value of your product

DONT's

  • Don’t be very informal even if they are being so themselves
  • Don’t be too verbose or overly friendly; a little bit, however, is fine
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ben is

  • Belief in the value of the product, relationship and a sense of accomplishment matter the most.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ben

  • They are not shy of saying no if they do not develop trust in your product.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ben move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Ben take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Ben

Personality Compatibility


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