Ken Gruhl

Ken Gruhl has a diverse work experience in the field of game design and packaging engineering. Ken is currently employed as a Senior Game Designer at Exploding Kittens, Inc. where they started in April 2021. Prior to this, Ken worked as a Freelance Game Designer from October 2017 to April 2021, developing and licensing more than 40 gaming products. Ken has expertise in idea generation and product design, with their products being distributed through various channels such as Target, Meijer, and Amazon.

Before their freelance work, Ken held a position at Wrigley from October 2015 to October 2017 as the Packaging Lead Emerging Markets Growth Center. In this role, they were responsible for developing and implementing projects to enhance product packaging, with projects ranging in value between $50-100 million in net sales. Ken also introduced a game design workshop within the R&D community, fostering creativity and ownership among teams.

Prior to Wrigley, Ken worked at Kraft Foods Group from February 2012 to October 2015. Ken served as a Packaging Engineer, leading Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize welding and sealing parameters. Ken also played a crucial role in the qualification of new packaging lines and identified root cause issues during a recall. Additionally, they held the position of Associate Packaging Engineer II at Kraft Foods Group from January 2011 to March 2012, supporting new product start-ups and conducting evaluations for reusable T-disc projects.

Ken's early work experience includes a role as a Packaging Engineer at Cardinal Health from June 2010 to January 2011. In this position, they focused on improving the usability of medical products by creating prototypes and evaluating cushioning materials for custom packs.

Overall, Ken Gruhl's work experience showcases their expertise in game design, packaging engineering, and project management across various industries.

Ken Gruhl received their Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Packaging from Michigan State University, where they studied from 2004 to 2009. Ken then pursued a Master's degree in Packaging at the same university and completed it in 2010. In November 2012, they obtained a certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt from Villanova University.