Ben Aston

I’m the founder and CEO of Black & White Zebra, where I’ve built a portfolio of specialist B2B media brands from the ground up. My work spans the decisions that come with running an independent media business: finding an audience, creating something they value, building a team, and making the economics work.

I created Indie Media Club to share what goes into building and growing these businesses. I’m interested in how publishers turn expertise and audience trust into sustainable revenue through advertising, sponsorships, memberships, courses, and events—and what it takes to make those models work in practice.

My experience is hands-on. I founded The Digital Project Manager and wrote its original Mastering Digital Project Management course, turning our subject expertise into a paid learning product. As BWZ has grown, my focus has expanded from creating content and products myself to building the teams and systems that support a portfolio of media brands.

Alongside BWZ, I lead Revleads, which helps B2B software companies reach buyers through content, advertising, and demand generation, and Revstacks, where we’re building technology to help media owners monetize their audiences. Working with both publishers and advertisers gives me a view of what each side needs from a successful partnership.

In 2022, The Digital Project Manager, one of BWZ’s flagship publications, was named Best Digital Publication by the Content Marketing Institute. That year, I was also a Pacific Region finalist for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Canada and received Digiday’s Leader of the Year award.