Anatomy of a Success Story

ABSTRACT

We will investigate the successful ideation and go-to-market strategy of a serial inventor and former IACT President, Mary Ellroy. This is the culminating meeting in our series, and will illustrate by example the prior discussions on Innovating, Pricing the Innovation, Pitching the idea, Licensing, and Taking the Product to Market.

About The Speaker

Guest speaker Mary Ellroy, in the toy business since 1990, is an inventor of toys and games and an agent for toy and game inventors. She comes to toy invention with a corporate marketing background. She received an MBA from the Boston College School of Management (now the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.) Past positions included a Director position at a Fortune 50 company, a vice presidency/ownership position in a newspaper advertising firm, and various advertising and media positions. Her creative accomplishments in consumer marketing inspired her to turn that creativity to toys and games.

Her games have won multiple awards. Although a prolific speculative inventor, her marketing background places her high on the list as a "games-on-demand" contract inventor for various licenses and theme-specific concepts. As well, she has a commercial understanding of markets and products which takes her beyond the "fun" of toys to the "business" of toys.

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