About Us

• Background and Affiliations
• Media and Awards
• Testimonials

Background and Affiliations

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.

She served on the Board of the Yankee Invention Expo, an international forum for inventors. She is President Emeritus of the Inventors Association of Connecticut, one of the oldest and largest inventor organizations in the country, and she has served on the board of Women in Toys.

Media and Awards

Gamebird has been featured in many publications. Here is a PARTIAL list:

Feature Articles:

         

Mentions:

                 

Awards (partial list):

• 2 Oppenheim Gold Seals
• Parents Choice
• Dr. Toy Awards
• Creative Classroom Magazine Teacher Tested Tools and Toys
• National Parenting Publication Association Honors
• Child Magazine “Best Toys of the Year”
• National Parenting Publications Honors

Testimonials

Mary is a joy to work with – plus she sold my toy concept to Hasbro!

Maggie Swanson
Children’s Book and Product Illustrator

Mary is hardworking and disciplined with vast knowledge of the toy industry and supports her know how with her creative insight by opening the right doors to the right people with the right innovation.

Debby Young
YIKE CO/CREATIVE

Mary is a trusted and knowledgeable expert in games and toys development and a great player of games herself. She [has] gained my admiration and respect for all she knows technically and personally.

Stevanne Auerbach
AKA “Dr. Toy” Educator,
child development expert, writer and toyologist