Mom’s Game Idea Takes Gold At Expo, Now She Seeks Green

APP.com:

It was five years ago that Rosemarie Maalouf began working on a concept for a children’s game.

But as the mother of two to go along with a career as a real estate agent, she had little time to focus on developing her idea into more than just a concept.

That is until last year, when she added to her resume her role as party director at her husband Nick’s pizzeria in Brick. It was at the restaurant, “A World Away,” that she booked and created interactive games to help entertain the young party-goers.

That experience helped to kick-start the creative process once again, allowing her to develop her original concept into “Smarty Smart Sticks,” an interactive trivia game for children.

“Working at the pizzeria really helped, because I was working with children all the time and coming up with different games to get them interested,” Maalouf said. “I finally sat down and worked it all out.”

Earlier this year she solicited Richard Gearhart, an attorney based in Chatham, to help with the patent. The game is patent-pending.

Next, she registered her game to be a part of the annual Invention and New Product Exposition convention, held last month in Pittsburgh.

“The game is not only an educational game, but it is easy to play,” she said. “And the
kids can play it anywhere.”

The name “Smarty Smart Sticks” is derived from the fact questions are printed on the back of popsickle sticks. A player who answers correctly gets the stick.

Right now, Rosemarie said, the game is geared toward children between the ages of 5 and 12. As the marketing plan develops, she expects the game to focus on a wider audience.

“Nick came up with the idea to eventually make the questions in Braille so the blind can play it,” Rosemarie said.

She is working with the company How Studios Inc. based in Topanga, Calif., to help in the branding and marketing of the game.

She has started a Web site for the game — smartysmartsticks.com — that provides more information and updates on the game.