Lisle couple 'game' to start a business of their own

Mary Kay Russell admits it was pretty risky to persuade her husband to quit his job in the corporate world and join her in becoming a game manufacturer.

But with the first editions of their Kubit2me game now on the shelves of four area stores, the Lisle pair say it was a risk worth taking.

"I'm having the time of my life. Doing something you love is just infectious," said the 48-year-old mother of four who spent 15 years with AT&T before leaving in 1994 to become a stay-at-home mom.

Brad Russell acknowledged he was more hesitant last December to leave the position he had held with Lucent Technologies for 23 years. But his wife convinced him she had done her homework.

"I feel great. I think we've covered all our bases," he said.

Video games may be all the rage, but Russell said her research persuaded her there's room for games that encourage communication, too. She spent two years visiting toy stores and reading everything she could find about the game and toy industry.

She then spent a year and a half getting Kubit2me from product development and design to market.

The result is a game she considers unique -- fun while promoting learning and social interaction; physical but not rough.

Kubit2me is a soft, plush cube that is tossed from player to player. A hidden pocket in each cube holds playing cards and prizes.

Three versions of Kubit2me are now for sale at Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville and Downers Grove, Learning Express of Naperville and Oswald's Pharmacy in Naperville.

Lil' Scholars, for 3- to 6-year-olds, focuses on learning letters and numbers with eight games Russell created. A "bonus box" smaller cube teaches about emotions and body parts.

Now You're Talkin', targeting youngsters ages 10 and older, is designed to get players telling about themselves by answering questions like "What makes you happy?"

Russell said she tested the game with families and youth groups, but believes it also could be used in counseling youth and as an ice-breaker at parties and corporate meetings.

"The questions are very thought-provoking," she said. "I've always been a big proponent of self-expression."

Truth or Dare, the only competitive game in the group, is designed for 'tween and teen girls. The mother of four sons ages 7 to 15, Russell said she found a limited variety of games for girls in that age group. Despite its feminine look, boys enjoy it, too, she said.

"Boys like anything you can throw," she said. "The questions are pretty funny and the dares are even funnier."

In fact, it was seeing how willing kids were to answer questions when they could do it in a way that was fun that brought Russell to Kubit2me in the first place. She created the first prototype for her fourth-grade son's after-school book club.

"I've always loved to sew. Making the prototype was a blast," she said.

Russell decided to self-produce the games after the Truth and Dare edition took second place and captured the attention of toy manufacturers at the Toy and Game Inventors Forum in September 2006.

When she decided to produce the game, friends and neighbors pitched in to help, offering services that ranged from accounting to testing the games, she said.

"Deep down, people want you to succeed and they will help you get there," she said.

The games carry a suggested retail price of $24.99 for the large cubes and $8.99 for the bonus boxes.

With Kubit2me just making its debut, Russell already is planning future editions. She'd like to create versions for seniors, the Christian market and newlyweds.

Brad Russell said he's prepared to move ahead with his wife's plans.

"No matter what happens, we both learned a heck of a lot in terms of running a business," he said.

For details, visit kubit2me.com.