Catherine Rondeau
Girl Talk
Hi. I’m the girl who invented Girl Talk back in eighth grade. That year made absolutely no sense to me. About 22 years later as a young mom, I decided I was going to try to find a way to help the kids who are just as confused today as I was back then. So I showed this idea to Western Publishing. They licensed the game, selling over 8 million worldwide.
Encore
Remember this one?
In high school, my friends and I would snarf lunch and then meet on the back steps where we would sing oldies, complete with smooth moves and twirls. Later, I recognized it was the most fun I had back then and wanted to recreate it for a party with friends. But how to to create a music game without violating the rights of the artists?
The industry was grappling with the same issue. Then, while adjusting the volume on my car radio (no doubt in the direction of “Up”), it hit me and now Encore has been on the market for 30 some odd years. How many songs can you sing with the word “unbelievable” in the title?
Tales of the Crystal
There was a huge stone that projected out from our driveway when I was 7.
This was the magic castle to which I would guide my three younger siblings when things were particularly volatile. I made up stories and adventures about fairies, good godmothers, angels, and butterflies using props we often found on my father’s workbench.
We continued the adventures most days, venturing into the woods, through the stream, by the creepy basement, proving yet again, there is no toy more powerful than a child’s imagination.
Lovies
I don’t recall ever creating something I was proud
of that didn’t have love at it’s core.
At age two I was left at my grandparents for over a year.
I think of them with the deepest love. My grandmother called me (and most others) “Lovie”. This is what I imagined giving every toddler who needs a hand to hold. I created and licensed the very first lovies to a plush company called “Applause”.
Today I see them everywhere; grocery stores, playgrounds, airports, overseas. My grand-daughter carries twin purple hippos aka “Hippies”.Lovies have gone on to be knocked off all over the planet. And for that I am grateful.
Dream Builders
When things would go from rough to rougher as a kid,
I would squirrel away into the attic with the other squirrels and work on an imaginary world, complete with shoeboxes, shells, sticks, and stones. It was the one place I could be alone. So then I wondered, why is it that there were no construction sets for girls?
And moreover, why didn’t existing construction sets have carpenters? And where were their children? And where were their pets? Huh? Answer me that? Thank you, squirrels.
iZone
I don’t recall ever not having a camera.
While working on this amazing project at Hallmark I decided I needed a very specific kind of camera. That became a project with Polaroid. Cameras that printed stickers to use in a scrapbook universe. Snap!
Catherine Rondeau has earned a reputation as a dynamic creative force
Throughout her career, she has conceived and developed an impressive portfolio of over 300 products. Her breakthrough success came with the board game "Girl Talk," designed for girls aged 8 to 12. With an astounding 5 million units sold, it holds the record as the best-selling board game for girls in history. This accomplishment spawned a multitude of licensed products, a television show, and successful international versions.Following this triumph, Catherine introduced "Encore," the first music game that required no third-party licenses. It continues to thrive as one of the longest-standing music games on the market. Currently, Catherine is diligently working on a new iteration of Encore, her personal favorite, so stay tuned for more. "Dream Builders" emerged from Catherine's inquiry into why construction toys were not targeted at girls and lacked character representation, with no people, cars, spaceships, or submarines. The prevailing belief in the toy industry was that girls had no interest in construction toys, a notion Catherine and Dream Builders soundly disproved.Testimonials
Ron Weingartner, former VP, Product Acquisition, Hasbro Games“Cathy Rondeau is a fountain of creativity. Her perceptions of consumer trends and tastes invariably lead to commercially viable new concepts for a host of major product categories. With boundless creativity matched by high energy, deep intellect, and the design skills vital to successful product development, she's a an absolute keeper.”
Michelle Ruocco, V.P. Private Brand,Product Dev., Michaels Stores'“Catherine always looks at things from a fresh angle. She is bright, fun, inspirational, and a dream to work with"
David Winslow, Creative DirectorMichaels Stores“Catherine always finds a way to bring something special and unique to each and every project. Whether it is a new concept, a delightful drawing or her remarkable mastery of words, she embodies the essence of the creative process.”
Anonymous (wink, wink)“…and she walks on water”