ROB ANGEL BIO

Rob Angel is the creator of Pictionary® and author of GAME CHANGER: The Story of Pictionary and How I Turned a Simple Idea into the Bestselling Board Game in the World (Amplify/June 2020).

In 1985, while waiting tables in Seattle, WA, Rob found his “aardvark” and began his seventeen-year adventure with Pictionary, the phenomenally successful and iconic board game. From using his college-worn Merriam Webster’s paperback dictionary, a No.2 pencil and a yellow legal pad to create the first Pictionary word list, to putting together the first 1000 games by hand in his tiny apartment, to licensing the game around the world, Rob and his partners would go on to sell 38,000,000 games in 60 countries before selling Pictionary to Mattel in 2001.

Today, Rob Angel is an entrepreneur, explorer, investor, philanthropist, and sought-after speaker on a mission to help others create their own success and best life by taking their first small step. From running with the bulls to swimming with sharks and parachuting out of airplanes, Rob seeks out adventure and aardvarks wherever he goes. He is the proud father of Sam and Ben.

Pictionary® is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc.

SOCIAL MEDIA

PHOTOS

INTERVIEW INQUIRIES

Interview Pictionary® Creator and Entrepreneur Rob Angel on creating the world’s most popular board game, finding your passion, and the power of resiliency.

Key areas of expertise and commentary include:

• From waiting tables to the world’s bestselling board game: Rob’s story behind the creation of Pictionary
• There are no rules to the game. Following your own path can lead to big success
• The power in pursuing your dreams, and what led to his idea for Pictionary
• How a simple change in your mindset can lead to big changes in your perception of what you can achieve
• Find Your Aardvark: By taking simple steps you can overcome your fear of failure and the unknown, and break through the pressures of having it all figured out before you start
• Trust your instincts. What your gut can tell you about choosing the right business partners, following the right path and making the right decisions for your life and business
• Life after Pictionary: How since selling Pictionary to Mattel, Rob leads a fulfilling, spiritual, creative and authentic life
• Always be O.P.E.N.: The motto at the core of his life. Opportunity Possibility Energy Now

MEDIA APPEARANCES

Few things are ingrained in our culture as much as the game of Pictionary®. Nearly everyone has memories of playing the game with family and friends and can tell stories about how it brought out unexpected art, imagination, or collaboration. And it’s not just nostalgia that roots us to the game. Recent appearances on TV shows like This is Us and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon are testaments to its legacy and staying power.

But how did Pictionary come to be? In his new book, Game Changer: The Story of Pictionary and How I Turned a Simple Idea into the Bestselling Board Game in the World (Amplify Publishing, $27.95, ISBN: 978-1-64307-497-9, June 2020), creator Rob Angel paints a fascinating picture of his unlikely success story. From a simple idea he had while hanging out with his friends after waiting tables in Seattle, to battling board game giant Hasbro to maintain control of his vision, the one constant in Angel’s journey has been that he is always staunchly himself. With next to no business or expertise in startups, he trusted his instincts, and learned by doing and for him, that has been the key to success.

“My two business partners and I agreed to an overlying business philosophy that if we took care of Pictionary, it would take care of us. All our decisions were made on what was best for the brand which was the key to our long-term success,” Angel says.

Game Changer is not only a look at the history of Angel’s journey with Pictionary, but it’s a roadmap to success on one’s own terms. The book addresses how to overcome fear and move forward, or “Find Your Aardvark” as Angel calls it —in the case of Pictionary it was to start with the word list. Rob opened the dictionary, turned to the A’s and wrote the word “Aardvark,” and from this first small step, he was able to continue making forward progress.

“It’s my hope that Game Changer will inspire readers to take the plunge to get started in anything – without a blueprint or plan,” continues Angel.

Sometimes not knowing the rules of the game, or simply deciding not to follow them, allows you to innovate and succeed in ways no one previously has. This is certainly the case for Angel, who followed his instincts with an open mind, and this year will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the classic Pictionary. His story is proof that by following through on your dream, you can not only change the game—you can invent it.