Being a successful inventor and entrepreneur

Ken Johnson grew up in Detroit. At age 18, he got a job at Ford's River Rouge Plant as a welder. One year later, in 1978, he started a game manufacturing company in his parents' basement, producing games he invented. His first big success came in 1982, when he invented the Phase 10 card game. Five years later, Ken licensed the manufacturing and distribution rights of Phase 10 and began receiving royalties from the worldwide sales. Today, Phase 10 is produced by Mattel, sold in over 30 countries, and remains the second-best-selling card game in the world. In 2012, he as nominated for a TAGIE Award--the Oscar of the toy and game industry. In 2013, he founded "The Inventors Academy," which is a free online community designed to provide education, resources, and community to both new and experienced inventors. He is the author of The Simple Plan: Six Easy Ways to Make Millions From Your Ideas.

Ken lives in Franklin, Michigan, with his wife of 18 years and their seven-year-old son. He curently owns two other businesses.