Randi Altschul

Randice-Lisa "Randi" Altschul (born 1960) is an American toy developer and inventor based in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. With little technical training or engineering knowledge, she developed toys and board games that saw great success. As a result, she became a millionaire by the age of 26. Her board game Miami Vice, inspired by the television series of the same name, would be further developed into Grand Theft Auto: Vice City by Rockstar North, which went on to become one of the best-selling games in 2002. After her success in the toy industry, Altschul founded Diceland Technologies and invented the first disposable phone. Alschul also co-authored the novel Sorry, You Can't Enter Heaven with Kathleen Sahputis in 2008.

Early career/toy inventor Altschul's first successes were with toys and games. Her first idea was a 'Miami Vice Game' which built on the success of the American television series of the same name. Other notable toys and games included a Barbie's 30th Birthday Game, and a wearable stuffed toy that could give hugs under the control of the child who was wearing it. She also developed a monster-shaped breakfast cereal which turned soft when covered in milk. Altshul also made money from selling her ideas for board games whose marketing relied on a link with other popular American television series like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons. Altschul became rich and part of the profits were invested in super-thin technology.

Althschul got the idea for the phone when she lost the signal for her conventional mobile phone and resisted the urge to dispose of an expensive phone. She realized that a disposable phone might assist travelers like herself. Altschul created a new company called Diceland Technologies to exploit these technologies to make the phone she planned.