Brian Beninger

Brian Beninger invented a financial board game called Bulls and Bears in 1970 and self-published about 100 copies. A few dozen were sold in game stores in Ottawa and Montreal. During this time he worked for the first Canadian computer timesharing firms, Dataline and IP Sharp. By 1977, he was employed by the Federal Government in Ottawa and was a manager at Statistics Canada where he became interested in microcomputers.

He managed to buy one of the first 10 Apple II computers, followed a bit later by a Commodore PET computer, and then a Radio Shack TRS-80.

Together with his wife Toni he started making games on their dining room table in a little log house they built for themselves out in the countryside near Kemptville, Ontario. The first title was "Bulls and Bears" based on the earlier board game.

By early 1978, they had four titles ready for the Apple II - Bulls and Bears, Warlords, Microtrivia and Kidstuff. In early 1978 Brian Beninger took the day off to call some 30 computer stores across North America. Over 80% were interested in buying his "starter pack" and by the end of the day, they had their first $3,000 in orders. Speakeasy Software was born.