About Us
Social Commitment
At Ohio Distinctive, we want to be socially relevant, to make a difference in people’s lives. So we create and market children’s educational games and health/nutrition software. The “thank you” letters that we receive make it all worthwhile.
Now we have a bigger, more ambitious plan to give back to the community, and we urge you to participate with us—it won’t cost you a dime. Simply register a school (or school fundraising organization) on our website, and let your friends know that the school is registered. Then when your friends order our software, they can designate the school to receive 10% of whatever they pay, anytime and every time they buy our products. It’s really that simple, and there’s no catch.
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The Business
Since 1987, we have been providing quality products to help individuals, families, and children. We created, in-house, five nutrition software programs and dozens of children's software titles, including several bilingual (Spanish/English) CD-ROM products. In addition, we publish dog and cat books to help keep your family pet healthy and happy. We also license and sell quality products from other companies, such as Encyclopædia Britannica, World Book, and Orion Telescope & Binoculars.
Over the years, we have served approximately 1.8 million customers, and we look forward to helping many more.
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The People
At Ohio Distinctive, we care about each other, and we care about our customers. We recognize that you are the reason that we have our jobs, and we try never to forget that. We prosper because we’re hardworking, efficient, honest, and caring—and it shows. We have a lot of repeat customers, and without them, we would not be in business.
We’re proud of the fact that each employee at Ohio Distinctive makes a difference. We help each other on a daily basis, and as a result everyone is able to do more. Our workforce is uncommonly diverse for a small company, with women and minorities in key positions because that’s just how it turned out when we hired the best person for each job. Ohio Distinctive is a place where people can grow personally and professionally, and we’re proud of the individuals who started at an entry level and worked their way up. About 20% of our workforce has been here for more than 10 years.
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The CEO (Stan Apseloff)
I was born in Ohio, and my parents still live in the house where I grew up. I have an identical twin brother, which made for some interesting experiences. From an early age, I enjoyed being creative—I dabbled in different types of art, and taught myself to play the piano. After high school in Kent, Ohio, I went off to college (U of PA, Wharton, U of Chicago, and Ohio State Law), but after four degrees I still didn’t quite know what I wanted to do. I got a job in management consulting and saw a clear path to financial success climbing the corporate ladder, but somehow I knew that wasn’t for me. I had a strong desire to build something from scratch, something that would in some small way make the world a better place. So I started Ohio Distinctive.
Twenty-two years later, I’m still the same person. I still play the piano, and I satisfy my passion for art by doing wildlife and nature photography. The “Photo of the Day” that appears on the Ohio Distinctive website is more often than not one of mine.
My next project is an exciting one, because of its potential for positive social impact: a school fundraising initiative designed to provide much needed revenues to these institutions on an ongoing basis. Click here to learn more about this effort.
On behalf of myself and my employees, thank you for making Ohio Distinctive possible. We will always strive to prove Ohio Distinctive worthy of your support.
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