We wanted our kids to call grandma, cousins, and friends -- without handing them a smartphone. So we built ChatterBox Phone.
It started with a simple problem: our extended family wanted to let all the cousins keep in touch with each other, but we weren't ready to give them unrestricted access to a tablet or smartphone.
As parents of four kids, we watched our kids light up every time they talked to their cousins or grandparents. But we also knew the risks that come with giving young children access to smartphones - the apps, the internet, the strangers.
I work in telecom IT, and I kept thinking: there has to be a better way.
So we built one.
ChatterBox Phone is a modern landline with powerful parental controls built in. Kids can call anyone on their approved contact list - grandparents, dad, mom, their best friend - but they can't call strangers, and strangers can't call them.
We're not a big telecom company. We're parents who understand what families actually need:
We believe kids need conversation and relationships - not screens.
We believe parents need
peace of mind - not worry about what is popping up on screens.
We believe families need better options to communicate than "give them a smartphone".
ChatterBox Phone is the phone before the phone. It's how kids learn to communicate, stay connected to family, and build independence ... safely.
Founder & Dad of 4
"My kids have 16 cousins spread across the country. I wanted them to grow up knowing their family — really knowing them, through real conversations. ChatterBox Phone makes that possible."
Based in Ohio, Drew has spent 15+ years in telecom IT and built ChatterBox Phone to solve his own family's communication challenges. When he's not working on ChatterBox, he's probably on a call with one of his kids' many cousins.
Every feature we build starts with one question: does this keep kids safer?
Technology should bring families closer together, not create more distance.
Parents know what's best for their kids. We give them the tools to act on it.