Culture Club

It's a big world, and 39-year-old entrepreneur Denise Bailey has created a game, Diversity Works ("the Trivial Pursuit of diversity," says Bailey), that just might help people understand it a little better.

Debuting in May 1999 at the National Stationery Show, Diversity Works was a hit. Bailey, founder of Cultural Concepts Inc., picked up orders from the New York Public Library and Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as smaller retailers across the country.

Despite those early orders and an SBA-guaranteed loan, Bailey says her road to entrepreneurship hasn't been without its bumps. "When people see me-an African American-they assume the game is [only] for African Americans," explains Bailey. In fact, Diversity Works has data on 60 different cultures.

Bailey has big dreams for her company (and its game). "When you hear the phrase 'cultural diversity,' " she says, "I want people to think, 'Oh, Denise Bailey.' "

Contact Source

• Cultural Concepts Inc., (800) 497-8221, www.cultural-concepts.com.

This article was originally published in the August 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Culture Club.