Brooks Bell has been an established figure in the Triangle’s entrepreneurial ecosystem since she graduated from Duke. In the early 2000s, Bell started Brooks Bell Inc. to help digital marketing departments adopt a data-driven mindset, quickly becoming the leading organization in its industry.

In 2011, Bell co-founded Raleigh Founded with the goal of aiding entrepreneurs in effecting substantial changes in their community. Bell’s work in the entrepreneurship community has ranged from advocating for inclusivity for female entrepreneurs in the South East to cultivating spaces where entrepreneurs can work effectively and collaboratively. Bell’s impact in fostering the entrepreneurship community in Raleigh is immeasurable - but she didn’t stop there.

After surviving colon cancer at the age of 38, Bell left behind Brooks Bell Inc. to take on a new mission. Today, Bell is committed to helping others learn about colon cancer and prevention. Bell founded Lead From Behind, an organization powered by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Lead From Behind’s mission is simple: to make colon cancer famous and to build awareness around colon cancer screening.

From partnering with Ryan Reynolds to bring more awareness to colonoscopies, to continuing her advocacy on the boards of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and the CDC alliance, Bell has improved every organization and cause she has been a part of.

In addition to her work with Raleigh Founded and Lead From Behind, Bell served as the president of the Entrepreneurs Organization and on the board of WalkFree.org, a movement dedicated to ending modern-day slavery. Bell currently serves as the founder and executive chairman of Research Triangle Park and as a member of the board of advisors at Duke Raleigh Hospital. 

As a team made up of majority young women, we look up to Brooks Bell for the impact she has made on our local community and beyond. She is an inspiration to us and anyone looking to leave the work better than they found it. 

Bell wants to inspire a million young people to seek out colonoscopies over the next decade. Find out more about Lead From Behind here.

‍