Working together for almost ten years, Melissa and Vivian found themselves navigating the startup space as two of the few women of color in their roles. They eventually went on to create and lead affinity groups that would help promote the cultural diversity and professional development of other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at their company. As Melissa and Vivian led the Black Employee and Latinx Employee networks, respectively, they often planned for various events and holidays throughout the year and would curate themed gift boxes (e.g., Juneteenth, Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month) for employees. They always chose items from BIPOC-owned businesses for their gift boxes but noticed the lack of visibility around businesses owned and operated by BIPOC-founders. This is where the idea for Culturise was born: a business that provides curated gift boxes for individual sale or corporate gifting that features items exclusively from BIPOC-owned businesses.