Game on! Age, race, and performance in the board game industry

In this study, we examine age and race as important predictors to entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on social identity theory, we examine a phenomenon among entrepreneurs in the board game industry, where our findings are counterintuitive to previous research on age and race in entrepreneurs, suggesting a shift in identity and social norms in the industry. With 69 entrepreneurs surveyed, and over 1000 data points of product play testing feedback, we find games designed by younger, minority entrepreneurs were rated higher by the play testers on innovation and the intent to buy. Additionally, we find that being a minority attenuated the negative relationship between age and entrepreneurial outcomes, such that older minority entrepreneurs did not experience a similar decline in outcomes as did their white counterparts. We discuss the implications of our findings.