Name: Clyde Beasley

Age: 37

Company: Beasley Creations, Inc.

Company Headquarters: Los Angeles

Tidbit:

Clyde Beasley is the inventor of Table Golf and owner of Beasley Creations, the L.A.-based billiard design firm that manufactures and markets his inventions. Beasley first thought of the idea for Table Golf came in 1999 while watching a golf tournament from his prison cell. He wondered, "What do golfers do when they can’t play outside?" and began creating the table golf platform that has been featured on Tech TV, MSNBC and the long-running TV show 'The Price Is Right.'

Why You Should Care:

Beasley has lived on the wrong side of the law, being involved with gangs, drugs and all the accessory violence crimes for most of his life. But instead of enjoying the profits of his high-crime lifestyle, he ended up with a 10-year, nine-month sentence at a level 4 maximum security prison. Now, making good on a vow he made to change his life and enjoy legal financial success, Beasley has started his own business. The manufacturing and distribution of table golf, his company's flagship product, is his company's centerpiece.

Wanting to make golf an all-weather sport, he began looking for ways to have tee time, rain or shine. After his release in 2002, Beasley scouted several gaming houses to see if any existing games matched his vision. When he didn't find any, he bought materials from Home Depot and built the first table golf game, called The Original Tee and Cue™. Then, in July 2003, he attended his first trade show where he met his current manufacturer and inked a deal for his new creation to appear on 'The Price Is Right.'

Expanding Beasley’s current product line includes the Original Golf & Billiards Combo Table™; a gaming table that lets players enjoy table golf or pocket billiards with a simple flip of the tabletop; and the Original Golf Table Insert™, an add-on for table gamers wanting to expand their options without buying a new table. His products are available through Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Sports Authority and will soon be available at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. Beasley has partnered with 23-year-old entrepreneur Dante Lee, who is currently vice president and COO of Beasley Creations. "I want Beasley Creations to be a large, lucrative, publicly-traded business."

As enthusiastic as he is about Beasley Creations and his products, Beasley has a number of other interests. “I want to be a motivational speaker,” he says. "I want to let people know that anything is possible, regardless of your past and that it is never too late. I want to have an impact and show the world that you can change your life." To walk his talk, Beasley's created Hipp-Mo-Tize, a non-profit that will offer aid to single parents and those making the transition from prison back into society.

About the Author
Ayeko Vinton is a freelance writer, Web developer and teacher living in Boston.