In this interview, the Raleigh entrepreneur chats about her new clothing brand, Worldclass, which will help raise awareness about colon cancer.
as told to Ayn-Monique Klahre

After receiving a colon cancer diagnosis at 38 years old, tech entrepreneur Brooks Bell stepped back from her job to recover. But by the fall of 2019, with treatment underway, she’d found a new purpose: to spread awareness about the preventability of the cancer and specifically about colonoscopies, the main way to diagnose it. She created 50 Colonoscopies Under 50, a nonprofit effort to encourage people to get tested earlier and to raise money for colorectal cancer research. That was followed by Lead from Behind, a partnership with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance to “make colon cancer famous.” Now cancer-free, last December she launched Worldclass, a fashion brand designed to make colonoscopies a bigger conversation within our growing wellness culture. We caught up to learn about the cheeky clothing line.

What led to the career pivot?

Since my diagnosis, I have been obsessed with colonoscopies. They actually prevent colon cancer! And every single person has a colon. But there’s stigma around talking about colonoscopies, as well as a lot of fear. I saw potential for humor — because when we talk about colonoscopies, we’re actually talking about your ass.

What was the first thing you did?

As a marketing and data person, I’ve been consuming everything related to colons for the last five years. Some of my friends now consider me an unofficial expert on colons. Through Lead from Behind, we got Ryan Reynolds to film himself getting a colonoscopy. We tracked it: that video led to a 36% increase in people scheduling colonoscopies nationwide! Good marketing can make a real difference in saving lives. We were lucky he said yes, but we couldn’t recreate that magic. So I spent a couple years searching for another creative way to continue to shift the cultural zeitgeist around colonoscopies, and to do it in a way that brings me personal joy. I have discovered that fashion, friends and ass jokes do that for me.

What sparked this idea?

So this is sort of a funny story. At the beginning of 2023, I had a session with an astrologist in New York. She predicted that I was going to have a “Creative Birth” later in the year. Those words really resonated with me. So I’d been painting, I’d been taking singing lessons, I’d been doing all sorts of weird stuff, trying to be open to serendipity. Then a couple things happened, all in one week. First, I overheard some kids comment on my license plate, which reads CHECKUR: [“check your colon”]. They said it was “sick”! I was so tickled that I had the apparent approval of a Gen Z. A few days later, someone bought one of my original Colonoscopy Enthusiast t-shirts, which made me feel good, too. But the big moment was when Sarah Beran called me. She’s a Stage IV cancer survivor who’s a celebrity fashion stylist in Los Angeles, and we immediately clicked. It dawned on us that we should start something together. We quickly realized that no one had been successful at making an actually cool fashion brand for colon cancer yet. It felt like an obvious and kind of hilarious — yet also super-important — thing to attempt. And so, the so-called Creative Birth happened and Worldclass was born!  It seemed like the world was ripe for a feel-good, ass-focused, legit streetwear brand.

That seems… unusual.

Well, yes. People have always loved ass humor on some level, and there is so much energy to harness around that topic. We initially called it Worldclass Ass, but it was a stronger brand when we shortened it to Worldclass. We designed a launch collection and had several items manufactured in Los Angeles. We’ve focused on quality and fit, and most items are 100% cotton — we want our stuff to last and, as we like to say, look ‘fantasstic.’ The focus is more about the brand itself, rather than another new take on materials or sustainability. We’ve been slowly building it and are thrilled with the brand vibe and collection we’ve created.

How will this help?

Worldclass Clothing is owned by a nonprofit, Worldclass Foundation. The Foundation is  partnering with the University of North Carolina Lineberger Cancer Center, we’re combining our funds with federal research dollars to increase colorectal cancer screening rates across North Carolina. There’s a program there run by Drs. Stephanie Wheeler and Alison Brenner researching ways to help people with high barriers get screened, like calling them to get them in versus mailing out stool tests. If you get a stool test that tests positive, you have to get a follow-up colonoscopy, but it’s hard to get people to take that step. More than 70% of the folks they work with, many of whom are migrant workers, are on Medicare, Medicaid or uninsured. So we’re helping fund a program in partnership with Blue Ridge Health. Our funds will help pay for navigators, translators, Uber rides or the actual colonoscopy. They found that using those tools increased the followup rate from 69% to 92%!  So all of our net profits, plus 10% off the top of every sale, just in case, will transfer to their efforts. 

How did the launch go?

It’s been great! We had a powerful first week — like, 65 orders the first day — and each time our Good Morning America segment ran, we saw hundreds of people on the website. We also saw a great sales response; we’re sold out of several sizes. Women who are buying our signature sweatshirt are telling us that they’re already “wearing it all the time.” We’re really proud of that feedback. And we’ve had some people put out amazing testimonials about our brand on social media (you can find us @worldclass_clothing). So people are really responding, and we hope it will continue to grow. 

What’s the one takeaway you want people to have?

Polyps are common by your 40s; nearly a third of all people have them. When you’re 45, it’s easy to get a colonoscopy if you have private insurance. So the day after your 45th birthday, you should call your doctor because you’ve unlocked this $2,000 benefit that may save your life. Yes, the prep sucks. But then it’s like a spa day! You get great drugs! Unfortunately, if you’re under 45, it’s frustratingly hard to get one. You have to make a real case that you’re high-risk for insurance to pay for it — like, you have blood in your stool or a family history for cancer or polyps. Otherwise, you have to pay for it out of hand. The main thing is: colonoscopies prevent colon cancer, a leading cancer that’s killing younger people every day. So find those pesky polyps, snip ‘em out and save that sexy ass.  

This article originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.