Despite initial challenges, Scott transformed a family wooden block game into the classic Jenga, achieving worldwide success after licensing to Hasbro in 1986.
Born in Tanzania, Scott spent her childhood in East and West African countries and completed her education in England.
[1] After graduating high school, Scott began working at Intel UK, where she became the Marketing Communications Manager.
She would also design a various competitive team-based puzzle-solving games that became a huge success at their international sales conferences.
She went on to found Leslie Scott Associates, a one-woman, one-product company, and decided to turn the wooden blocks into a product and sell them.
[2] With no business plans and no experience in the toy industry, she borrowed £15,000 from the bank with the support of her mother, who placed her house as collateral.