Stephen Rosa started Advertising Ventures in 1989, at the age of 25, in response to his dislike for the traditional advertising approach. His new Providence-based company focused on understanding their clients, in part by paying attention to developing a diverse staff.

At Advertising Ventures, the 30 staff members represent 19 ethnicities and cultures. Rosa himself adds to that diversity: he is Portuguese-American, which has earned the company its designation as a state-certified Minority Business Enterprise.

“We speak Spanish, Portuguese, Estonian, Russian, Italian, French and English,” he said. Though Rosa said the firm does not actively promote its MBE designation, in that context, Advertising Ventures has gained acclaim. DiversityBusiness.com, a multicultural business Web site, this year named Advertising Ventures one of the top 100 “diversity-owned businesses.”

“We don’t really promote the fact we are an MBE, because we want to be hired because we’re the best,” he said. “But diversity brings creativity, and the more ways you look at a problem, the more ways you can find to solve a problem.”