Author: Matt Cabral

Parents are always looking for cheap activities to keep their kids engaged. CertifiKID is a marketplace that finds deals for family-friendly activities, services and products. Essentially it’s a Groupon for families. Founders Jamie and Brian Ratner pitched their business on Shark Tank and sealed a deal with Kevin O’Leary. As of 2023, CertifiKID is worth an estimated $10 million. About the Founders Brian and Jamie Ratner are a married couple based in Washington, DC. Brian has a graduate law degree from the University of Pittsburgh and spent most of his career as a partner at the law firm Hausfeld. Jamie…

The PowerPot is a thermoelectric generator that uses the heat from cooking to charge various devices. Founders Caleb Light and David Toledo pitched their product on Shark Tank and got a deal with Mark Cuban. Their company Power Practical was later acquired by Thrasio in 2020. As of 2023, Power Practical is worth an estimated $3 million. About the Founders David Toledo and Caleb Light hail from Salt Lake City, Utah. David has a PhD in materials science and engineering from Cornell University. Caleb got an accounting degree from Utah Valley University. During school Toledo spent a lot of time…

Most people don’t enjoy coffee if it’s too hot or too cold. But getting coffee to the right temperature and maintaining it is no easy task. Coffee Joulies are small metallic beans that can keep your cup of joe at the ideal temperature for hours. Founders Dave Petrillo and David Jackson took it to Shark Tank and got a deal with four Sharks. As of 2023, Coffee Joulies is worth an estimated $250,000. About the Founders Hailing from Pennington, New Jersey, Dave Petrillo and David Jackson are best friends with a mechanical engineering background. Pettrillo graduated from Lehigh University, and…

There’s a problem that’s secretly infesting humanity – people procrastinating on the toilet, or as entrepreneurs Adam and Katie Stephey like to call them, “poo-crastinators.” To solve this problem they invented the Toilet Timer under their company, Katamco. It’s a gag product with real benefits. They pitched their product on Shark Tank and got a deal with Mark Cuban. As of 2023, Toilet Timer is worth $2 million. About the Founders Adam and Katie Stephey are a husband-and-wife duo that reside in Normal, Illinois. Adam has a degree in German language and literature from Truman State University, and Katie completed…

America is hailed as the land of opportunities, which is why Danh Tran made the move to pursue his dreams. He founded Buttercloth, a fashion line for comfortable dress shirts. Along with his trusted business partner Gary Falkenberg, Dahn swam with the Sharks and got a deal with Robert Herjavec. As of 2023, Buttercloth is worth an estimated $5 million. Danh Tran’s Background Danh Tran grew up in Vietnam, where he worked in his family’s tailor shop at a young age. Although against his parent’s wishes, he relocated to Los Angeles and studied fashion at Otis College of Art and…

82% of weddings were canceled in April 2020 and couples began having virtual ceremonies due to the pandemic. Caroline Creidenberg launched Wedfuly with the aim of making online weddings more interactive. Creidenberg pitched her business on Shark Tank and got a deal with Robert Herjavec. As of 2023, Wedfuly is worth an estimated $3 million. About the Founder Caroline Creidenberg hails from Denver, Colorado and has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Denver. While studying, Caroline worked part-time as a tour guide at her school. She spent four months as a QA and marketing intern at Ad…

Blankets have been keeping people warm for centuries but it’s been decades since they were given an upgrade. Traditional blankets are not made for all kinds of environments but that’s not the case with Rumpl. Founder Wylie Robinson pitched his product on Shark Tank and wasn’t able to make a deal. As of 2023, Rumpl is worth $15 million. About the Founder Wylie Robinson is an entrepreneur from Portland, Oregon and has a degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado. He also did an online course in graphic design at UC Berkeley Extension. When still in college, he…

While drinking at a bar or a college party might be fun, they’re not the safest environments. The number of drink spiking cases has risen dramatically in recent years and this inspired Shirah Benarde and her brother, Michael, to invent NightCap. The product, which is disguised as a scrunchie, is used to cover a beverage cup to prevent others from putting drugs or alcohol into it. After featuring on Shark Tank, they got a deal with Lori Greiner. As of 2023, NightCap is worth an estimated $2 million. About the Founders The Benarde siblings grew up in West Palm Beach,…

The Nutr Machine makes healthy and delicious-free milks from the comfort of your own home. Their machine can make various milk recipes at the push of a button and all you need is nuts and water to get started. They pitched their company on the latest episode of Shark Tank but didn’t get a deal. As of 2023, Nutr is worth an estimated $6 million. About the Founders Dane Turk is based in Mount Vernon, Ohio and has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Ohio University. After graduating, he worked as a technical services account manager at Ariel Corporation.…

How Do You Roll (HDYR) was a fast-casual approach sushi restaurant business founded by Yuen and Peter Yung. They pitched their franchise on Shark Tank and inked a deal with Kevin O’Leary. As of 2023, How Do You Roll is worth $0. HDYR was acquired in 2015 but are no longer in business as they went bankrupt. About the Founders Yuen and Peter Yung are brothers who grew up in Chinatown, Manhattan. Peter started working in his parents restaurant from the age of eight. Here he mastered the art of cooking Japanese cuisine. Yuen studied finance and earned a BBA…