For anyone who wants to live a healthier lifestyle, one way to start is by reducing your sugar intake. The vegan date spread Wanna Date can help with this. Melissa Bartow pitched her business on Shark Tank and struck a deal with Mark Cuban. As of 2024, Wanna Date is valued at $2 million.
Melissa Bartow’s Background
Melissa Bartow grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia. After graduating from high school, she attended NYU and graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship.
Melissa began her career as a brand ambassador and magazine photographer. Later on, she worked in a health food store for several months before starting her own business.
Creating a Healthier Alternative
While working in the food store, Melissa was disappointed when she discovered that the acai bowls they were serving had more than 15 grams of sugar. She thought that acai berries could produce a natural raw sweetener.
Next she experimented with baking a date-based nut butter and created the first batch from her dorm room in 2017. It’s a vegan-inspired spread that comes in five different flavors.
Wanna Date proved to be a suitable gluten-free alternative to jams and nut butter. With only 30 calories per serving, it became a good way to soothe a sugar craving without turning to refined sugar.
Pitching Wanna Date on Shark Tank
In season 11, Bartow requested $100,000 for 20% equity in her company. After giving out samples, things got a little bit heated. Daymond John pointed out that the lack of market research may affect its revenue.
Barbara also didn’t like how her father was giving the entrepreneur money to live in New York. After most investors backed out, Mark Cuban offered to invest $100,000, but for 33%.
Although Mark is a vegetarian, he believed the product could be profitable in the future. Cuban also asked Melissa to add a basic date flavor, a smaller container, and to make it more affordable. She agreed, and accepted the offer.
Making Strides After Shark Tank
24 to 48 hours after the episode aired, sales skyrocketed but orders returned to normal 5 to 7 days later. Despite this, a lot of new people discovered the product and became regular customers.
As a food product has tight margins, Melissa has to keep reinvesting money back into the business. She revealed in January 2023, that she had never taken a paycheck from the company. This might shock fans who think she’s become a millionaire overnight.
The deal with Mark Cuban closed in 2020 after a slight delay and is listed on his personal website. Melissa stayed dedicated to her work and grinding during the pandemic.
This helped her get into Manhattan’s Whole Foods Market. The product range expanded with Date Dough, a dough that you add water to and make delish treats. Melissa sells dough products such as birthday cake, chocolate spread, cookie, and pumpkin spread.
The vegan product is mainly sold direct-to-consumer on their website, Amazon and in a selection of Whole Foods stores. Outside of Whole Foods, she sells in local health food stores. Melissa is doing a terrific job at promoting her brand on Instagram and has over 22,500 followers.
With small but steady steps, Wanna Date has made close to $5 million in lifetime sales. The company is now valued at $2 million. Now 27 years old, Melissa works as a Studio Manager for CorePower in New York and part-time as a Yoga Sculpt Instructor for CorePower Yoga. It’s safe to say, Melissa’s dad no longer needs to support her financially.
