Author: Samuel Carter

If you’ve ever planned a backpacking trip and hunted for good-tasting, real-ingredient meals that wouldn’t weigh you down, Heather’s Choice might have landed on your radar. The company was founded by Heather Kelly—a former NCAA athlete who became a sports nutritionist and a big fan of Alaska’s outdoors. Her mission was pretty straightforward: help outdoor lovers eat food that fuels them, doesn’t upset their stomach, and actually tastes good in the wild. The company launched with a focus on dehydrated meals made from responsibly sourced ingredients—things like grass-fed bison stews, blueberry cinnamon breakfasts, and high-protein cookies (“packaroons”). Think less salty…

When Mark Bernstein created MealEnders, he wasn’t starting with a blank slate. He kicked off the journey from his own day-to-day struggle with overeating. Like a lot of people, Mark noticed it wasn’t hunger that led him back to the pantry after dinner—it was habit, boredom, or a craving for “just a little more.” As he tried to get a grip on his health, Mark came up short with every trick and tactic he’d tried. This persistent struggle eventually got him thinking: What if there was a way to interrupt those extra bites before they added up? That’s where MealEnders…

If you’ve ever wanted to bring a glass of wine with you on the go and avoid a spill, you may have heard of Goverre. Their stemless, spill-proof wine glasses caught people’s attention on Shark Tank back in 2017, and the company looked like it was about to take off. But just when things were looking promising, Goverre found itself facing a legal headache only a week after its big TV break. Let’s break down what happened with Goverre after Shark Tank: the lawsuit, the stress, and how they managed to survive and keep growing. From Shark Tank Stage to…

If you ever wished there was a handyman service that felt safer, more trustworthy, and more local, you’re not alone. That’s the gap Hidrent saw and tried to fill: by linking people to off-duty firefighters for help around the house. The idea sounds simple enough—match folks who need odd jobs done with trusted firefighters looking for extra work. But Hidrent’s story goes well beyond the app launch. Since their appearance on Shark Tank, the company has gone through some serious changes. Here’s how things have played out, what’s changed, how their business has grown, and what’s new with Hidrent right…

Back in Season 12, Episode 5 of Shark Tank, you might have seen a slim, headband-like gadget called LIFTiD. It’s not your usual fitness tracker or headphone. Instead, this device works by sending a gentle electric current to your brain’s frontal lobe. The big idea? It’s supposed to help you focus, stay alert, and think a bit sharper—all without reaching for coffee. LIFTiD was created by Ken and Allyson Davidov. Ken, a tech entrepreneur, teamed up with his sister Allyson to bring this science-inspired idea to the mainstream. They didn’t just invent the product in a bubble. Ken actually worked…

LARQ wasn’t exactly a “me too” moment on Shark Tank. When Justin Wang stood in front of the sharks during Season 12, he didn’t just throw out another reusable water bottle pitch. He announced a $500,000 ask for just 1% of his company, which turned some heads right from the start. You could almost see the sharks trying to do the math as he talked. The real hook? LARQ’s self-cleaning water bottle wasn’t relying on simple filters or ordinary tech. Wang demonstrated a system using UV-C LED light. In plain English, this technology killed almost all the bacteria floating in…

When families launch a startup together, it’s easy to root for them, especially if they’re chasing something fun. That’s basically what happened when the Clark family brought their company, Tandem Boogie, onto Shark Tank in Season 12. The Clarks pitched a giant two-person boogie board and wanted to partner with experienced investors. They had only just started, with $43,000 in early sales mostly from Kickstarter backers, and they were asking for $100,000 for 10% of their very young business. Their boogie boards were retailing at a premium price—$459 each—but actual production costs were about $150. That gave them solid margins,…

If you’ve spent any time around fitness trends in the last twenty years, you probably recognize the last name “Blanks.” Billy Blanks Sr. was the guy behind Tae Bo, which got millions of people off the couch and throwing punches to ’90s music. But Billy Blanks Jr., his son, had different moves in mind—and a spotlight of his own. Growing up with a superstar dad in the fitness spotlight can be both a boost and a challenge. Billy Jr. loved dance as much as fitness. Instead of focusing on martial arts, he figured there was another way to get people…

If you watched Shark Tank back in 2017, you might remember SmartGurlz. The company’s founder, Sharmi Albrechtsen, rolled onto the stage with small, scooter-riding dolls, hoping to inspire more girls to get into STEM — and, of course, hoping to land some investment to scale things up. Let’s take a real look at what happened during their pitch, how things took off, the major deals that came later, and where things actually stand today. SmartGurlz: Bringing Coding to Girls, One Robot at a Time SmartGurlz isn’t your usual toy startup. Sharmi, driven by the lack of STEM toys designed for…

Sometimes you come across a business idea that feels almost too human for the usual rules of the market. That’s the vibe you get from The Mad Optimist. Based in Bloomington, Indiana and started by friends Anthony Duncan, Mohamed A., and Mohamed M. Mahdi, the company isn’t just about clean skin. It’s about letting customers build their own bath and body products, and paying what they can. Every product is vegan, halal, cruelty-free, and comes with transparency about the ingredients. So, for folks who care about what goes into their soap, and who makes it, this was something new. The…