These Missouri Inventors Made It on Shark Tank

Since 2013, Missouri has been represented very well on the popular ABC TV Show "Shark Tank". In particular, seven winners have made it from the Show-Me State, and all of them from the St. Louis area.

The most recent contestant from Missouri was Akeem Shannon, who appeared in 2020. His presentation was for his invention called the Flipstick. According to a story on entrepreneurquarterly.com, his inspiration came from an uncle that worked at NASA. Akeem received an offer from Shark, Lori Greiner. Greiner offered $100,00 and a 25% stake in the Akeem's company.

It was a year earlier in 2019, when St. Louis native Cedric Cobb tried to get a Shark to bite on his invention-a Pocket Square Holder. He came off the show with a $200,00 offer and a share of the royalty from Daymond John.

Other winners listed in the entrepreneurquarterly.com story includes another 2019 winner, Lucinda Cramsey. Cramsey's idea interests me due to the fact it has to do with beef. Her company, Moink:

Delivers ethical meat boxes directly to your doorstep. Specialities include wild-caught salmon and pasture raised chicken.

Lucinda is from Labelle, Missouri which is actually north of St. Louis in Lewis County. After the show she hooked up with guest Shark, Jamie Siminoff. It all seems to be going well for Lucinda and her company.

Kiley Summers, founder and CEO of SpenDebt was on during 2017’s nationwide Shark Tank Diversity Tour. The "Shark Tank" casting team met with Kiley, a deal was struck and Kiley says it was a game changer for him.

Two earlier winners according to entrepreneurquarterly.com, include Talia Goldfarb who was on the show in 2014 and is the founder of Myself Belts. In 2013, Jenn Deese and Kelley Coughlan, the co-founders of Purse Case, caught the eye of Shark, Lori Greiner.

And last but not least, Tim Barklage and Kevin Tibbs. In 2013, they went on the show wanting an investor for their green, St. Louis based cleaning company, Better Life. Shark, Kevin O'Leary was the one that went with the duo and their product.