The 18th season of “Shark Tank” is set to arrive in the fall, and fans of the entrepreneurial reality hit can expect to see some big star power.
ABC has just announced the roster of guest Sharks who’ll be appearing this season, and it’s clear that “Shark Tank” is pulling out the big guns.
MrBeast, Mindy Kaling and More
“This season’s all-star lineup of guest Sharks includes: Jimmy Donaldson (a.k.a. MrBeast), creator of the YouTube channel MrBeast and founder of Beast Industries, and Jeffrey Housenbold, chief executive officer of Beast Industries; Mindy Kaling, award-winning writer, producer, director, actor and author; J.J. Watt, founder of the Justin J. Watt Foundation and former NFL defensive lineman; Erin Foster and Sara Foster, co-founders of Favorite Daughter, producers and entrepreneurs; Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur, investor, Dragon on “Dragons’ Den” (the U.K. version of “Shark Tank”) and host of “The Diary of a CEO,” the second-largest podcast in the world,” declares ABC’s press release.
Two More Permanent Sharks
In addition to all those big names, ABC announced more news about the upcoming season.
Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams have both joined the cast on an official basis as permanent Sharks, having both previously served as guest Sharks in the past. They’ll be joining returning Sharks estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky and Kevin O’Leary, a.k.a. “Mr. Wonderful.”
Jewelry Mogul Kendra Scott Built a Billion-Dollar Brand
GettyKendra Scott first appeared on “Shark Tank” back in Season 12, and her entrepreneurial journey has been extraordinary.
Three months after the arrival of her first child, she invested $500 to start her own jewelry business. Today, that company is valued at more than $1 billion.
“I never thought I could turn my passion for design into a thriving business that celebrates individuality and self-expression while giving back to women and youth causes,” Scott said in an interview with Tampa Magazine. “It’s a journey that continues to inspire me every day, reminding me that the possibilities are limitless when you follow your passion and believe in the beauty of your own story.”
Rashaun Williams Created a Sports Empire
GettyRashaun Williams made his first appearance on “Shark Tank” in Season 16.
A multimillionaire venture capitalist and financial literacy advocate, he’s founder and CIO of Harbinger Sports Partners. In addition, he a limited partner in the Atlanta Falcons, and as invested in several successful startups.
“My strategy is a little different from most of the Sharks,” Williams explained in an interview with Inc. “Have you heard the analogy of motorcycles and rockets? Josh Kopelman, the founder of First Round Capital and a former entrepreneur himself, said: ‘Motorcycles are common. Rockets are rare. Motorcycles take regular fuel, and rockets take jet fuel. VCs sell rocket fuel. Bad things happen when you put rocket fuel in motorcycles and regular fuel in rockets.’ I’m selling rocket fuel. The others are selling regular fuel, looking for motorcycles. The No. 1 question they ask: ‘Where’s the cash flow?’ That is never a question that a VC would ask, because instead of their being profitable, we want to reinvest all their profit into growth. The only thing a VC likes more than growth is more growth! So I’m specifically looking for businesses that are very scalable; where the marketplace is large enough that if we get an exit, the exit is large enough to make up for the losses that I had on the other nine companies I invested in. That’s how I was able to turn $50,000 in Coinbase to $20 million in eight years. That made up for 90 losses I had — that one exit.”
