PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Hundreds of ambitious entrepreneurs showed up at Rivers Casino Portsmouth on Friday, hoping to get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring their innovative ideas to fruition.
Four-time Emmy Award-winning ABC show "Shark Tank" held an open casting call for its upcoming 16th season. It was the show's first-ever casting call in Virginia and the first in-person audition on the East Coast for the upcoming season.
Here are 10 fun ideas pitched on Friday that may or may not move on to Shark Tank Season 16!
Lily Haberdashery Candles
Stephanie Oestricher-Perkins is the owner of Lily Haberdashery. The company creates gourmet candles that resemble real food. Their candles come in all different sizes and scents. The huge cake candle they make has a burn time of about 200 hours!
Role Models 808
Role Models 808 is a model coaching agency that coaches and mentors aspiring models and produces high fashion shows. They go by the idea that anyone can be a model. The owner Alexis Renae brings the concept of aloha, meaning love, peace, and happiness from Hawaii to the forefront of her business.
Dog-On Bag
Hazel Smith was previously diagnosed with agoraphobia and couldn’t go anywhere. She designed the Dog-On Bag so she could bring her comforting chihuahua around with her and help overcome her illness. The bags help you bring your small dogs anywhere you need. She makes different colors and even does custom orders.
757 Jerky
757 Jerky is a local, women and family-owned business. They are in over 40 stores across three states. They have sweet and spicy flavors; something for everyone. They are looking to open a local processing plant with their Shark Tank pitch.
Posh Teatime Co.
Ella Williams is the Master Teatime Curator behind Posh Teatime Co., a tearoom, teatime catering, and an artisan tea boutique all in one. They provide tea parties with pastries and sandwiches for bridal showers, business events, baby showers, or any event in need of some luxury. They also partner with non-profits to provide etiquette and life-skill classes to at-risk youth.
Marching Elites Association
The Marching Elites Association is a military-style marching organization based in Hampton for at-risk youth. Their founder Mark Cooper says they are celebrating 30 years in business and have traveled across the country marching. The association provides educational and leadership training opportunities for local abled and disabled youth.
My Final Videos
James Garza says his patented technology will allow people to leave custom videos for their loved ones, beyond their time on earth. Garza says his product is great for older people or those who are afflicted with illness and want to know their family can hear from them when they need them most. You can upload videos, pictures, journal entries, and more to the site.
Wigglebrew Fertilizer
Wigglebrew is a fertilizer made from earthworm manure. CEO Sam Baker claims the fertilizer is not only healthier for the environment than other non-organic fertilizers, but they have also modified the gut biomes of the worms so that they can consume plastic, styrofoam, and other kinds of waste.
Viable Arts
Jermal McMillian calls his product “Uber for arts. Viable Arts is an app that connects consumers to different artists for whatever events you can imagine. As an example, you can hire a pianist for entertainment, a culinary artist to cook for you, and a visual artist to capture the beauty of the moment. It’s endless possibilities. McMillan promises that artists will be verified beforehand so you get quality artists for your occasions.
The Incredible Sock
Andra Reid says she created "The Incredible Sock" to help families save time and money. Her socks have small embroidered holes on the top so that they can run a ring through them linking the socks together. Linking them together makes it so when you toss them in the washer and dryer they come out together and clean. No more having to deal with single pairs of unmatched socks!