The producers of ABC's popular “Shark Tank” television show are expecting to draw a large group of entrepreneurs from Greater Washington and elsewhere along the East Coast during an open casting call this spring in southeastern Virginia.
Innovators and inventors can present their pitches at The Event Center inside Rivers Casino Portsmouth in Portsmouth at 9 a.m. April 12
The roughly three-hour-plus drive south from the D.C. region isn't likely to be a deterrent, though, as showrunners said hopeful contestants wanting to make an appearance on the program historically travel great distances to attend a casting call.
"Show us your passion and personality when pitching, as it really goes a long way when you are excited about what you have created," Mindy Zemrak, a supervising casting producer of "Shark Tank," said in a statement. "We are very excited to travel to the Portsmouth area and see how entrepreneurship is thriving."
Portsmouth is playing host to the first casting call ever to be held in Virginia for the Emmy Award-winning series, which is entering its 16th season. Businesses backed with deals offered by the uber-affluent "Shark Tank" panelists over the years have gone on to make $8 billion in retail sales, according to "Shark Tank."
Those wishing to attend must complete an application beforehand and be prepared to complete their business pitch in one minute or less. No panelists from the show will be in attendance during the casting call.
Many D.C.-area startups have had success on the show over the past decade. Most recently, Sweetkiwi, a D.C.-based frozen yogurt company, got a $250,000 investment from Robert Herjavec in exchange for a 16% equity stake during a March 2023 airing of the show. Others local startups that have received backing from "Shark Tank" panelists include Alexandria snack food company GoOats and Rockville's Snacklins.
