Michael Akindele and Ehime Eigbem give the Sharks a taste of Sweet Kiwi, their healthy, whipped frozen yogurt brand. Ehime started experimenting with healthier foods in 2009, but she didn’t want to give up ice cream, so she began experimenting with frozen yogurt. Sweet Kiwi Whipped Greek Yogurt is what she came up with.
She started selling the stuff in Nigeria, using milk from Nigerian dairy farmers and locally sourced ingredients. The yogurt is also high in fiber and contains probiotics for gut health. At 280 calories per pint, it’s got 75% less calories than a pint of ice cream.
Once she brought her brand to the USA, things really took off. She got over $200,000 in grants from the Black Lives Matter movement and got on the shelves at Whole Foods, Wal Mart, Kroger and more. She donates 1% of her profits to Black Girl Ventures, an organization that provides access to capital, training and support for black and brown female business owners. She’ll be feeding the Sharks her yogurt in hopes of getting bigger distribution channels.
My Take on Sweet Kiwi
I like Greek yogurt. I have some with berries and granola almost every day. I’ll get an occaisional “froyo” too. I actually tried this stuff a few months ago, before I knew they were going to be on Shark Tank. I had the Raspberry Frose and it was quite good. It isn’t sweet like a lot of frozen yogurt. If you’ve ever had plain Greek yogurt, it has that taste to it. Some people don’t like it, but I do. I’m looking forward to trying some of the other flavors.
As for the social impact stuff, I like it when companies give back.
Do Sharks Like Yogurt?
One thing is certain, Lori won’t make an offer. She invested in Frozen Farmer (now Frobet) back in season 11. The last time I checked, they were doing $20 million in annual revenue. Lori won’t invest in a competing product. Mr. Wonderful HATES anything in the freezer section as an investment, so he’ll be out too.
That leaves Mark, Daymond and Robert. If Sweet Kiwi is going to get a deal, it’ll be with Mark. He loves doing deals for healthty and good for you foods.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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