Kalaii Griffin II is a 2013 graduate of Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda where he was a two sport letter winner in football and wrestling. He went on to the University of Texas at El Paso, where he played Division I football and earned his B.A. in Communications. Now Griffin is the founder and CEO of ShredSkinz, the world’s first and only single use & recyclable sauna suit, and his company made an appearance on Shark Tank earlier this week (spoilers below). ‘
Kalaii explained that he created his ShredSkinz sauna suits in a way that is convenient for those using them. He has added elastic to the bottom and the wrist area and a draw string on the hood to allow those working out in a ShredSkinz suit to maximize how much they sweat. He goes on to clarify that this is not marketed as a way to lose weight, but rather as a convenient way to maximize workouts by increasing the amount of weight, ideal for cutting weight for a fight, etc. Griffin mentions his success on TIkTok, primarily due to videos of ShredSkinz users showing their sweat fall out of the suit.
Kalaii is asking for $60,000 for 20% equity in his company. In discussing numbers, Griffin explains making $15,000 in the first two months after his product launched in October 2020. In 2021 the company did $190,000 in sales and is currently projected to do a quarter million in 2022. Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner both dropped out, but guest shark Daniel Lubetzky loved Kalaii and his product and offered the full $60,000 for 20%. Mark Cuban then made the same offer, giving Kalaii two sharks to choose between for the exact deal he was looking for and decided to accept Mark Cuban’s offer.
Per ShredSkinz: During his athletic tenure, Kalaii was a noteworthy and influential leader on and off the field. His competitive edge allowed him many years of success within sales management and marketing. As a collegiate athlete turned founder & CEO, coming from humble beginnings, Kalaii is appropriately positioned to push the boundaries of what’s possible with high performance fitness gear. Through sheer need to reach his own fitness goals and the repetitive use of traditional sauna suits, there was an evident necessity for a more sustainable, hygienic, and environmentally conscious option.
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