Before appearing on Shark Tank, Sherisse Hawkins was working for Time Warner Cable and Disney. Her Cofounder, Alex Milewski, was attending college at the University of Colorado. The pair started Beneath the Ink despite coming from vastly different backgrounds.  Before going on Shark Tank, they were about to raise $300,000 after participating in a University New Venture Challenge. They also received $250,000 from a state grant. Would the unlikely duo do as well in the Tank? Let’s take a look.

Beneath the Ink on Shark Tank

The pair behind Beneath the Ink walked into the Shark Tank and introduced themselves as Sherisse Hawkins and Alex Malesky. They told the Sharks that they were the co-creators of the Chicago-based business. Sherisse asked the Sharks for $350,000 in exchange for 10% equity. Alex said that Beneath the Ink is a digital text technology company that underplays the text of e-books with rich content. Sherisse aid that the content they provide can be used without the internet, and integrates seamlessly with what you are reading.

On the stage, there was a large sample e-reader with the text of a book already displayed on it. Alex manipulated the image as he spoke. He told the Sharks to image that they were reading a book, came across a character’s name, and wanted to know more about them. On the screen, the character’s name was highlighted. Alex said that you could simply touch the name to learn more about them. He called the additional material “BINKs” (short for Beneath the Ink link). He showed a couple more BINKs, including a map, a photo of a location, and a 3D photo of the Taj Mahal. Sherisse said that their goal was to make reading more immersive and exciting than other e-books. She asked the Sharks which of them wanted to join them on their journey Beneath the Ink.

Mark asked if you had to have a BINK enabled book to experience the content, and the two confirmed that you did. Mark elaborated his point, saying that the process to get the rights to each book and then map out the content has to be expensive and time-consuming. He asked them to explain the entire process of annotation from start to finish. Alex stated that what they are selling is an online portal where the author drags and drops the manuscript, and then adds the extras where they would like. Mark wanted to confirm that the author was the one to put the content in, and Alex agreed that that was what takes place.

Robert wanted to know what the process looked like to the actual consumer of the content. Alex explained that as an author, the portal offers options to publish to all the great e-book outlets. As a reader, you can use the extra content on any platform of your choice. Mark was all about the money – he wanted to know where they were getting paid. Sherisse told him that there are three different revenue streams. Beneath the Ink has a licensing model for universities or larger corporations that want to make several Beneath the Ink titles. There is a subscription model for smaller scale authors. That can be purchased for $12 a month. There’s also an export fee which is $99 per e-book channel.

Barbara wanted to know how much an author would pay to BINK their content. Alex told her it would be less than a thousand dollars. He elaborated that they would take a share of the royalties for each copy sold, which comes from the content owner. The content owner is either the publisher or the author. Kevin said that he was intrigued by the idea because he had three books out. He asked if his book that sold for $14.99 in e-book format would still cost the same amount with BINK content. Alex said no. He told the Sharks that they did a survey, and 98% of users wouldn’t mind paying extra for the additional content. They stated that they would pay 10 to 20 % extra, and Kevin clarified that to two dollars.

Robert wanted to learn more about the company. He asked what the sales looked like for the past year. Sherisse told the Sharks that Beneath the Ink was pre-revenue, which is common for startups at that stage. Mark asked them how long they had been in business. Sherisse said they had been in business for two years. She told the Sharks that Beneath the Ink was able to raise $600,000 in fundraising. Lori seemed impressed.

Kevin said that the only way the business model would be worth anything was if they were able to get great authors on board. Sherisse told him that she disagreed. There is a significant trend of small, self-published authors, in particular on the Kindle platform. Kevin asked them how many books went through the BINK process, and Sherisse told him there were only 8. Robert looked surprised, asking them if that was it. Sherisse said that she had chased particular niches, but Robert was having none of it. He stated that they need to start going after major authors and publishers. He told them if they got an enormous book, such as a Harry Potter in the BINK format, they are ready to go. The pair agreed. Robert asked them if they had approached any large publishers, and Sherisse said that they had. She told him that they were in communications with an author on the cusp of making it big.

Kevin asked what his sales would be to offset the cost of BINKing the publication. He wanted to know how much profit the author could expect to make by going the extra mile to BINK a book versus standard publishing. He said that he thought the model was unproven, and he wasn’t on board since they were at the very beginning stages of a “very rocky road.” He went out.

Sherisse told the Sharks that they took the risk out of the business. The Sharks laughed, and Robert told them in no uncertain terms that they had not. Mark had harsh words for the pair. He called them delusional. He told them that, yeah, they had raised $600,000, but that was not enough to drive demand. They would not be able to pay authors enough to keep them interested, especially not the big name ones. Sherisse asked if Mark had the technology to help them get there. Mark said no indignantly and stated that they were just trying to expand on technology that’s already there. He told the duo that they would need more cash than he would ever be willing to apply towards Beneath the Ink. He went out, stating that they had problems they were not even aware of yet.

Lori said that the final product sounded smart, and like a better reading experience. She was less confident in the ability of the product to reach authors, and to get to the market to be profitable. She stated that she would not be able to invest, and she went out. Sherisse attempted to tell the remaining Sharks that they wouldn’t find a more driven pair of entrepreneurs. Robert told them that it wasn’t enough. Barbara said to Sherisse and Alex that she had had a book out for many years. She could see many places in the book where it could benefit from BINKIng… But it would not help them, or Barbara make more money. Barbara said that she did not have faith in the business, and she was the next to go out. This left only Robert.

Robert told Alex that he thought it was a brilliant idea. He was concerned, however, because it seemed evident to him that BINKing a book needed to drive more book sales. Robert said that they didn’t appear to share that vision. Alex disagreed. He said that was what they were asking for the money for so that they can test the hypothesis. Robert stated that it was too early for him, and he was not able to get behind it at this time. He told them that it would take them millions of dollars to get where they needed to be, and they did not have a clear path to get them to success. He went out and wished them luck. In the exit interview, Alex said confidently that BINK was the way of the future.  

Beneath the Ink Now in 2026 – The After Shark Tank Update

After their appearance on Shark Tank, Beneath the Ink continued to operate and pursue their business endeavors. While they didn’t land a deal per se, their appearance have given them a significant amount of exposure; this helped them attract attention from other potential investors and customers, which in return, helped with their growth and development.

Since then, Beneath the Ink – later rebranded as PageDip – has continued to innovate and develop their unique technology. Their product has been updated to remain competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape and they have also maintained a focus on providing an immersive reading environment that brings stories to life with enriched and interactive content.

As of 2026, they are still in business and their products can be found on their official website.

To summarize, while Beneath the Ink didn’t secure an investment deal on Shark Tank, they have continued to persevere in their business objectives.

If anything, their story serves as a testament to the resilience and determination of entrepreneurs who are committed to bringing innovative ideas to life. Despite challenges and setbacks, Beneath the Ink has shown that with passion and dedication, a company can continue to grow and achieve success.

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Dave Yonce got the idea for his air conditioner/ cooler will on a terribly hot camping trip with his kids. Will the Sharks bite on the Icy Breeze, despite it’s high price point? Let’s take a look.

Icy Breeze on Shark Tank

Three men in light blue shirts entered the Tank and faced the Sharks. Jason Shackleford introduced himself first as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for IcyBreeze. Andrew Jenkins, the Ceo was next, follows by the creator, Dave Yonce. They asked for a $50,000 investment in exchange for 5% equity in IcyBreeze. Jason stated that Icy Breeze, which looked like a cooler with a hose on top, would make it, so people never have to be uncomfortably hot. The trio introduced the Icy Breeze and a combination cooler and air conditioner all rolled into one. The best part about the Icy Breeze is its portability. Mark Cuban laughed, looking interested.

Dave said that air conditioning is not just for indoor use. Their product would allow people to take air conditioning outdoors. Jason explained the process. The ice water that naturally forms at the bottom of the machine is pumped into a brass radiator in the lid, which is cooled by the water. The fan in the back section of the cover pulls the air out into the flexible hose. The resulting air is up to 35 degrees below the outside temperature. Dave let the Sharks know that the Icy Breeze is also wireless, which, in my opinion, is key. You don’t want to have to try and look around for a plug at the beach or sporting event you are bringing this to. The rechargeable battery in the lid provides hours of outside air conditioning.

Jason claimed that the applications are endless, although the analogy he used was essentially baseball, and also baseball. It was easy to see his point, though. If it functioned as advertised, it would be very useful for outdoor craft fairs where I am a vendor. Kevin asked if the Icy Breeze melted the ice inside faster as it pushed hot air cycled from outside against it. Dave said that it did melt the ice faster, but you can fix that problem by using a bigger chunk of ice. Robert asked how much the retail cost is. Dave informed the Sharks that they sell it for $349. The Sharks seemed taken aback by that price. Robert sarcastically asked the men if that was it, but Dave informed him that you couldn’t put a price on comfort. I suppose that’s technically accurate, but I’m not sure it would be worth the money at that price unless you secretly lived outdoors. Robert laughed and let him know that he did, in fact, put a price on comfort, and that price was pretty steep.

Kevin stated that he would just buy a regular cooler for ⅙ of the price, instead of spending another $300 for that “jewel.” Dave asked him when was the last time he’d been in the car without air conditioning. Mark asked the trio how it would handle multiple people in extreme heat. Jason said that he would like to sell an Icy Breeze to every person in that scenario. Robert asked why the Icy breeze costs so much more than a regular cooler. Lori followed up wth how much it cost to make each Icy Breeze. They that the Sharks know that it costs almost $200 to produce one unit of product. Daymond said that wasn’t cool (wink wink), and asked them why it was so expensive. Jason said that the type of battery that they used int the lid was very expensive.

Mark asked how they were selling them with such awful margins. Dave stated that they sold the Icy Breeze primarily online. Lori wanted to know how many they’d already sold. Dave stated 1,700 units. She did not look impressed. That was only $17,000 in profit. Jason told them that they are also in some SAMs Clubs nationwide. Robert asked what their revenue was like the previous year. Andrew said $175,000, but they were projected to make 2.5 million dollars this year. Robert looked stumped.

Kevin, apparently not buying into the Icy Breeze, asked them how much they’ve sunk into the business so far. Dave told the Sharks that they’d spent $5.5, Millon. There was a chorus of shock as the Sharks processed that number. Kevin asked them why it had been so much. Dave said that 5.5 million dollars seemed like a lot of money. Mark let him know that it was a lot money. Robert wanted to know how they had raised that much. Dave said that he put the money in himself, as he is a “serial entrepreneur.” He told the Sharks that he started a software company when he was 12 years old with his brother called Solarwinds. Robert looked impressed and complimented him on it. He asked Jason how he was able to come up with the idea. Jason told him that he was camping one day with his son in 95-degree heat, and he wanted to crawl inside the cooler. He said he thought he could come up with a method of using the cooler as air conditioner, and that exactly what he did. Mark asked him if just thought about not camping in 90-degree weather.

Mark asked Dave why he wanted to come on Shark Tank. Dave answered that it was about finding a strategic partnership, not about the money. Mark and Daymond took exception to this, essentially telling him that he was full of it. Robert asked him why $50,000. It was a fair question. Dave already sunk millions of dollars into it. Dave said that he didn’t want to be offensive by asking for a lot of money while having such a high valuation. He just wanted a strategic partnership. Daymond wondered why he wouldn’t just hire somebody. He said that each Shark on the stage is only as good as the team that they have. Dave stated that it was an option, but the Sharks had the best connections. Mark stated that it made sense. He had funded similar projects without worrying how big the check is, just to prove that he could make it successful. Mark continued, say that once you’ve gotten the check, you lose your motivation to work hard. Mark went out, saying that Dave probably didn’t have the all-consuming drive to make the business successful since he didn’t have to worry about the money.

Robert asked Dave if there was merit to what Mark said, or if he was as driven today as he was before. Dave admitted that he was not as driven, but he had other ways of expressing his passion. He said that all of his businesses have positive cash flow. He stated that the risk is gone from Icy Breeze – which sounded like B.S. Considering their sales figures. Daymond said that he did not have the time to take away from his existing businesses. He insisted that Dave did not need an investment from the Sharks and that he did not have the time to help someone who is already successful. Kevin said that he didn’t think most people would purchase a $400 cooler/air conditioner, and he went out. Dave stated that he wasn’t an outdoorsy person. Kevin stated that he was, he just would rather sleep in a hotel room every night.

Robert spoke up next, but Dave interrupted him. He said that Icy Breeze was the only portable air conditioner option available on the market. Robert shook his head and continued his original statement. He stated that the challenge was that Dave would never have built the cooler for so much money if he didn’t already have a lot of money. He was missing a fundamental perspective of the average person who camped. Dave said that he was just trying to build a great air conditioner and a great cooler. Robert stated that there was no way an average person would pay that kind of money for a cooler on a broad scale. He told Dave to lower his price point, wished him luck, and went out.

Lori said that it was an ingenious solution to the heat, but it’s only good at keeping one person cold. Dave tried to say that he’s seen families using it to cool down 2-3 people. Lori said it’s still too expensive. Jason, the marketing guy, said that people kept buying them left and right, but Lori said it’s still too early to tell. She said that there’s a minuscule percentage of the population that can afford to buy the IcyBreeze, and she went out. Dave looked shocked in his exit interview and said that it was mind-boggling that the Sharks were not on board.      

Icy Breeze Now in 2026 – The After Shark Tank Update

Following their appearance on Shark Tank, Icy Breeze demonstrated resilience and determination by continuing to push their unique product in the market.

While they didn’t receive an investment from any of the sharks, that didn’t deter them from taking the company further. If anything, the exposure and publicity they received from appearing on the show provided a springboard for further growth.

In the time since their Shark Tank appearance, Icy Breeze has improved and expanded their product line.

For one thing, they have made several enhancements to their original cooler-air conditioner unit, refining its design and performance based on customer feedback and market demands. This commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction underscores their resilience as a company.

Not only that but Icy Breeze has also been able to secure partnerships and distribution deals that have broadened their reach. They have also ramped up their marketing efforts, leveraging social media platforms and online retail outlets to increase visibility and sales.

It’s clear that the Shark Tank experience, though not resulting in an investment deal, has nonetheless played a significant role in shaping the trajectory of Icy Breeze.

If anything, their story highlights the fact that success can be achieved even without securing a deal from the sharks. Despite the initial setback on Shark Tank, Icy Breeze has managed to make a significant impression in their market segment and continues to evolve as a promising enterprise.

As of 2026, the portable air conditioner and cooler is still available for sale on their official website.

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