Where Is Rule Breaker Snacks From Shark Tank Today?
In "Shark Tank" Season 12, Nancy Kalish advocated for financial backing for her business, Rule Breaker Snacks, which are non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher, and made without 11 of the top food allergens.
Kalish is a certified health coach and former journalist with a sweet tooth. She wanted to develop brownies with nutritious ingredients, such as beans, which can provide a fudgy texture and additional fiber. After a few tries, she developed the perfect recipe, using chickpeas for consistency and flavor. Kalish roasts the chickpeas to improve their taste and texture and does use some sugar. But chickpeas are the star ingredient in her treats, which include cookies and blondies made without butter, eggs, or other animal products.
When Kalish went on "Shark Tank" in 2022, she asked for $400,000 for a 10% stake in her business, which she started in 2014. And the Sharks, especially Kevin O'Leary, enjoyed the products.
Persistence pays off
At the time she appeared on the show, Rule Breaker Snacks founder Nancy Kalish hadn't been able to break even with her sales. Her total investment was $1.6 million of her own money. She also had an SBA loan and a home equity line of credit, with $600,000 debt. Her cost to make the cookies came to 50 cents each, and she sold them to the retailer for $1.05. The investors recommended that she try direct-to-consumer sales to cut out the middleman and increase her profit margin.
Because of her substantial debt and low margin, Kalish didn't receive an investment offer on the show, but that didn't stop her. By the end of 2022, she was selling in more than 4,800 retail locations and offering direct-to-consumer sales.
Furthermore, she started an equity crowdfunding campaign and raised $171,592. (That was in addition to the funding she received from Grupo Bimbo in 2021, prior to her "Shark Tank" appearance.) Rule Breaker Snacks is growing, with projected total sales of $2.2 million in 2022, a huge increase from the sales of $1.3 million in 2021 and $444,000 in 2020.
Building ties with the allergy community
Rule Breaker Snacks offers dozens of allergen-friendly products, including variety packs and limited-edition flavors. In addition, the company has received numerous accolades from sites covering food allergies. Its products have been listed on Us Weekly, She Knows, VegOut, and Living Allergic, which call out the products as a great school snack that's friendly to dietary restrictions.
Rule Breaker Snacks receives plenty of love from the food allergy community, and the support goes both ways. In May, the company announced on social media that the company would donate 10% of all sales made through its website throughout the month to food-insecure families with food allergies to ensure they receive the safe foods they need.
Thanks to these community ties and its recent funding, Rule Breaker Snacks has seen success since its time on "Shark Tank," as evidenced by its sales growth and numerous new products.