Hamza & Amanda kicking off ST/Reunion'23 at Flight Club Las Vegas
our
story
Meeting Aaron from Scrub Daddy & Pals in NYC 2019
The view from the "TikTok ST Masterclass' at our first event-the '22 Reunion
Our story started in 2018 when the crazy crew above decided to convince their stage-terrified mom/wife to go on Shark Tank. It was the best-worst thing that I every did.
Like many of you, upon getting that exclusive 'yes' to appear on Shark Tank, we also got accepted into an equally exclusive community of entrepreneurs who have graciously leant their support. In 2019 Hamza and I attended the inaugural first Shark Tank get together in NYC. We connected with others who had ‘been through the craziness call Shark Tank”, and once you’ve been on that infamous carpet smiling nervously for one looooong minute before beginning, you know exactly what I mean. It’s one of the most nerve-racking-hold-on-to-your-seats-kinds of experiences in your lifetime. At that reunion, it was great to connect and meet such amazing people who understood all the highs and lows that come with appearing on the show. We didn’t know it at the time, but those connections would help us in a time of crisis in 2020, and open two new chapters in our book of life.
In 2022, after two long years plus a world-wide pandemic later, the idea to host the reunion came up when Hamza and I were in Boston chatting over wine. We reflected on our business journey; the ups and downs, and how integral and supportive the shark tank pal group had been. We continued to chat about the last in-person reunion, and how much it changed our lives. At that reunion we met so many amazing people. Two of which gave us advice so big that our businesses wouldn’t be where they were today (and one wouldn’t even exist!). It had been a while since the last in-person reunion in '2019 and we wondered if someone would host one again. Then crazy me had one of my crazy ideas. What if we hosted the reunion? Something like the one in NYC, but expand on it with speakers, and breakout session as a way to learn, give back to the community and strengthen the network for all? That idea sparked this crazy journey that we now call the yearly ST/Reunion. We've met so many amazing people ever since.
Last year was really special for us because we had the opportunity to introduce our three young entrepreneurs, and build on their experiences and connections. Building experiences and making connections is what the reunion is all about. That's why Hamza and I have chosen to continue the tradition and expanded on the idea with classes, keynotes & networking sessions to provide even more value. Coordinating this collective event is a huge undertaking but is also our way of giving back to our Shark Tank entrepreneur community and saying Thank You for all the blessings we’ve received from them. It‘s also a way for us to learn new things from some of the smartest entrepreneurs in the space, like some of the same ideas that have propelled our businesses forward since that fateful first reunion. We're excited to build on that again this year; introducing some of the biggest names in Shark Tank history. I'm a big fan of Allison, Natalie & Shirah's and can't wait to hear their stories at this year's keynote.
-Amanda
the
network
What originally started out as a nice idea to hang out with some awesome friends and learn a thing or two coming out of covid has now turned into an annual "I can't wait" time of the year. I personally have cultivated some great relationships with so many ST alums now that are constantly motivating, challenging, and inspiring me on a daily basis. It's wonderful to feel the sense of belonging within our community, where everyone supports and cheers each other on.
The energy and atmosphere at the ST/Reunion event is unlike any other conference I've ever attended; it's simply electric and buzzing with positive minds and curiosity to learn. There is always a vast amount of information that we bring back to implement, but I try to tell everyone to simply focus on 3 things and apply those to your business, and they will make an immediate impact as they did with ours.
The learning and networking is my favorite part; our businesses have thrived with the recommendations, learnings, connections and advice from all of you. Thank you. As the event has grown every year, it takes a tremendous amount of time, energy and creativity to pull it off and make it purposeful and enlightening for everyone, but Amanda and I are up for the challenge, and creating a curated, impactful event is very important to us. We welcome you to join us again this year, whether its your first reunion or your fourth, I guarantee, like me, you'll be marking it on your calendar for years to come.
Can't wait to see you all in Tampa!
-Hamza
Have ideas?
Wanna support the event?
Reach out to us, we'd love to hear your thoughts and collaborate.