Rumi Spice entered the Shark Tank in Season 8 with their company that works with farmers in Afghanistan to provide sustainable saffron while boosting the economy of the country.
We interviewed cofounders and army veterans Kimberly Jung, Emily Miller and Keith Alananiz, who are committed to aiding Afghanistan. They’ve hired 384 Afghan women and have over 90 farmers working with them. The business is growing and they told us that sales have quadrupled year after year for the past three years.
Here’s what else they told us about…
Interested in Rumi Spice? Buy it here.
How the Idea Came About
We were all US Army officers who deployed in combat to Afghanistan. We felt that there was no long term sustainable commitment to Afghanistan. We found out these Afghan farmers were growing the best saffron in the world, and we believe that business is the way to lay a foundation for peace.
Retail Partnerships
Folks can buy our saffron on our online store, Amazon, Dean & Deluca, Whole Foods in Chicago, Central Markets in Texas, and they can eat at select Michelin-rated restaurants across the US who feature our saffron in their menus.
Experience With Kickstarter
Kickstarter was a great way to gather supporters around our cause and our story, to lay a foundation for peace in Afghanistan by funding the opening of our first processing facility in Herat, Afghanistan.
Advice for Future ‘Tank’ Contestants
This is your passion and dream; the Sharks just wish they could have a piece of what you have. If they can add value to your business, then allow them to join your team. Above all, the future of your business is number one!
Interested in Rumi Spice? Buy it here.
Other Tank products to eat:
