ABC Little ELF appears on 'Shark Tank'.
If you’re like many people, you may find cutting wrapping paper around the holiday times to be a complete headache. This is exactly what incentivized Bryan Perla to create Little ELF, an easy-to-use wrapping paper cutter.
The device is currently patent-pending and can be used by attaching around the roll of wrapping paper. 21-year-old founder Bryan Perla is hoping that the sharks are willing to invest in his company.
Here’s what you need to know about Little ELF.
1. Perla Is Currently a Student at Stanford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_v0z0Mxzwc
Little ELF founder, Bryan Perla, is currently a student at Stanford University. According to his LinkedIn, he is slated to graduate in 2021.
To date, Perla’s only job experience listed is Little ELF products, where he has been the CEO since June 2018.
Discussing his experience at Stanford with his High School newspaper in 2018, Perla shared, “I feel that the transition to college was easier for me than other students here because I learned the skills to succeed. Many classes at Stanford are focused on critical thinking rather than memorizing information. Coming from a small school and then going to a much larger school, I thought it was going to be a challenge for me. But coming from Winchendon, I had learned how important creating a relationship with your teachers is–so the after first class of every course I take here I introduce myself to the teachers.”
2. Perla Designed ‘Little Elf’ His Senior Year of High School
Bryan Perla and ‘Shark Tank’.
In his interview with his high school newspaper last year, Perla explained that he designed and prototyped ELF during his senior year of high school.
He says, “I called my new product Little ELF. Winchendon allowed me to learn a lot about the innovation process because I was able to apply for a patent-pending and develop multiple prototypes.”
Asked what his goals for Little Elf are, he explains, “Everyone at Winchendon encouraged and pushed me to follow a passion and to not back down until I was happy with the outcome. A goal of mine is to be able to walk into a store and see this product on the shelf. For me, that would be incredible. To go from imagining how this product would work, to bringing it into the hands of other people is inspiring to me to say the least.”
3. Perla Raised over $130,000 on Kickstarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ut_U3FYTNA
To date, on his Kickstarter campaign, Perla has raised $130,125 with over 4,000 pledgers.
According to All Shark Tank Products, Perla raised money through Kickstarter, then located a manufacturer in St. Louis, Missouri.
He outlines that the most efficient way to use the product is to slide it over the wrapping paper, pull a sheet of paper through the slot in the device, slide Little ELF to the end of the roll, and push the product forward to cut the paper.
4. The Product Is Sold on Amazon and in the Container Store
An entrepreneur from Miami Gardens, Florida, presents his patented system that easily helps decorate and set up a Christmas tree in a matter of minutes. Santa and his elves from Murray, Utah, enter the tank with their fun and easy-to-attach body decor, while an entrepreneur from Stowe, Vermont, presents his web rental service that ships outdoor gear and apparel directly to you, wherever and whenever adventure strikes. Finally, an entrepreneur from West Boylston, Massachusetts, introduces his innovative tool to make holiday gift-wrapping easier on “Shark Tank.”
Today, Little Elf is sold on Amazon and in the Container Store. You can also purchase the product (in a one-pack, three-pack, five-pack, or ten-pack product) on the company’s website.
On Amazon, the product sells for $20.99 for a 2-pack.
At the Container Store, each product is sold for $7.99.
In honor of the product appearing on Shark Tank, the company is offering free shipping with orders over $30.
5. Little Elf Stands for ‘Easy, Lightweight, and Fast’
ABCThe panel for tonight’s episode of ‘Shark Tank.’
Perla says the idea for the Little ELF came from three characteristics that define his invention: Easy, Lightweight, and Fast.
The West Boylston Native tells CIO Dive, “To go from imagining how this product would work, to bringing it into the hands of other people is inspiring to me to say the least. I want this to be a success, not for the money, but because my intuition continues to tell me that people will fall in love with the simplicity and efficiency of the product. Generous donations and pledges through our just live Kickstarter will help me produce a product that will make holidays less stressful, so we all can focus more time on family and what matters most.”
Be sure to find out if Perla can score any investors in tonight’s episode of Shark Tank, airing at 9pm ET/PT on ABC.
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