ABC/Eric McCandless Husband and wife duo Maximilian Kislevitz and Natalie Holloway pitch their Bala Bangles to the Sharks.
Bala Bangles is a Los Angeles-based company that was founded in 2018 by husband and wife entrepreneurs Natalie Holloway and Maximilian Kislevitz. They pitched their company on Shark Tank to see if they could get a Shark to invest.
Bala Bangles are wearable weight products that add resistance to workouts. They’re marketed as being both stylish and functional.
The team were in the Shark Tank in front of sharks Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John and first-time guest shark Maria Sharapova.
Here’s what you should know about Bala Bangles:
1. They Sell Bangles and Workout Equipment
On the Bala Bangles website, not only are the weights available, but there is also a selection of clothing and accessories. The classic weights are available in 1 and 2 lb sets and come in a variety of colors.
Also for sale is a selection of 5 resistance bands that have sayings on them like “Good things come to those who sweat,” “Push it real good,” “Made to move,” and “Let’s get physical.”
The Classic Bangles range from $49 to $65 depending on the weight. The Limited Edition Bangles sell from $40 to $55 depending on the weight and color.
2. The Idea Started on a Trip to Asia
According to an interview with Voyage LA, Holloway said the idea for Bala Bangles started when she and Kislevitz were on a trip to Asia.
“We were in a yoga class in Indonesia when we realized we could challenge ourselves if we had added resistance,” she said. “We then thought of wrist [and] ankle weights, which of course already existed.”
They realized they could modernize the idea and bring them back in style. The experience has not been easy for the pair, though. She said there have been a lot of issues and obstacles every day for the company, but they’ve learned to roll with the punches.
3. Kislevitz Still Works a Full-Time Job
Like many Shark Tank companies, the founders are not yet full-time at Bala. According to his LinkedIn profile, Kislevitz still works at a full-time job. In March 2019, he was hired as the Head of Brand at Tool of North America.
Kislevitz previously worked as the Head of Business Development at Droga5 from November 2017 to August 2018 and as the Head of Brand at Battery Agency from November 2016 to November 2017.
Holloway is a certified yoga instructor and daily practitioner. They were looking for a way to push themselves no matter the time or difficulty of the class they were in, and they also wanted something they could easily take with them while traveling.
4. They Raised Funding with a Kickstarter Campaign
In 2018, Kislevitz and Holloway started a Kickstarter campaign for Bala Bangles. The description says that the weights “Increase heart rate, burn fat and build muscle.” They are designed for yoga, running, cycling and hiking.
Overall, Bala Bangles raised $50,448 with a total of 381 backers. The story on the campaign says that while they were originally designed with Yoga in mind, they are useful with other types of workouts.
Bala Bangles were based on the wrist-weights from the 1980s but have been updated to a modern design.
“For casual and avid athletes alike. Men and women. Wear them on your wrists. Wear them on your ankles,” the campaign states.
The stretch goal for the Kickstarter was $65,000 at which point they would have released seven different colors of Bala, one for each chakra. They did not hit that goal, however.
One of the contributors to the campaign was Axe Capital from the Showtime series Billions.
5. Bala Just Launched a Bodysuit Collection
On February 25, 2020, Bala Bangles launched Bend By Bala, a collection of sustainable clothing and accessories.
The collection includes the Power Walking Bra, which is available in three colors and retails for $75, the Extra Scrunchie, which comes in two combinations of colors and retails for $20 and the Everyday Bodysuit, which comes in three separate colors and retails for $120.
Everything in the Bend Collection is made in Los Angeles.
Tune in to Shark Tank on February 28 to see if Bala Bangles gets a deal with the sharks.
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Bala Bangles on ‘Shark Tank’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know