Kobe Harris, a college dropout and young entrepreneur, boldly turned down an offer on Shark Tank, choosing instead to trust his instincts and bet on himself. Harris launched his lip balm company, Kobee’s, right from his bedroom floor in 2019, while still a student at Loyola University Chicago. He didn’t initially plan to leave college, but a $15,000 single-day sales milestone changed everything. That success convinced him to take the leap, pushing aside his studies to pursue his vision full-time, a choice he shared on ABC’s Shark Tank.
Kobee’s, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, offers a range of natural skincare products like lip balms, lotions, lip scrubs, cuticle butter, and hand salve. Made with only four ingredients—beeswax, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and mango butter—the products are packaged sustainably and sell between $5 to $42. The inspiration struck during a research project on sustainability and bees for one of his professors. With $200 his mother lent him, Harris began experimenting with formulas on his bedroom floor, even as he worked a lifeguarding job that summer.According to CNBC, when classes resumed online, Harris was already generating enough sales to consider the venture seriously. Instead of attending virtual classes, he set up shop in his family’s basement, telling his dad he was still enrolled while secretly building his brand. Fast forward to today, and Kobee’s is a profitable company, projected to end 2024 with nearly $4 million in sales and approximately $750,000 in profit, selling primarily on Amazon and through its direct-to-consumer website.
On Shark Tank, Harris requested $300,000 for 6% equity, hoping for mentorship and distribution support. The majority of the investors declined, citing market saturation and other concerns. However, Kevin O’Leary offered $300,000 for a 20% stake, eventually lowering his counteroffer to 15% after Harris proposed 10%.
Ultimately, Harris chose to walk away, declining the deal with a confident, “I won’t do that.” He explained that he trusted his gut, following the advice of his mother, a seasoned business owner herself. "I know my business better than anybody," Harris affirmed, sticking to his path and proving that his faith in himself was non-negotiable.