Here's What Went Down With Kobee's Lip Balm After Shark Tank

The environment is in crisis and though many of us aim to make a difference in our daily lives, the fossil fuel, transportation, fashion, and cosmetics industry remain major contributors to pollution. But as seen on "Shark Tank," the younger generation is working hard to be the change. The 16-year-old founder of Nohbo Balls, which saw success after appearing on the series is creating products that are sustainable. While the young founder may not have even had a company to his name when he appeared on the show, he had ambition to change the beauty industry. Kobee Harris, the founder of Kobee's Lip Balm had both.

Harris had just finished doing some research on bees and sustainability for a professor at Loyola University when the idea for his product struck him like lightning. He then borrowed $200 from his mother to purchase ingredients from Amazon and started making and selling his very own natural lip balm. Though the cosmetic wouldn't be the first product of its kind (several plant-based lip balms exist), it contained one special feature that made it stand out.

Not only are Kobee's lip balms made of sustainable ingredients, even the packaging is biodegradable — talk about Gen Z being seriously environmentally conscious. Although his love for making sustainable lip balms began as a side hustle, soon enough things really started taking off for the young entrepreneur. The day he reached $15,000 in sales was when he decided college might not be what he needed at the moment and dropped out to pursue his business, Kobee's Lip Balm, full-time.

Harris appeared on Season 16 Episode 3 of "Shark Tank" with the hopes of acquiring $300,000 in exchange for 6% equity in Kobee's Co. In his pitch, Harris emphasized that his lip balms were handmade with ingredients "so clean that you could eat them" — coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, mango butter, and beeswax. He then proudly shared that his success enabled him to expand his product line to naturally made lotion bars, lip scrubs, and hand sanitizers. 

The sharks appeared charmed by Kobee Harris' funny yet witty introduction. At one point Harris told the sharks that his company sources its beeswax from "happy bees who listen to classical music all day" and use oils "pressed from plants who have won beauty contests." He then stated that he hoped to use the investment money to further strengthen Kobee's e-commerce and marketing budget, as well as aid their expansion into retail. But while Harris had high hopes, he was unable to to secure a deal with any of the sharks. 

While the sharks were enamored by the founder's clever pitch, many felt there was no value for them to add to the already solid business. Lori Griener applauded the young entrepreneur's determination and how far he had come on his own, but admit this wasn't the kind of investment she was looking for. Most of the other sharks felt the same way, except for Kevin O'Leary.

O'Leary offered the founder $300,000, asking for 15% equity instead of the original 6% proposed. Harris countered by offering 10% equity instead. O'Leary then said he was willing to meet him at 15%, but the founder remained hesitant. After taking a few minutes to consider the offer, similar to the founders of CurlMix, who appeared on "Shark Tank" season 10, Harris declined, noting that he couldn't fathom giving up that much equity of his company. 

Whether or not entrepreneurs are able to score a deal on "Shark Tank," the show is often just the beginning for many businesses. The exposure and the possibility of scoring an investment from a celebrity investor the company will get just by pitching themselves on the show brings limitless possibilities. That seems to be the case for Kobee's Lip Balm, as the company has really taken off after its appearance on the show.

Even without an investment from the sharks, the founder, Kobee Harris, has boosted online marketing by creating YouTube videos that are short and catchy on why he started the company. Kobee's Lip Balm is also doing quite well after "Shark Tank" as the company was projected to do $4 million in sales at the time of CNBC's reporting on the company in 2024.  The company now offers a wide range of products from the original $5 lip balm that is now offered in a variety of flavors, a $12 lip scrub, to an $18 hand salve. Kobee's Lip Balm also offers the lip balm in a 3-pack bundle on Amazon for $19 if you're interested in trying them out.

For Gen Z founder, Kobee Harris, building a social media presence for Kobee's was a no-brainer. Not only does the company have an eye-catching website, Harris runs various social media accounts for Kobee's Lip Balm and uses them to have fun while also getting his products the exposure they need. 

Kobee's TikTok account has already gone viral with more than 200,000 followers, thanks in part to fun series such as "Will it flavor?, a recurring video bit in which the team tries to incorporate everyday flavors into their balms. The company also uses its social platform to keep followers posted on the latest updates and seasonal offerings. In autumn of 2024, they announced the release of limited edition fall flavored lip balms. It's clear Kobee's Lip Balm understands how crucial having a social media presence is to a business nowadays.

So by now, you're probably aware that the young founder of Kobee's Lip Balm, Kobee Harris is eco-conscious and basically a sustainability guru. But, it doesn't just stop there. He's also trying his best on trying to educate people on the importance of sustainability. In a pinned post on the Kobee's Lip Balm instagram account, the young founder starts a video explaining that he's "sick of all the plastic and bad ingredients" and "companies telling us one thing, but producing another." In another informative post, he explains the effects of using petroleum jelly on our environment and on humans.

The entrepreneur is also giving back to help make changes. It was reported that Kobee's Lip Balm was donating a portion of its profits to non-profits focused on saving the environment, such as One Tree Planted, The Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Our Children's Earth Foundation. It's always amazing to hear how the younger generation is trying to make a difference for the future generations to come.