Here's What Went Down With Tones Of Melanin After Shark Tank

When it comes to college sports and spirit wear, it is almost always hard to find gear for people that graduated from historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. HBCU alum Ashley Jones wanted to change that when she appeared on season 14 of "Shark Tank" in 2023.

While visiting a bookstore at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2017, Jones found there was a lack of variety when it came to clothing that represented the pride of the school. As someone who had experience with graphic design, she decided to take matters into her own hands by creating shirts for different organizations and greek life as a side hustle. Before she knew it, she created Tones of Melanin, a brand focused on providing stylish representation to HBCUs, their sports teams, school culture, and Greek life.

It didn't take long for the brand to see success. Soon, the company landed licensing deals with 40 HBCUs, selling accessories, jerseys, bottoms, jogging suits, tops, outerwear and pajamas with each school's unique insignia. By 2021, Jones and her team were working out of a 2400 square foot production facility in Virginia Beach, fulfilling orders from around the country, and racking up pre-sales to maintain stock. As noted in one video update, Jones expressed a desire to expand production to a larger facility. The following year, Tones of Melanin made its way into major retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods and Belk. And it seems things only went up from there.

When Ashley Jones appeared on season 14 of the popular entrepreneur competition "Shark Tank," she asked for $300,000 for 5% equity. Jones' business was not to be taken lightly, because by the time she appeared on the series, Tones of Melanin had racked up $3.3 million.

During her pitch, Jones credited her family history, which included grandparents whom had opened their own Black beauty store in Virginia for inspiring her sense of entrepreneurship. The sharks were very impressed by this and Jones' confidence, especially after she noted she did not take a salary because she was reinvesting it back into her company. Jones added that calendar year alone the business had brought in over $1 million sales, earning $343,000 in total revenue. 

But while the sharks were pleased with these numbers, not everyone was willing to take a bite with investing. Lori Greiner and Barbara Corcoran were first to back out, with both sharing that they didn't know much about selling apparel, particularly when it came to sports. Kevin O'Leary admitted that he didn't want to get into the clothing business. Then, Daymond John noted that while he does own and advise clothing brands, including the popular HBCU brand African American College Alliance, he felt it would be "splitting hairs," to get involved with a similar company. Ultimately, Mark Cuban, who was impressed by her stoicism and positive attitude, offered Jones $300,00 for 15% equity. Jones countered with 12% and he accepted immediately, which wowed Greiner.

Following its appearance on "Shark Tank," Tones of Melanin continued to grow. Ashley Jones told Afro Tech 2023 that she had hoped her appearance on "Shark Tank," would help her expand Tones of Melanin "without using a third party by working more directly with HBCUs." She added that she also wanted to "lean more toward philanthropic efforts," through collaborating with companies and people that are interested in supporting HBCUs.

The brand expanded its offerings t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and sets, pajama sets, letterman jackets, coats including, windbreakers, reversible, quarter zips, vests among others, sweaters, hats, jerseys, bottoms that include shorts and longer pants, bags and a slew of other products. Each item features the colors and logos of HBCUs from around the country, as well as the Black Greek organization. Some of the items are not school specific, but have pro-HBCU phrases in '90s inspired colors and patterns, and empowering quotes celebrating Black culture. Products range from $15 to $200 depending on the category of the item.

As of 2025, Tones of Melanin is now the only HBCU brand created by an HBCU graduate that is sold at Fanatics, Belk Stores and Dick's Sporting Goods. Since appearing on "Shark Tank" number of schools the brand works with has continued to expand and now offer different collections, including a legacy collection that celebrates Black excellence and culture with a variety of designs on clothing, and bags. 

At the time of writing, Tones of Melanin is active on social media, with nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram where they not only share their products, but talk about the latest developments at HBCUs, model calls, initiating conversations around topics like the pros and cons of dating during undergrad and what people think their HBCUs should have. Jones is also active with her brand on TikTok, where she posts videos talking about various topics and news developments.

During Black History Month 2025, Jones honored celebrity HBCU grads like Taraji P. Henson, who graduated from Howard University, in carousels featuring Tones of Melanin clothes that have the person's perspective school's name and logo.
"Shark Tank" is available on Prime Video.