Here's What Went Down With The Pocket Panty After Shark Tank

Loyal fans of "Shark Tank" usually know the products that have appeared on the show by heart. So, if you are one of those loyal fans, does The Pocket Panty ring a bell? The Pocket Panty is an underwear brand focused on convenience and accessibility, created by Ashlee Lena Turner. The product wasn't Turner's first business endeavor. It all started with her Sweet Sugar, a Los Angeles candy lounge. Although the business later permanently closed, Sweet Sugar was the foundation that began Turner's entrepreneurial journey.

After her stint in sales, Turner returned to entrepreneurship in September 2021 with The Pocket Panty, an on-the-go reusable panty for anyone who needs an extra pair of undies at their convenience. "The impetus for TPP was born out of necessity ... to help address life's unexpected emergencies," Turner wrote on her LinkedIn. 

The panties are individually wrapped in a reusable zip-lock style packaging, which can be used to store soiled panties discreetly. Not only did Turner want to offer women a convenient solution for situations like an unexpected period, she's also dedicated to social responsibility, partnering with non-profit organizations to provide pads and tampons for those in underserved communities. After two years of growing The Pocket Panty organically, it seems like Turner realized she needed more exposure and investment, so she turned to "Shark Tank."

The Pocket Panty made its "Shark Tank" debut on Season 15, Episode 9 of the show, in December 2023. Turner was seeking $80,000 for 10% equity. She got a little laugh out of the sharks with her introduction of The Pocket Panty, and Lori Greiner even complimented the quality of the underwear. "They're very nice. They remind me of a very big brand," Greiner said. "It has the same feel, it has the same stretch, it's very thin, it probably doesn't show panty lines." However, it was obvious Greiner was concerned about whether or not Turner had done any research on the potential market for such a product.

More questions were thrown at Turner, with Robert Herjavec asking for sales numbers. Turner informed the sharks that The Pocket Panty had launched in the last quarter of 2021 and ended the year with $8,000 in sales. Lifetime sales were $60,000. Another critical question was asked by Mark Cuban, who wanted to know if Turner was promoting The Pocket Panty on social media, to which Turner simply replied, "Social media is just not my wheelhouse." 

As impactful as social media is today, this isn't something the investors wanted to hear. That was when things took a grim turn, as the sharks began to drop out one by one with no deal to offer Turner. It started with Greiner, who said that while she would purchase, she did not have an offer for The Pocket Panty. Ultimately, Turner was not successful in getting an offer on "Shark Tank," unlike other underwear brands, like BootayBag.

A few months after the show, founder Ashlee Lena Turner scored an interview with Forbes, where she explained that the company's goals had evolved from simply providing an extra pair of underwear to fighting social injustices. "[A]ccess to clean underwear is a fundamental human right, and we're on a mission to ensure that all women have easy access to this basic necessity," Turner said.

Once Turner realized the potential her brand had to fight for the rights of women and equity for those who underserved, she sought more ways to grow her brand. Only a few weeks after the Forbes interview, The Pocket Panty landed a major investment from MinervaVerse, an women-founded investment company aiming to create an inclusive startup community for women and people of color.

Turner also took Mark Cuban's advice and created social media accounts. The company has all kinds of active social media accounts like TikTok and Instagram. This was an excellent step for TPP as social media is vital for a business. It makes product information more accessible for anyone who might want to learn more. Also, TPP's Instagram account is seriously aesthetically pleasing.

As of today, Ashlee Lena Turner is still very much invested in The Pocket Panty and continues to try and fight against the underwear insecurity that many women in underserved communities face. In 2024 alone, The Pocket Panty launched on Walmart.com and partnered with UC San Diego Health, all while continuing to advocate for women and girls' rights everywhere. 

In the midst of all of these milestones, The Pocket Panty also continued to expand as a business. At the time of TPP's pitch on "Shark Tank," it only offered one size that fits most, but Turner promised to offer a plus-size option. And she kept her promise: TPP's website currently offers two types of pocket panties. There's "The Pocket Panty" which fits sizes 0-8 and "The Pocket Panty Curve" which fits sizes 10-18. 

The company also created an emergency "period kit." Despite not landing a deal on "Shark Tank," Turner continues to give it her all, just like Glow Recipe founders Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, who proved you don't always need the sharks to make it. 

Unlike Ashlee Lena Turner's past entrepreneurial pursuits, she made the decision to "chase purpose and not paper" with The Pocket Panty, she told Forbes. In 2024, The Pocket Panty launched a non-profit called The Pocket Panty Project and donated well over 900 period kits. Unfortunately, period poverty, where people are unable to afford items like pads and tampons, is still a very real issue. 

Turner remains committed to go above and beyond in the new year. In the wake of the California wildfires, The Pocket Panty's non-profit donated menstrual supplies and underwear to many charities across Southern California. 

Many people were moved and wanted to follow in the footsteps of The Pocket Panty Project. "How do we donate to your company to keep this going?" one person commented on Instagram. They say kindness has a ripple effect and Turner certainly seems to be creating one. The founder continues to fight for change and spreads kindness while doing it. Turner seems completely focused on growing The Pocket Panty into an organization that can affect social change.