ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ is hosting a casting call this weekend

It’s been a big season for Philly on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
First, Scholly CEO Chris Gray found himself at the center of a heated fight between the celebrity investors on the show. The show sparked a parade of press and big-name deals. Next, Graduate Hospital-based Zoom Interiors pitched on the show, and though the deal fell through in the end, their customer base spiked.
Think you’d be a hit on the show? Pitch at the open casting call on July 11 at the NAACP Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 11 a.m. It’s first come, first serve.
Register
This spring, Shark Tank hosted two closed casting calls in Washington, D.C., to find more businesses owned by people of color. It seems like the NAACP partnership is another effort to do so. (Did the success of Gray’s episode play a role in this new focus?)
From the registration site:

Please note: Shark Tank occasionally features entrepreneurs who have a “good idea,” but the vast majority of entrepreneurs that appear on the show have a strong customer base, revenue and some level of existing investment. If you have a business that matches these criteria, please apply and we’ll be in touch with venue and other details.

Shark Tank held an East Coast open casting two years ago at NextFab. Seven hundred founders came out to pitch. More than a hundred people camped out the night before to secure their spot, despite an ongoing thunderstorm. (At least one Philly entrepreneur made it to the show: Exton entrepreneur Jim Lewis.)