Children of Late 9/11 Hero Appear on 'Shark Tank' To Fulfill Father's Dream
ABC’s Shark Tank is in its tenth season — a season the network says marks a “A Decade of Dreams.” While the show is known for its often tense and even awkward moments, a rather emotional one happened during Episode 3.
The episode aired on Sunday, October 21. They say “save the best for last,” and let me tell you, they certainly saved the best entrepreneurs for the end of this episode.
Keira, Christian, and Kaley Young might not seem like your typical business owners. Keira and Christian are 15 and 20, respectively.
Kaley is the oldest, but at 24 she’s still quite young. But don’t let their ages fool you. They arrived on the scene prepared.
The sibling trio asked the sharks for $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity in what their dad, Keith Young, called the Cup Board Pro.
Keith Young was a New York City firehouse chef who died just 3 months before the episode filmed. At only 53 years old, synovial sarcoma, a cancer contracted as a result of 9/11, took the chef’s life.
“Our dad’s funeral was the biggest tribute to who he was,” Kaley told the sharks. “Over 1,000 people came.”
“The New York City Fire Department had the whole street closed down, and they just really honored who our dad was as a hero,” she went on.
As the siblings shared their family’s story, the sharks remained silent. While all appeared to be filled with emotion, a couple of sharks started to get teary eyed.
Shark Daymond John rubbed his eyes, attempting to hide his emotion. But he couldn’t mask the glistening tears that flowed as he listened to the Young’s story.
Lori Greiner also appeared choked up and seemed to get glassy-eyed. It was clear the fireman’s story touched each and every one of them.
“Out of my entire decade of being on #SharkTank, this was the most emotional pitch I have ever been through,” John wrote on Facebook.
“It took everything in me not to walk off the set because my emotions ran so crazy because I was there and lost many friends from 9/11,” he continued.
The siblings even showed a video their dad had made prior to his illness. In the video, Keith talked about the importance of family and being able to get tasks done quickly and efficiently.
“Everything revolves around my kitchen, really, at home,” Young said. “That’s where the heart of a regular family’s house is.”
Kaley went on to explain how their dad, “a two-time Chopped champion,” put his dreams on hold to take care of their mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“On August 22, 2012, God called my mom home,” Kaley explained. “And my dad just showed us what strength was in every moment…”
Once their dad’s story was told, the sharks got down to business as always, asking serious questions about sales and costs, inquiring as to what their investment would be used for.
Kaley explained their dad’s invention, the Cup Board Pro, is made of quality bamboo and even bears a firehouse chef logo with the number 343 — the number of firemen who died in the 9/11 attacks.
Guest shark, Matt Higgins, mentioned he had been at Ground Zero on 9/11 as well. He worked with the city at the time and spent 2 years helping with clean up.
The siblings admitted they opened their online store only 3 weeks prior to the episode. At that point, John asked the trio to step out into the hallway so the sharks could discuss things.
It was certainly a nerve-wracking few minutes for the siblings. When they were called back into the room, their lives were forever changed.
In an epic moment of Shark Tank history, rather than battle it out, every single shark decided to come together to help this sweet family carry out their father’s legacy and dreams.
They offered $100,000 for 20% equity, with $20,000 contributed by each shark. But here’s the clincher — the sharks will be giving any earned profits on their end to a charity for 9/11 firefighters who have battled illness just like Keith Young.
When the deal was made, all the sharks stood and hugged Young’s kids. It was a happy ending for everyone involved.
“Our dad would probably be so proud of us,” Keira said. “And… so happy that we’re continuing on his legacy.”
I doubt he would “probably” be proud. I am certain Young would most “definitely” be teary-eyed himself after witnessing his children achieve such a feat — all in his name.
Well done, Young family! And way to go, sharks! If you are interested in learning more about the Cup Board Pro or the charity the sharks are contributing to, you can visit the product’s website at firehousechefky.com.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
