DERBY — The owner of a Derby-based business will be featured Friday night (April 15) on “Shark Tank,” an ABC television program watched by about 5 million people a week.
Derby resident Tony Litwinowicz reached out to The Valley Indy in an email Wednesday saying his business, Stoke Time LLC, will be on the show scheduled to air at 8 p.m. on WTNH/MyTV9.
Litwinowicz is the inventor of the HairFin (click here to go to the website), a hand tool that can be used to ensure precisely measured and uniform results while cutting hair.
Litwinowicz was previously featured on “Invention Stories,” a program on YouTube. Click the play button below to hear Litwinowicz explain how the HairFin works, and how the long-haired engineer came up with the idea.
Every week on “Shark Tank” entrepreneurs compete with other entrepreneurs to convince established business people (the “sharks”) to invest in their product. The show’s format heightens the tension with sharp-tongued judges, a reality game show tradition since “American Idol” unleashed mean guy Simon Cowell on U.S. audiences in 2002.
ABC’s media relations department did not return messages from The Valley Indy.
However, a press release from the network teases Friday’s episode with “an entrepreneur from Derby, Connecticut, presents his modern solution to an age-old hair-cutting problem with his all-new measuring tool.” Litwinowicz’ HairFin is one of three products seeking substantial investment to get the project to the next level.
In his email, Litwinowicz said the HairFin is manufactured in Derby, at Empire Tool on Roosevelt Drive.
According to ABC, the “shark” judges during Friday’s show are Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, Lori Greiner and Daymond John.
