Patent Attorney and Founder
The Sharks had just finished a workout, and instead of the usual protein shake, they turned it into a game of Flip Cup. The prize? The Shark Tank Ice Shaker Championship Cup. The rules were simple: drink the water, flip the cup, pass it on. First team to finish wins. The losers? They had to drink a warm shake out of one of those sweaty, cheap plastic bottles.
It was a five-on-five match. Shirts came off, the trash talk started, and even Mark Cuban jumped in. “What are the rules again?” he asked. Once the first cup flipped clean, the relay was on. Cheers, laughs, and chaos followed.
Then came the pitch. Chris explained that he wasn’t just after the money. “If I needed a hundred grand, I could make a call. What I want is your expertise.” The Sharks perked up. Alex made an offer: $150K for 20%. He talked about putting the bottles in gyms, locker rooms, even the Yankees clubhouse. Mark liked the vision but pushed him to think about value.
Here’s the twist. The name “Ice Shaker” ran into trademark issues. It’s descriptive, a shaker bottle you fill with ice. The government only allowed it on the Supplemental Register, which is basically a second-tier list. After five years, a brand can reapply for the Principal Register, but Ice Shaker never did. Despite that, they’re pulling in $3 million a year with big licensing deals. Not bad, but they still need a strong trademark strategy.
They also landed a design patent back in 2019. That protects the look of the bottle, the ridges around the top, not how it works. Design patents last 15 years and can be useful when you’ve got a simple but recognizable design. It’s not a utility patent, but it still gives protection.
What stood out most wasn’t just the product. Chris brought his family along, including his brother, Rob Gronkowski, the NFL star. The Sharks pointed out that celebrity power could help push sales even further. But Chris kept the focus on building the business itself.
The whole pitch reminded me of something I tell young inventors: you don’t have to be 18 to start. Kids can be inventors too, and I’ve seen families rally together to make it happen. Watching this pitch, it was clear that Ice Shaker was as much about family as it was about business.