Naperville Entrepreneur Featured On 'Shark Tank'

NAPERVILLE, IL (March 24, 2021) — A Naperville entrepreneur was featured on the most recent episode of “Shark Tank,” the popular ABC series that pairs business owners with investors.

Lindsey Valiulis Fleischhauer and her Rockford-based father Stan Valiulis made a $100,000 deal with Lori Grenier for 25 percent of their company Totes Babies, a device to help parents easily fit car seats into shopping carts.

“We prepped a lot for our audition video for ‘Shark Tank,’” Fleischhauer said. “Once we got the go-ahead, we were on our way to Vegas in August, which was the experience of a lifetime.”

The mother of two puts in extra time working on the business while her sons nap or go to daycare, while her father runs other additional businesses. “The two of us get together a lot and are both very organized, which helps.”

The team received three offers from sharks, including Robert Herjavec and Daniel Lubetzky. The experience of making a deal on the show has “been a dream come true as entrepreneurs, and for the growth of our business,” Fleischhauer said.

“It’s even more special being able to work together as a father-daughter duo. We hope to someday have Totes Babies as a household name,” she said of the company, which launched in 2018 and sells its car seat carriers online through the company website, Amazon, Buy Buy Baby and more.

Despite pandemic challenges faced by so many small businesses this year, Fleischhauer noted the support of the communities in helping the business thrive. “Naperville and Rockford have been beyond supportive of us throughout this journey even from the beginning before ‘Shark Tank’ aired, so we are so grateful and proud residents.”

The episode aired March 12 and can be viewed on Hulu or ABC.com. “Shark Tank” airs Fridays at 7 p.m. on ABC.