May 10, 2024 • 32 mins
This episode of the UMB Pulse podcast features an inspiring interview with Kun Yang, PharmD '15, a University of Maryland School of Pharmacy alumnus who co-founded Pricklee, a company that produces cactus water. Kun's journey took him from growing up in Canada to attending pharmacy school in Maryland, where the idea for Pricklee cactus water blossomed. He shares the challenges and triumphs of appearing on Shark Tank, securing a deal, and the unique benefits and production processes behind cactus water. The hosts also explore Kun's motivations, the impact of his cultural background, and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those from the pharmacy field or first-generation Americans. The episode concludes with a look at Pricklee's future innovations and Kun's reflections on entrepreneurship.
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Episode Transcript
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Charles Schelle (00:00):
Dana, this is some kind of heat wave, right?
(00:01):
It is hot out there.
Dana Rampolla (00:03):
Baltimore's best.
You gotta love the heat.
Charles Schelle (00:06):
I know.
I always try to stay hydrihydrata.
See, that's what I was talkingabout.
I always try to drink plenty ofwater around, you know, this
time of year, but sometimes youneed, like, the little booze, so
sometimes I might, like, get asports drinker or something
else, and but you have to kindof be careful with all, like,
the sugar that's in some ofthese, right?
Dana Rampolla (00:25):
Yeah, for sure.
For sure.
I know my son is in town and hedrinks coconut water all the
time and he was trying toconvince me to make a little
mocktail with some the otherday.
And I don't know, I haven't, Ithink it must be an acquired
taste, but I do feel like, okay,at least this is a healthier
option than, you know, puttingit in with Fresca or Sprite,
something like that.
So.
Charles Schelle (00:46):
Yeah, and there's something out there
called Cactus Water that we'regoing to talk about today.
I've never tried it, so I'mreally interested to hear about
this.
It's called Pricklee, and thisisn't some, like, sponsored
advertisement.
This is a drink co created byUniversity of Maryland School of
Pharmacy alumnus.
Dana Rampolla (01:07):
And who would think that you would go to
pharmacy school and you'd becreating a beverage product,
Charles Schelle (01:12):
It, it makes a little bit of sense, right?
Because there's a lot ofmarketing that goes into
pharmaceutical products.
Dana Rampolla (01:20):
True, true.
It's just interesting to thinkthat a pharmacy student, I'm
picturing you're going topharmacy school, you're going to
put a white coat on and you'regoing to be working at your
local pharmacy.
But to think that some of ourpharmacy students right here
from UMB have gone on to createreally unique products.
I think that's really stand outand I'm excited today to be
(01:40):
talking to one of them.
Charles Schelle (01:43):
Yeah.
It seems like, Kun Yang had somegreat chemistry here in
Baltimore.
He graduated from the Universityof Maryland School of Pharmacy
with his PharmD degree in 2015.
He is now the CEO and founder ofPricklee Cactus Water, and has
appeared on Shark Tank with hisbusiness partner, Moe Hassoun.
Dana Rampolla (02:02):
Well, and Kwan is a first generation American.
He was born in China.
He was raised in Canada.
And so we're going global withthis episode.
I love when we can really reachout and touch the world.
Charles Schelle (02:13):
Dana, let's crack open a cold one of cactus
water and say cheers to a newepisode of the UMB Pulse.
Dana Rampolla (02:19):
Cheers.
You're listening to theheartbeat of the University of
Maryland Baltimore, the UMBPulse.
Charles Schelle (02:38):
Kun, welcome to the UMB Pulse.
Thanks for coming on.
Glad to be here.
Thanks for having me, Charles.
Dana Rampolla (02:43):
Kun, I couldn't help but think of you as I was
tidying up my deck the other daygetting ready for this.
And in your honor, I brought myprickly pear.
cactus plant in to put behind mefor the viewers who are on
YouTube and looking forward tohopefully learning from you how
to get stickers out of myfingers.
Kun Yang (03:01):
Yeah, it means a lot.
I, you don't, you don't see thatevery day, so definitely
appreciate it.
Charles Schelle (03:05):
Tell us about yourself and your family.
Um, you're born in China, raisedin Canada.
Where in Canada did you grow up?
Kun Yang (03:12):
I first moved to Windsor, which is right across
from the Detroit River at likethree and a half years old.
Um, and we were there for I didabout six years or so and then
spent majority of my formativeyears outside of Toronto in this
town called Mississauga.
It's the fifth largest city inCanada.
Very difficult to spell.
You know, everyone gets itwrong.
I still get it wrong.
And then I went to, um, youknow, college at McGill in
(03:33):
Montreal.
And then moved my way down toBaltimore for pharmacy school.
And funny enough, in 11th gradewas the first time I actually
worked at a pharmacy.
So it was at a retail chaincommunity pharmacy called
Shopper's Drug Mart.
One of the biggest.
You know, chains up, up in, upin Canada.
I wonder if they're stillaround.
I imagine that they are.
Um, and and so I was as a sortof a summer internship and I
(03:54):
just kind of fell in love withthe profession.
I really kind of saw myself assomebody who could be in it, you
know, really admire thepharmacists that are working
there, love the communityengagement, the, the patient
engagement just felt like alittle community, you know, and
I kind of really saw myself inthat, that way.
So I think from an early age, Iwas kind of set on pharmacy as a
path and All throughout college,it was always, always the
decision.
Um, and so it was a very naturalstep to end up in Maryland
(04:15):
afterwards.
So that was how I kind of endedup here.
Charles Schelle (04:18):
Great.
So what were you studying inundergrad, um, to get you
prepared to come to pharmacyschool?
Kun Yang (04:25):
It was a anatomy and cell biology uh, bachelors.
Charles Schelle (04:28):
You were in Montreal, like you said, how do
you, how do you choose Maryland?
How do you come to theuniversity of Maryland school of
pharmacy?
Kun Yang (04:35):
Yeah, I mean, at that time, my parents had already
moved down to the New York area,you know, and and so I kind of
already knew in my heart ofhearts that I was going to come
down to the U.
S.
I think I was always interested,um, you know, the U.
S.
just is represented like a landof opportunity.
Um, the American dream issomething that resonates around
the world, you know, certainly,and so I think there's always a
lot of excitement is whatbrought my parents here and
(04:56):
certainly, you know, I followedsuit.
Um, and Maryland was just, youknow, obviously just a
historical institution.
Fourth oldest pharmacy school inthe country.
You know, reputation proceededitself and as soon as I visited
the, the campus, I had a coupleother offers at the time, but
when I kind of visited thecampus, it was a no brainer when
that offer was extended thatthis is where I was gonna call
home.
And, um, I spent a lot of goodyears.
(05:16):
2011 to 2015, we won a SuperBowl.
You know, it became a convertedraven span.
I mean, football wasn't a thingup in.
In Canada, right?
Yards, what are yards, right?
Down here is it was a really,really exciting time to be a
Baltimorean and, um, reallyproud period of my life, for
sure, the four years I spentdown here.
Charles Schelle (05:33):
What about the campus stood out to you?
You said you fell in love onceyou visited the campus.
Kun Yang (05:38):
I just think the whole vibe, you know, the culture, I
think the institution, I mean,the facilities were top notch,
definitely best in class.
And I think that's even beforesome of the, I look at your
backdrop, Charles, and there's alot of the buildings that you
have in your image weren't eventhere at the time.
Um, so I think there was a lotof change that happened in
recent years, but pharmacy hallwas just, I think, starting.
(05:58):
I believe that was, we weremaybe the first year in pharmacy
hall or close to.
And so that institute, that,that building itself just kind
of blew my mind.
And I thought it was just such afantastic institution and
building for, for learning andjust for spending time.
I could really see myselfspending time there.
Right.
And having just come from livingin the, in the city, I mean, I
(06:18):
was also kind of still lookingfor that, that type of
environment as well.
And I think.
Baltimore checked a lot of thoseboxes and, um, you know, as they
say, it's far enough, but closeenough to your parents, right?
Charles Schelle (06:29):
So today the University of Maryland School of
Pharmacy has a pharmapreneurship program where they
encourage entrepreneurs pursuingpharmacy degrees, university of
Maryland, Baltimore's graduateschool has the grid pitch that's
also for entrepreneurs.
I don't think those existedwhile you were at University of
Maryland School of Pharmacy, butyou still had a pathway to
pursue those interests.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Kun Yang (06:50):
Yeah, I think, I think the School of Pharmacy, the
University of Maryland School ofPharmacy was just such a
fantastic landing spot for meand my path to entrepreneurship.
Again, I didn't come intopharmacy school thinking that
this was going to ever be, youknow, my future.
The beauty of it is just howopen minded, um, I, I kind of
left the school.
You know, coming in, I thinkthere was just such a richness
(07:12):
of the opportunities that youcould, you know, pursue as a
pharmacist.
Because coming in, I thinkeveryone's definition of a
pharmacy was behind the pharmacycounter at a CVS or writing in a
white coat.
And I think that, you know, Um,that, that generalization still
exists in most people'simaginations, you know, and I
don't blame any of that.
I think that is the truth.
But that was also how we viewedit.
Right.
So coming in day one, you justreally, you were just, you know,
(07:34):
bombarded with such enthusiasmfrom the upperclassmen about
just the different paths thatyou kind of pursue.
And as you kind of really dugin, you realize that those
options were actually a lotbroader than you expected.
And so that's really what tookme down pathways of getting into
the business of health care,right?
Whether it's through managedcare or, or industry, that was
just one component of it.
But then you look at just thedifferent facilities that exist
(07:55):
within Maryland, right?
The research office, the PHSRgroup, um, the different
schools, right?
The medical school, the dentalschool, the law school, the
social work school.
I mean, the graduate programshere.
I mean, we still work with thelaw clinic.
and law students at Prickleetoo.
So you mean the resources herethat were just available for you
to kind of just realize that theworld is so much bigger than
(08:15):
just the four walls of pharmacyschool were pretty abundant.
And I think it just opened ourminds at least my mind
personally to, um, you know, abetter representation of what
the real world was like once weactually entered it and and just
felt less defined by the lettersbehind our name, you know, and I
think that that was somethingthat, that we kind of walked
away from and Maryland did areally, really fantastic job of
establishing.
Dana Rampolla (08:36):
We always try to promote the interprofessionalism
that people can experience hereat University of Maryland
Baltimore and then take thatinto the field with them.
So it's terrific to hear thatit's working.
Kun I hear for the through thegrapevine you're going to be
back on campus this fall.
Let us know how how that willbe.
And if there's a chance we canpossibly meet you in person.
Kun Yang (08:59):
Yeah, I'm excited to be back on campus on October
8th.
I'll be one of the afternoonkeynote speakers at the
University of Maryland School ofPharmacy's inaugural
Pharmapreneurship Summit.
Um, so I think that that's a,again, a really, really exciting
opportunity that wasn't evenavailable when I was there.
So, really excited to see thedirection that the school has
taken and excited to be thereand look forward to meeting, you
(09:21):
know, anyone that's, that'saround.
Dana Rampolla (09:23):
That's great.
Hopefully we can pop by and, andsee you in person.
Charles Schelle (09:27):
Yeah, totally.
Crack open a can of Prickleewhile we're at it.
That's not a bad idea
Dana Rampolla (09:31):
Yeah.
Right.
Well, um, Kun, you have a signfor those of us who are on
YouTube.
We can see it, but for those whoaren't, and it says Pricklee
cactus water.
So Pricklee cactus water wasjust mentioned in a recent
article by Good Housekeeping fortheir 2024 Best Snack Awards.
Um, to some people, Quickly orcactus water is a new kind of
(09:54):
product.
We don't really know what it is.
So tell us a little bit aboutit.
What is it?
How is yours different?
What are some of the benefits ofdrinking cactus water versus
other products?
Kun Yang (10:03):
Oh, absolutely.
You know, so I mean, I can getinto the story of how we started
and all that kind of stuff.
But before I even really do, Imean, Our company really, I
mean, we're on a mission to justcreate the healthiest natural
hydration products in themarket, starting with our
flagship line of Pricklee cactuswater made from real fruits of
the cactus.
Um, you know, and so it's just,it's, it's, it's really, it's
low sugar, it's all natural,really clean ingredient profile
(10:26):
and just a delicious productthat's full of natural
antioxidants.
It's got some electrolytes andvitamin C as well.
So as you mentioned, goodhousekeeping awarded it the best
water alternative for 2024.
So it's our sort of solution tocreate a product that just
tastes really, really deliciousand helps people make a
healthier choice and createhealthier habits really from a
young age.
Um, and, and yeah, that's whatit's all about.
Dana Rampolla (10:47):
How is it different from some of the other
products that might beconsidered healthy options?
Kun Yang (10:52):
Yeah, I mean, I think it fits within, you know, a
natural profile, so it'sinteresting.
In 2024, a ton of products, um,are still being created that are
full of artificial ingredients,high in sugar.
Um, and so for, I mean, thiskind of goes to why we started
BikB in the first place.
You know, we were alwaysinterested in health and
wellness, hence why we were inpharmacy school.
My, my partners and I are allpharmacists as well.
(11:12):
Oh, okay.
And I just remember growing upwith everything that was
artificial sodas, juices,drinks, high sugar, artificial
ingredients.
And, um, I've seen in my lifeand those around me just kind of
what, what habits that's createdover time, even when, you know,
the moments of weakness, momentsof stress, like, what are the
things that I crave?
What are the things that peoplecrave still built upon the
habits of what was formed beingthe only options that were
(11:35):
available as kids.
And then my partner Mo grew upin Lebanon and he has cactus
water every summer, you know, afamily recipe.
And.
When he shared that with us upin Boston, you know, one summer
day, we were just blown away bythat, that, that, that dichotomy
of how he could kind of grow upwith something that was natural
and delicious.
And this is what we had asoptions.
And so a lot of what we kind ofbuilt Pricklee around was how do
(11:56):
we create a brand that createsthis better for you alternative
for consumers, for families tobuild, you know, healthier
habits from a young age and alsochange the habits that they've
had for a long time.
But also branded in a way thattruly resonated that didn't just
say, like, look, this is ahealthy product.
It's of course it is.
But we wanted people to justmake make sense of it and be and
find it approachable andexciting and want to pull it off
(12:17):
of shelf and just consume itbecause they wanted to consume
it and then find out, you know,after the fact that this is
actually a really, reallyhealthy choice for them.
So That's really what ourbrand's about and why we're
different.
Dana Rampolla (12:28):
Well, and when we think about the health conscious
choices that are out there and,and sustainability and just the
production, what does that looklike?
Take us out to the fields, intothe, into the production
environment.
You know, as I said, I havestickers in my fingers because
these things have not onlyginormous stickers on them, but
also little tiny fine ones.
So how is it produced?
(12:49):
Tell us what that's like.
Kun Yang (12:51):
Yeah, so it's interesting.
prickly pears are actually aubiquitous plant all around the
world.
Um, and they've been native tothe world for over 9, 000 years.
Um, and so in certain parts,it's actually pretty indigenous,
right?
This legend hails from, youknow, South America, Central
America region.
If you go to Mexico, it'sactually on the flag of Mexico,
you know, and so really, reallyinteresting product that then,
(13:12):
you know, the reason why it kindof really spread ubiquitously
around the world, you know, it'sin Lebanon, as you know, it's in
Israel, it's in Italy.
It's in India now.
It's all over the world isbecause it doesn't really
require any water to grow.
It makes it one of the mostsustainable plants, um, just in
the world, 80 percent lessirrigation than traditional
crops.
It's also a perennial plant.
So once, you know, you take apad and it's, and it finds
(13:34):
itself somewhere that, that,that it starts to grow within 18
months, you start to see it bearfruit, you know, prickly pears.
And if you just harvest theprickly pear fruit itself, it's
a perennial plant.
So next year they regrow.
Making it extremely sustainable.
Right.
And so, you know, areas likeMexico, which is where we source
are quickly pairs from, youknow, It's, it's a, it's a
commoditized product.
(13:55):
It's as common as a banana, youknow, for folks down there.
Right.
And, um, and so it's somethingthat they're really used to
consuming.
Right.
Whether it just has this freshfruit, whether it's a drink,
whether it's, it's, you know,salads and things and juices,
things of that nature.
Um, and it's, you know, if yougo to the Southwest of the US,
it's all over Arizona.
It's a state plan of Texas.
It's all over California.
Right.
And places where.
(14:16):
You know, something likeCalifornia takes 10 percent of
the water to grow almonds.
And so it's just like afantastic plant that we believe,
you know, has so muchopportunity for so many
different use cases beyond justconsumption, um, you know, in
the future.
Um, but you know, for us,because it's so perennial, we're
able to harvest it within theseason the growth season really
in Mexico, at least is.
Between August to late, let'ssay late October timeframe.
(14:39):
So that's really when the growthseason is it's harvested.
Um, and then that's really wherewe get our prickly pears from.
But if you just go further downSouth in Peru, that growth
season is like October throughFebruary.
And if you go to India, there'stwo multiple growth seasons, you
know, twice a year.
So it just depends on where youkind of, source, you know, the
ingredient over time.
Charles Schelle (14:56):
How many, um, prickly pears does it take to
get a can?
Kun Yang (15:01):
So we actually we puree all of our prickly pear.
So when we, when we source our,our ingredients, we work with
suppliers, farmers, suppliers,um, that's puree, you know, and
then we use the puree into, intoeach of our drinks.
But yeah, each can has aboutsix, 6% real Pricklee pair
puree.
We're actually the only, um, youknow, cactus, the or cactus
water on the market that usesreal, real fruit and, and real
(15:22):
fruit puree in the market aswell.
That's interesting.
We inspire ourselves with thatfor sure.
Dana Rampolla (15:27):
Yeah, that's interesting.
And so back to where when you'retalking about sourcing, are you
kind of getting it fromdifferent those different
countries at different times.
So that's giving you a longersourcing period.
Kun Yang (15:38):
Yeah, I mean, and certainly as we've scaled, I
think it's necessitated justreally strong redundancies
within our supply chain.
So as we scale, it's going tocontinue to force that.
But predominantly so far we'vesourced mostly in Mexico, but we
certainly have sourced somePeruvian prickly pears as well.
So I think it just continues toexpand.
At the end of the day, I thinkquality is really, really
(15:58):
important.
So the best sourced and the bestsustainably sourced products are
really important to us.
Um, and in terms of, you know,reliability, but also quality of
taste, um, and then justreliability of being able to
support that, you know, yearround, especially as we scale,
you know, so.
We do envision probably having amore diverse supply chain in
terms of countries as, as we getbigger and bigger for sure.
Charles Schelle (16:21):
So, how, how does studying pharmacy help you
with business selling cactuswater?
Kun Yang (16:27):
Well, you know, it's, it's almost funny, um, in some
ways it kind of feels like we'reright where we're supposed to be
because the, the, the foundersof Coke and Pepsi were
pharmacists too.
Charles Schelle (16:36):
Actually, that's true.
Yeah.
Kun Yang (16:39):
Pepsi was dyspepsia, right?
For irritated stomach.
So in funny, in funny ways, youknow, we're kind of full circle,
but we wouldn't be here withouthaving studied pharmacy.
I mean, not just, not to mentionthe skills that, that we
obtained, um, at the school butalso just in the career that
pharmacy really is and just how,how communicative it is in terms
of the relationship that youdevelop and the communication
(17:00):
skills you have with.
With consumers and patients.
I mean, I think you just havesuch a robust skill set, um, in
terms of communication, but alsoin problem solving and, and just
kind of connecting the dots andworking with other
collaborating, right.
With other healthcareprofessionals, these are all
just fundamentally strongbusiness skills, you know, and,
and you also kind of think aboutwhat pharmacy is.
I mean, it's pharmacy itself,not an entrepreneurial you know,
(17:21):
domain, right.
Every, every pharmacist thatinitially started a pharmacy was
in themselves, their ownbusiness owners.
Right.
So I think there's, it's builton a foundation of
entrepreneurship.
Yeah.
Um, I ended up going to biotechafter, after pharmacy school.
And I think biotech is just fullof entrepreneurs.
I mean, it's built on thebusiness of healthcare, right?
And so you're integrated in somuch of this.
So I think it was a reallynatural transition for us to go
(17:44):
into into business because wehad a lot of the skill sets
already, right?
Not to mention, I mean, Prickleewouldn't be here fundamentally,
if not for the network that wehad developed at pharmacy school
and beyond, um, so much of thefunding network came from those
relationships fundamentally.
I mean, yeah, I can say handsdown.
I mean, we wouldn't, wouldn't bethe company that we are without
having come from the backgroundthat we came from.
Charles Schelle (18:07):
So, um, before you launched the company with
your friend Mo who you mentionedon Shark Tank.
Or he mentioned on Shark Tank,how, how, where the recipe, you
know, originally came fromduring this time, you worked for
some pharmaceutical companies,what did you take away from your
time in the industry?
What did you do?
Kun Yang (18:25):
Yeah.
I mean, a whole host ofdifferent, um, domains over my
time in industry and what wasreally cool in my time in in the
industry The biotech industrytoo, was I spent time in a
multitude of different companiesdifferent size companies, like
companies of a thousandemployees 8, 000 employees, 40,
000 employees, and over a 100,000 employees.
So it was really, really cooljust to see the different scale
(18:45):
and scope of how thesedifferent, um, you know, groups
worked.
My favorite experience was thesmallest, right?
It just felt like you were just,you know, we moved so much
faster.
It felt like the problems thatwe're solving were quick.
I felt like decisions were beingmade really quickly.
There was less red tape.
And, um, I really kind of was Ithink inspired by that to, to
appreciate entrepreneurshipdeeply in that way.
(19:06):
In many ways.
I mean, it was a startup, youknow, biotech company.
Um, and in terms of the rolesthat I had, I mean, it went from
health economics, outcomes,research to medical training,
you know, to.
to other types of field strategywork.
And so I held a different set ofskill sets across the time that
I was there.
Um, and I think it was just,again, the industry itself lent
(19:26):
itself so much to this, therichness and culture of
entrepreneurship that it justfelt like a really natural space
for me once I realized that, Youknow, the skills were there, but
it wasn't necessarily where Ienvisioned, um, myself, you
know, for the rest of my career.
Charles Schelle (19:40):
Right.
So you had the fateful, afateful moment where you and Mo
get the call come on Shark Tank,pitch your product.
Your episode aired in May 2022.
We're now two years after that,and we're still talking about
it.
I'm sure it's still resonatingtoday and, and, and reaping
benefits for you.
On the, on camera, you agreed toa deal with Barbara Corcoran for
(20:03):
200, 000 line of credit and a 5percent stake.
Um, you know, with Shark Tank,sometimes the deals don't go
through that are presented onTV.
Sometimes they're changed afterthe filming wraps.
Other times it's as is presentedand it's going, you know,
gangbusters.
Um, did the deal go through?
What kind of happened after thatwas agreed to on TV?
Kun Yang (20:23):
Yeah.
So unfortunately I can't, Ican't disclose anything from,
from that physically orspecifically, um, but I will say
as, as a whole, I mean, it was atremendous experience for us.
And the outcome, it wastremendous to your point,
Charles.
I mean, we get asked thatquestion every single day.
It'll be in our tombstone how aShark Tank, you know, and so
we're really thankful that itwas a good experience um,
(20:44):
because I do definitely feel forfolks that maybe didn't have as
much of a good experiencebecause it is something that You
definitely will will continue tosocialize over the course of
your life Um, and and I thinkit's a huge, boost of
credibility for any businessthat ends up on sharp tank,
right?
Especially one that secures adeal and it's led to a lot of
great, you know conversations,buyer meetings consumer
interactions, and just, again,other things that we've
(21:07):
leveraged it for.
So, definitely a big part ofour, of our history for sure.
Really, really strong moment.
And we've grown so much fromthat moment too, you know, so
it's been a, it's been a minute.
Charles Schelle (21:17):
Yeah.
And you know, the great thingabout the show too, is that, you
know, it's syndicated.
Um, it's on, I think, Hulu wherepeople can watch at any time.
And I'm sure you might see anunexpected boost every so often.
I know, you know, um, anotherreality show.
I watched diners, drivers, anddives.
Guy Fieri mentions it.
When a rerun airs, we tell thesepeople, these restauranteurs in
(21:40):
advance when we're filming theepisode with them, just know
that there are going to bereruns and you're going to be
unexpectedly busy whenever arerun airs.
Kun Yang (21:47):
We were, it was so funny.
I think it was like last monthwe were, um, at a trade show in
Salt Lake City, in Utah.
And and, and we were at thehotel that night and reran that
night that we were there.
And so the next day we showed upand they're like, you were on
TV.
We saw you on TV last night.
We're like, yeah, I mean, youknow, it was a really
serendipitous moment.
And then we ended up at theairport and some random, you
(22:09):
know, person went up to mypartner cause we were still
wearing our Pricklee shirts,like, I just saw you on TV last
night
Dana Rampolla (22:14):
for
Kun Yang (22:15):
most folks, they don't know when it aired.
It could have happened lastnight.
Well, you know, right.
So it is the gift that keeps ongiving to your point Charles and
a great, again, probably one ofthe best PR moments that, that
you could You could ever receiveas a, as a business for sure.
Dana Rampolla (22:28):
Well, I know there's only so much you can
talk about.
How, how did it wind up that youwere on the show?
And then, you know, from aviewer perspective, is it really
as kind of intense as what weperceive it to be?
Kun Yang (22:41):
Yeah.
It, I mean, I think Shark Tankis the epitome of the American
dream.
When you think about whatentrepreneurship is to America,
and they've done a fantastic jobwith that production to
represent and select a verydiverse set founder and founder
stories that I think representswhat entrepreneurship in America
is so really proud to be analumni of that program we
actually were very very lucky.
We we launched February of 2021And um, we this is back when
(23:05):
Facebook was still facebook andnot meta.
And so This is also before iOS14, which is the biggest update
that really disrupted, you know,Facebook marketing and things
like that nature for the worst.
But, um, at that time we hadposted up a Facebook ad to
announce our launch.
And that first week, Friday, weget this email from from Shark
Tank producers asking us toapply.
(23:25):
And we had no idea that this wasreal.
We were just kind of like, thisis a random email in our hello
inbox.
And it was Turns out you know,so we're like, all right, we're
happy to sign our, you know,life away and fill out this
giant application, you know,for, you know, it took us maybe
three hours to do the longestapplication of my life.
Turns out it was real, you know,which is great.
So they, they found us and itwas, it was mind blowing that,
that that all happened.
(23:46):
Um, and then it was a reallylong process, you know, from
that moment to the time we airedwas almost 15 months.
You know, a lot of prep work, alot of filming, a lot of
producing, a lot of editing, alot of that kind of stuff.
But I will say, um, you know, itwas a very, very, I think,
authentic representation of theconversation that we'd had in
the tank, you know, we're inthere for about 45 minutes and I
(24:07):
think it was edited postproduction to about eight or
nine minutes.
But I, but watching it and Imean, when it was on TV, it was
the first time that we saw ittoo, you know, and we're, you
know, we're, we're also not evensure if it is going to air.
Right.
So we've always productionavailable and we're hoping, you
know, it does air and it totallydid.
So we had a, we had a Shark Tankparty at my, my buddy's
restaurant.
And so we're all waiting for usto come on the TV and we're just
(24:28):
like crossing our fingers thatit's going to happen, you know,
eat crow.
So it it certainly was one ofthose moments that I'm glad it
happened.
And then, um, Yeah, I just feltlike they did a fantastic job of
representing the conversation,the dialogue.
Certainly there was someproduction, but very minimal in
terms of the spirit of theconversation and dialogue.
Um, and and for us, we kind ofwent in there with a very, I
(24:49):
think, prepared game plan.
Like we definitely knew what wewere willing to offer, what we
were willing to negotiate downto.
And so fortunately for us, Ithink the conversation actually
ended up being right in linewith our, with our planning.
Um, so we were very, very luckyto not get kind of caught off
guard, you know, during theprocess.
Dana Rampolla (25:08):
So Kun, how are you overcoming the challenges
that the sharks brought up aboutdistribution, um, shelf space
challenges, and also themarketing?
Kun Yang (25:18):
Um, every day, daily, just waking up every day trying
to be better, you know, and Ithink this is a I mean,
entrepreneurship isn't foreverybody.
You know, as much as it'sglamorized, it's, it's, it's the
single most difficultprofessional challenge I've ever
undertaken in my life.
And I can sit, I'm sure everyone of my, you know, partners
and, and team members wouldagree.
(25:40):
Um, it's not for everybody, youknow, and I mean, It's a very
gritty you know, path to take.
And so you have to just alwaysbe problem solving and think
about solutions that don't evenreally exist, right?
That's really what the spirit ofentrepreneurship is.
Um, and and so for us, it'sreally just about taking every
day at a time and just you know,taking every one at a time and,
(26:01):
and building that distributionbecause the, the, the thing of
it, of it is the hardersomething is the more you
overcome of it.
The greater the chances ofsuccess are, and that's obvious,
but it also means that thebarrier of entry for other
competitors are much, you know,higher.
Um, so all these challenges ofdistribution, marketing, yeah,
they're there, but if you'reable to overcome them, it puts
you in a select position toreally be able to be successful,
(26:23):
um, because it is very hard toovercome some of these things.
And, you know, fortunately forthe last four or so years we've
really entrenched ourselves inthe industry to a point where we
truly know everything about, youknow, how to, how to run this
business inside and out.
And so we're just growing everysingle day and, and solving
problems as they go.
Charles Schelle (26:39):
Yeah.
I, I really thought that MarkCuban was, you know, tremendous
help.
And just the, those few secondsof saying, Hey, you know, let's
talk about the antioxidants.
Let's tell, tell, tell yourstory a little bit more.
About the, the differentiationbetween this and coconut water.
And we see today, like yourlabeling has changed and your
icon.
And I think, you know, just,just that enough of a few
(27:02):
seconds with Mark Cuban, we, youknow, we paid paid off, right?
Kun Yang (27:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, these folks are in theposition they're in, you know,
for, for a reason.
And certainly I think they havea lot of experience to share a
lot of great, great points.
I think a lot of it validated alot of things that we were
thinking about at the time too.
Um, so that was really, reallygood.
And Yeah, I definitely feel likewe're we're really at this.
We've really hit our stride, youknow, and you know, just with
Good Housekeeping, we'relaunching Whole Foods this month
(27:28):
in just a couple of weeks,Sprouts nationwide, you know,
and, um, you know, so we, wehave a lot of really strong
momentum that I think putss usin a position where we just have
to focus on building the brand,you know, and certainly I think
a lot of what they said to yourpoint, Charles came to fruition.
Charles Schelle (27:44):
So you mentioned Sprouts and Whole
Foods you're located in, um,anywhere else people can find
you.
Um, and I've, I've seen, I guessyou've hit the million can mark
recently as well.
Kun Yang (27:54):
Yeah.
I mean, we're an Amazon, you canbuy a product online.
We're, we're really saturated inthe Southwest, you know, cactus
country, if you will.
Right.
And so our team is down there.
And so our focus from a retaildistribution standpoint is
really to focus in the Southwestbecause it just requires less
education.
Um, also, you know, I mean,it's, it's, it's a warmer
climate.
So the beverage season, thehydration season is a bit
(28:17):
longer.
Um, there's also a little bitmore of a emphasis on health
conscious sort of, points ofdistribution down there, right?
More accounts to kind of, tobuild your business around.
And so it's a great place to, tobuild a brand in the Southwest.
Um, but certainly we haveaccounts up here in, in the
Northeast as well.
And you can find our storelocator on our website.
Dana Rampolla (28:37):
And can't, can't sign off before asking.
Do you have any new productdevelopments or innovations that
Pricklee Cactus Water isconsidering?
Or you have in the pipeline thatyou're able to share?
Kun Yang (28:48):
We're working on some really exciting things, not
nothing that I can share to toomuch degree at this existing
moment.
But I will say that, you know,again, it goes back to our
mission.
You know, our mission is reallyto create a brand that champions
healthier hydration options foreveryone.
And really does it in a way thatthe champions natural
ingredients, stable ingredientsand packaging.
Um, and it's something that canreally be something that rallies
(29:09):
families and, um, you know,together.
Something for the entire, entirefamily.
So, um, things that productsthat fit in that vein of, of our
mission is exactly where we'reinnovating.
So we should see some reallyexciting things come out in the
next, I'd say like 18 months.
Charles Schelle (29:25):
Kun, you're an inspiration to both the AAPI
community, um, and pharmacystudents, as well as being a
first generation American.
So, what would you tell peoplewho are considering pursuing a
path similar to yours?
Kun Yang (29:38):
I think finding something that you're
authentically passionate about.
Um, that you can really wake upand, and just give everything
to, um, because it takes thatand more, and then doing it with
the support of loved ones andpeople around you, you just
can't do it by yourself, youknow?
But I think it's, it's just soimportant that what you pursue,
you authentically do feelpassionate about.
And I've just seen just, again,it goes back to it.
(30:00):
Entrepreneurship is not foreveryone.
It is so, so challenging.
It's so much more glamorizedexternally than it is
internally.
Um, but, but I think the beautyof it.
You know, I think there's asaying, right, which is like the
journey is the destination.
And I think that as we've gonethrough this journey, that has
not been clear to us.
And the biggest reason for it isas our goals have become larger
(30:22):
and larger, um, you know, and,and some to points where we had
no idea that we could haveachieved these things, we
started to, you know, realizeover time that the outcome isn't
actually what matters.
Right.
And it certainly isn't even thebiggest reward.
The biggest reward, I think thatyou can get from
entrepreneurship is kind of theperson that you become along
(30:43):
that journey, the skill sets,the community, the impact the
relationships and, and just thelearnings, the wisdom, the
experiences that you, that yougain.
I think to me, that's, that'sreally what the prize is at the
end of the day.
That is the ultimate definitionof success in my books.
And, and I think when, you know,folks are considering
entrepreneurship, like that isreally what you're signing up
for, right?
(31:03):
Don't get so obsessed with theoutcome.
The outcome, you know, it wasgreat, great to achieve it.
Great.
If you don't.
But in a day, you know, you haveto understand, like, you're
doing this for the rightreasons, which is to make a good
impact and something that youbelieve believe in authentically
and are passionate about.
Without those things, it's goingto be really difficult to
succeed.
Charles Schelle (31:20):
Well, you are doing tremendous work.
It is always great talking to aproud and successful University
of Maryland, Baltimore alumnus,and we wish you nothing but the
best in your future and withPricklee.
Kun Yang (31:33):
Thank you so much guys means the world.
Jena Frick (31:40):
The UMB Pulse with Charles Chalet and Dana Rampolla
is a UMB Office ofCommunications and Public
Affairs production, edited byCharles Chalet, marketing by
Dana Rampolla.
Dana, this is some kind of heat wave, right?
(00:01):
It is hot out there.
Dana Rampolla (00:03):
Baltimore's best.
You gotta love the heat.
Charles Schelle (00:06):
I know.
I always try to stay hydrihydrata.
See, that's what I was talkingabout.
I always try to drink plenty ofwater around, you know, this
time of year, but sometimes youneed, like, the little booze, so
sometimes I might, like, get asports drinker or something
else, and but you have to kindof be careful with all, like,
the sugar that's in some ofthese, right?
Dana Rampolla (00:25):
Yeah, for sure.
For sure.
I know my son is in town and hedrinks coconut water all the
time and he was trying toconvince me to make a little
mocktail with some the otherday.
And I don't know, I haven't, Ithink it must be an acquired
taste, but I do feel like, okay,at least this is a healthier
option than, you know, puttingit in with Fresca or Sprite,
something like that.
So.
Charles Schelle (00:46):
Yeah, and there's something out there
called Cactus Water that we'regoing to talk about today.
I've never tried it, so I'mreally interested to hear about
this.
It's called Pricklee, and thisisn't some, like, sponsored
advertisement.
This is a drink co created byUniversity of Maryland School of
Pharmacy alumnus.
Dana Rampolla (01:07):
And who would think that you would go to
pharmacy school and you'd becreating a beverage product,
Charles Schelle (01:12):
It, it makes a little bit of sense, right?
Because there's a lot ofmarketing that goes into
pharmaceutical products.
Dana Rampolla (01:20):
True, true.
It's just interesting to thinkthat a pharmacy student, I'm
picturing you're going topharmacy school, you're going to
put a white coat on and you'regoing to be working at your
local pharmacy.
But to think that some of ourpharmacy students right here
from UMB have gone on to createreally unique products.
I think that's really stand outand I'm excited today to be
(01:40):
talking to one of them.
Charles Schelle (01:43):
Yeah.
It seems like, Kun Yang had somegreat chemistry here in
Baltimore.
He graduated from the Universityof Maryland School of Pharmacy
with his PharmD degree in 2015.
He is now the CEO and founder ofPricklee Cactus Water, and has
appeared on Shark Tank with hisbusiness partner, Moe Hassoun.
Dana Rampolla (02:02):
Well, and Kwan is a first generation American.
He was born in China.
He was raised in Canada.
And so we're going global withthis episode.
I love when we can really reachout and touch the world.
Charles Schelle (02:13):
Dana, let's crack open a cold one of cactus
water and say cheers to a newepisode of the UMB Pulse.
Dana Rampolla (02:19):
Cheers.
You're listening to theheartbeat of the University of
Maryland Baltimore, the UMBPulse.
Charles Schelle (02:38):
Kun, welcome to the UMB Pulse.
Thanks for coming on.
Glad to be here.
Thanks for having me, Charles.
Dana Rampolla (02:43):
Kun, I couldn't help but think of you as I was
tidying up my deck the other daygetting ready for this.
And in your honor, I brought myprickly pear.
cactus plant in to put behind mefor the viewers who are on
YouTube and looking forward tohopefully learning from you how
to get stickers out of myfingers.
Kun Yang (03:01):
Yeah, it means a lot.
I, you don't, you don't see thatevery day, so definitely
appreciate it.
Charles Schelle (03:05):
Tell us about yourself and your family.
Um, you're born in China, raisedin Canada.
Where in Canada did you grow up?
Kun Yang (03:12):
I first moved to Windsor, which is right across
from the Detroit River at likethree and a half years old.
Um, and we were there for I didabout six years or so and then
spent majority of my formativeyears outside of Toronto in this
town called Mississauga.
It's the fifth largest city inCanada.
Very difficult to spell.
You know, everyone gets itwrong.
I still get it wrong.
And then I went to, um, youknow, college at McGill in
(03:33):
Montreal.
And then moved my way down toBaltimore for pharmacy school.
And funny enough, in 11th gradewas the first time I actually
worked at a pharmacy.
So it was at a retail chaincommunity pharmacy called
Shopper's Drug Mart.
One of the biggest.
You know, chains up, up in, upin Canada.
I wonder if they're stillaround.
I imagine that they are.
Um, and and so I was as a sortof a summer internship and I
(03:54):
just kind of fell in love withthe profession.
I really kind of saw myself assomebody who could be in it, you
know, really admire thepharmacists that are working
there, love the communityengagement, the, the patient
engagement just felt like alittle community, you know, and
I kind of really saw myself inthat, that way.
So I think from an early age, Iwas kind of set on pharmacy as a
path and All throughout college,it was always, always the
decision.
Um, and so it was a very naturalstep to end up in Maryland
(04:15):
afterwards.
So that was how I kind of endedup here.
Charles Schelle (04:18):
Great.
So what were you studying inundergrad, um, to get you
prepared to come to pharmacyschool?
Kun Yang (04:25):
It was a anatomy and cell biology uh, bachelors.
Charles Schelle (04:28):
You were in Montreal, like you said, how do
you, how do you choose Maryland?
How do you come to theuniversity of Maryland school of
pharmacy?
Kun Yang (04:35):
Yeah, I mean, at that time, my parents had already
moved down to the New York area,you know, and and so I kind of
already knew in my heart ofhearts that I was going to come
down to the U.
S.
I think I was always interested,um, you know, the U.
S.
just is represented like a landof opportunity.
Um, the American dream issomething that resonates around
the world, you know, certainly,and so I think there's always a
lot of excitement is whatbrought my parents here and
(04:56):
certainly, you know, I followedsuit.
Um, and Maryland was just, youknow, obviously just a
historical institution.
Fourth oldest pharmacy school inthe country.
You know, reputation proceededitself and as soon as I visited
the, the campus, I had a coupleother offers at the time, but
when I kind of visited thecampus, it was a no brainer when
that offer was extended thatthis is where I was gonna call
home.
And, um, I spent a lot of goodyears.
(05:16):
2011 to 2015, we won a SuperBowl.
You know, it became a convertedraven span.
I mean, football wasn't a thingup in.
In Canada, right?
Yards, what are yards, right?
Down here is it was a really,really exciting time to be a
Baltimorean and, um, reallyproud period of my life, for
sure, the four years I spentdown here.
Charles Schelle (05:33):
What about the campus stood out to you?
You said you fell in love onceyou visited the campus.
Kun Yang (05:38):
I just think the whole vibe, you know, the culture, I
think the institution, I mean,the facilities were top notch,
definitely best in class.
And I think that's even beforesome of the, I look at your
backdrop, Charles, and there's alot of the buildings that you
have in your image weren't eventhere at the time.
Um, so I think there was a lotof change that happened in
recent years, but pharmacy hallwas just, I think, starting.
(05:58):
I believe that was, we weremaybe the first year in pharmacy
hall or close to.
And so that institute, that,that building itself just kind
of blew my mind.
And I thought it was just such afantastic institution and
building for, for learning andjust for spending time.
I could really see myselfspending time there.
Right.
And having just come from livingin the, in the city, I mean, I
(06:18):
was also kind of still lookingfor that, that type of
environment as well.
And I think.
Baltimore checked a lot of thoseboxes and, um, you know, as they
say, it's far enough, but closeenough to your parents, right?
Charles Schelle (06:29):
So today the University of Maryland School of
Pharmacy has a pharmapreneurship program where they
encourage entrepreneurs pursuingpharmacy degrees, university of
Maryland, Baltimore's graduateschool has the grid pitch that's
also for entrepreneurs.
I don't think those existedwhile you were at University of
Maryland School of Pharmacy, butyou still had a pathway to
pursue those interests.
Tell us a little bit about that.
Kun Yang (06:50):
Yeah, I think, I think the School of Pharmacy, the
University of Maryland School ofPharmacy was just such a
fantastic landing spot for meand my path to entrepreneurship.
Again, I didn't come intopharmacy school thinking that
this was going to ever be, youknow, my future.
The beauty of it is just howopen minded, um, I, I kind of
left the school.
You know, coming in, I thinkthere was just such a richness
(07:12):
of the opportunities that youcould, you know, pursue as a
pharmacist.
Because coming in, I thinkeveryone's definition of a
pharmacy was behind the pharmacycounter at a CVS or writing in a
white coat.
And I think that, you know, Um,that, that generalization still
exists in most people'simaginations, you know, and I
don't blame any of that.
I think that is the truth.
But that was also how we viewedit.
Right.
So coming in day one, you justreally, you were just, you know,
(07:34):
bombarded with such enthusiasmfrom the upperclassmen about
just the different paths thatyou kind of pursue.
And as you kind of really dugin, you realize that those
options were actually a lotbroader than you expected.
And so that's really what tookme down pathways of getting into
the business of health care,right?
Whether it's through managedcare or, or industry, that was
just one component of it.
But then you look at just thedifferent facilities that exist
(07:55):
within Maryland, right?
The research office, the PHSRgroup, um, the different
schools, right?
The medical school, the dentalschool, the law school, the
social work school.
I mean, the graduate programshere.
I mean, we still work with thelaw clinic.
and law students at Prickleetoo.
So you mean the resources herethat were just available for you
to kind of just realize that theworld is so much bigger than
(08:15):
just the four walls of pharmacyschool were pretty abundant.
And I think it just opened ourminds at least my mind
personally to, um, you know, abetter representation of what
the real world was like once weactually entered it and and just
felt less defined by the lettersbehind our name, you know, and I
think that that was somethingthat, that we kind of walked
away from and Maryland did areally, really fantastic job of
establishing.
Dana Rampolla (08:36):
We always try to promote the interprofessionalism
that people can experience hereat University of Maryland
Baltimore and then take thatinto the field with them.
So it's terrific to hear thatit's working.
Kun I hear for the through thegrapevine you're going to be
back on campus this fall.
Let us know how how that willbe.
And if there's a chance we canpossibly meet you in person.
Kun Yang (08:59):
Yeah, I'm excited to be back on campus on October
8th.
I'll be one of the afternoonkeynote speakers at the
University of Maryland School ofPharmacy's inaugural
Pharmapreneurship Summit.
Um, so I think that that's a,again, a really, really exciting
opportunity that wasn't evenavailable when I was there.
So, really excited to see thedirection that the school has
taken and excited to be thereand look forward to meeting, you
(09:21):
know, anyone that's, that'saround.
Dana Rampolla (09:23):
That's great.
Hopefully we can pop by and, andsee you in person.
Charles Schelle (09:27):
Yeah, totally.
Crack open a can of Prickleewhile we're at it.
That's not a bad idea
Dana Rampolla (09:31):
Yeah.
Right.
Well, um, Kun, you have a signfor those of us who are on
YouTube.
We can see it, but for those whoaren't, and it says Pricklee
cactus water.
So Pricklee cactus water wasjust mentioned in a recent
article by Good Housekeeping fortheir 2024 Best Snack Awards.
Um, to some people, Quickly orcactus water is a new kind of
(09:54):
product.
We don't really know what it is.
So tell us a little bit aboutit.
What is it?
How is yours different?
What are some of the benefits ofdrinking cactus water versus
other products?
Kun Yang (10:03):
Oh, absolutely.
You know, so I mean, I can getinto the story of how we started
and all that kind of stuff.
But before I even really do, Imean, Our company really, I
mean, we're on a mission to justcreate the healthiest natural
hydration products in themarket, starting with our
flagship line of Pricklee cactuswater made from real fruits of
the cactus.
Um, you know, and so it's just,it's, it's, it's really, it's
low sugar, it's all natural,really clean ingredient profile
(10:26):
and just a delicious productthat's full of natural
antioxidants.
It's got some electrolytes andvitamin C as well.
So as you mentioned, goodhousekeeping awarded it the best
water alternative for 2024.
So it's our sort of solution tocreate a product that just
tastes really, really deliciousand helps people make a
healthier choice and createhealthier habits really from a
young age.
Um, and, and yeah, that's whatit's all about.
Dana Rampolla (10:47):
How is it different from some of the other
products that might beconsidered healthy options?
Kun Yang (10:52):
Yeah, I mean, I think it fits within, you know, a
natural profile, so it'sinteresting.
In 2024, a ton of products, um,are still being created that are
full of artificial ingredients,high in sugar.
Um, and so for, I mean, thiskind of goes to why we started
BikB in the first place.
You know, we were alwaysinterested in health and
wellness, hence why we were inpharmacy school.
My, my partners and I are allpharmacists as well.
(11:12):
Oh, okay.
And I just remember growing upwith everything that was
artificial sodas, juices,drinks, high sugar, artificial
ingredients.
And, um, I've seen in my lifeand those around me just kind of
what, what habits that's createdover time, even when, you know,
the moments of weakness, momentsof stress, like, what are the
things that I crave?
What are the things that peoplecrave still built upon the
habits of what was formed beingthe only options that were
(11:35):
available as kids.
And then my partner Mo grew upin Lebanon and he has cactus
water every summer, you know, afamily recipe.
And.
When he shared that with us upin Boston, you know, one summer
day, we were just blown away bythat, that, that, that dichotomy
of how he could kind of grow upwith something that was natural
and delicious.
And this is what we had asoptions.
And so a lot of what we kind ofbuilt Pricklee around was how do
(11:56):
we create a brand that createsthis better for you alternative
for consumers, for families tobuild, you know, healthier
habits from a young age and alsochange the habits that they've
had for a long time.
But also branded in a way thattruly resonated that didn't just
say, like, look, this is ahealthy product.
It's of course it is.
But we wanted people to justmake make sense of it and be and
find it approachable andexciting and want to pull it off
(12:17):
of shelf and just consume itbecause they wanted to consume
it and then find out, you know,after the fact that this is
actually a really, reallyhealthy choice for them.
So That's really what ourbrand's about and why we're
different.
Dana Rampolla (12:28):
Well, and when we think about the health conscious
choices that are out there and,and sustainability and just the
production, what does that looklike?
Take us out to the fields, intothe, into the production
environment.
You know, as I said, I havestickers in my fingers because
these things have not onlyginormous stickers on them, but
also little tiny fine ones.
So how is it produced?
(12:49):
Tell us what that's like.
Kun Yang (12:51):
Yeah, so it's interesting.
prickly pears are actually aubiquitous plant all around the
world.
Um, and they've been native tothe world for over 9, 000 years.
Um, and so in certain parts,it's actually pretty indigenous,
right?
This legend hails from, youknow, South America, Central
America region.
If you go to Mexico, it'sactually on the flag of Mexico,
you know, and so really, reallyinteresting product that then,
(13:12):
you know, the reason why it kindof really spread ubiquitously
around the world, you know, it'sin Lebanon, as you know, it's in
Israel, it's in Italy.
It's in India now.
It's all over the world isbecause it doesn't really
require any water to grow.
It makes it one of the mostsustainable plants, um, just in
the world, 80 percent lessirrigation than traditional
crops.
It's also a perennial plant.
So once, you know, you take apad and it's, and it finds
(13:34):
itself somewhere that, that,that it starts to grow within 18
months, you start to see it bearfruit, you know, prickly pears.
And if you just harvest theprickly pear fruit itself, it's
a perennial plant.
So next year they regrow.
Making it extremely sustainable.
Right.
And so, you know, areas likeMexico, which is where we source
are quickly pairs from, youknow, It's, it's a, it's a
commoditized product.
(13:55):
It's as common as a banana, youknow, for folks down there.
Right.
And, um, and so it's somethingthat they're really used to
consuming.
Right.
Whether it just has this freshfruit, whether it's a drink,
whether it's, it's, you know,salads and things and juices,
things of that nature.
Um, and it's, you know, if yougo to the Southwest of the US,
it's all over Arizona.
It's a state plan of Texas.
It's all over California.
Right.
And places where.
(14:16):
You know, something likeCalifornia takes 10 percent of
the water to grow almonds.
And so it's just like afantastic plant that we believe,
you know, has so muchopportunity for so many
different use cases beyond justconsumption, um, you know, in
the future.
Um, but you know, for us,because it's so perennial, we're
able to harvest it within theseason the growth season really
in Mexico, at least is.
Between August to late, let'ssay late October timeframe.
(14:39):
So that's really when the growthseason is it's harvested.
Um, and then that's really wherewe get our prickly pears from.
But if you just go further downSouth in Peru, that growth
season is like October throughFebruary.
And if you go to India, there'stwo multiple growth seasons, you
know, twice a year.
So it just depends on where youkind of, source, you know, the
ingredient over time.
Charles Schelle (14:56):
How many, um, prickly pears does it take to
get a can?
Kun Yang (15:01):
So we actually we puree all of our prickly pear.
So when we, when we source our,our ingredients, we work with
suppliers, farmers, suppliers,um, that's puree, you know, and
then we use the puree into, intoeach of our drinks.
But yeah, each can has aboutsix, 6% real Pricklee pair
puree.
We're actually the only, um, youknow, cactus, the or cactus
water on the market that usesreal, real fruit and, and real
(15:22):
fruit puree in the market aswell.
That's interesting.
We inspire ourselves with thatfor sure.
Dana Rampolla (15:27):
Yeah, that's interesting.
And so back to where when you'retalking about sourcing, are you
kind of getting it fromdifferent those different
countries at different times.
So that's giving you a longersourcing period.
Kun Yang (15:38):
Yeah, I mean, and certainly as we've scaled, I
think it's necessitated justreally strong redundancies
within our supply chain.
So as we scale, it's going tocontinue to force that.
But predominantly so far we'vesourced mostly in Mexico, but we
certainly have sourced somePeruvian prickly pears as well.
So I think it just continues toexpand.
At the end of the day, I thinkquality is really, really
(15:58):
important.
So the best sourced and the bestsustainably sourced products are
really important to us.
Um, and in terms of, you know,reliability, but also quality of
taste, um, and then justreliability of being able to
support that, you know, yearround, especially as we scale,
you know, so.
We do envision probably having amore diverse supply chain in
terms of countries as, as we getbigger and bigger for sure.
Charles Schelle (16:21):
So, how, how does studying pharmacy help you
with business selling cactuswater?
Kun Yang (16:27):
Well, you know, it's, it's almost funny, um, in some
ways it kind of feels like we'reright where we're supposed to be
because the, the, the foundersof Coke and Pepsi were
pharmacists too.
Charles Schelle (16:36):
Actually, that's true.
Yeah.
Kun Yang (16:39):
Pepsi was dyspepsia, right?
For irritated stomach.
So in funny, in funny ways, youknow, we're kind of full circle,
but we wouldn't be here withouthaving studied pharmacy.
I mean, not just, not to mentionthe skills that, that we
obtained, um, at the school butalso just in the career that
pharmacy really is and just how,how communicative it is in terms
of the relationship that youdevelop and the communication
(17:00):
skills you have with.
With consumers and patients.
I mean, I think you just havesuch a robust skill set, um, in
terms of communication, but alsoin problem solving and, and just
kind of connecting the dots andworking with other
collaborating, right.
With other healthcareprofessionals, these are all
just fundamentally strongbusiness skills, you know, and,
and you also kind of think aboutwhat pharmacy is.
I mean, it's pharmacy itself,not an entrepreneurial you know,
(17:21):
domain, right.
Every, every pharmacist thatinitially started a pharmacy was
in themselves, their ownbusiness owners.
Right.
So I think there's, it's builton a foundation of
entrepreneurship.
Yeah.
Um, I ended up going to biotechafter, after pharmacy school.
And I think biotech is just fullof entrepreneurs.
I mean, it's built on thebusiness of healthcare, right?
And so you're integrated in somuch of this.
So I think it was a reallynatural transition for us to go
(17:44):
into into business because wehad a lot of the skill sets
already, right?
Not to mention, I mean, Prickleewouldn't be here fundamentally,
if not for the network that wehad developed at pharmacy school
and beyond, um, so much of thefunding network came from those
relationships fundamentally.
I mean, yeah, I can say handsdown.
I mean, we wouldn't, wouldn't bethe company that we are without
having come from the backgroundthat we came from.
Charles Schelle (18:07):
So, um, before you launched the company with
your friend Mo who you mentionedon Shark Tank.
Or he mentioned on Shark Tank,how, how, where the recipe, you
know, originally came fromduring this time, you worked for
some pharmaceutical companies,what did you take away from your
time in the industry?
What did you do?
Kun Yang (18:25):
Yeah.
I mean, a whole host ofdifferent, um, domains over my
time in industry and what wasreally cool in my time in in the
industry The biotech industrytoo, was I spent time in a
multitude of different companiesdifferent size companies, like
companies of a thousandemployees 8, 000 employees, 40,
000 employees, and over a 100,000 employees.
So it was really, really cooljust to see the different scale
(18:45):
and scope of how thesedifferent, um, you know, groups
worked.
My favorite experience was thesmallest, right?
It just felt like you were just,you know, we moved so much
faster.
It felt like the problems thatwe're solving were quick.
I felt like decisions were beingmade really quickly.
There was less red tape.
And, um, I really kind of was Ithink inspired by that to, to
appreciate entrepreneurshipdeeply in that way.
(19:06):
In many ways.
I mean, it was a startup, youknow, biotech company.
Um, and in terms of the rolesthat I had, I mean, it went from
health economics, outcomes,research to medical training,
you know, to.
to other types of field strategywork.
And so I held a different set ofskill sets across the time that
I was there.
Um, and I think it was just,again, the industry itself lent
(19:26):
itself so much to this, therichness and culture of
entrepreneurship that it justfelt like a really natural space
for me once I realized that, Youknow, the skills were there, but
it wasn't necessarily where Ienvisioned, um, myself, you
know, for the rest of my career.
Charles Schelle (19:40):
Right.
So you had the fateful, afateful moment where you and Mo
get the call come on Shark Tank,pitch your product.
Your episode aired in May 2022.
We're now two years after that,and we're still talking about
it.
I'm sure it's still resonatingtoday and, and, and reaping
benefits for you.
On the, on camera, you agreed toa deal with Barbara Corcoran for
(20:03):
200, 000 line of credit and a 5percent stake.
Um, you know, with Shark Tank,sometimes the deals don't go
through that are presented onTV.
Sometimes they're changed afterthe filming wraps.
Other times it's as is presentedand it's going, you know,
gangbusters.
Um, did the deal go through?
What kind of happened after thatwas agreed to on TV?
Kun Yang (20:23):
Yeah.
So unfortunately I can't, Ican't disclose anything from,
from that physically orspecifically, um, but I will say
as, as a whole, I mean, it was atremendous experience for us.
And the outcome, it wastremendous to your point,
Charles.
I mean, we get asked thatquestion every single day.
It'll be in our tombstone how aShark Tank, you know, and so
we're really thankful that itwas a good experience um,
(20:44):
because I do definitely feel forfolks that maybe didn't have as
much of a good experiencebecause it is something that You
definitely will will continue tosocialize over the course of
your life Um, and and I thinkit's a huge, boost of
credibility for any businessthat ends up on sharp tank,
right?
Especially one that secures adeal and it's led to a lot of
great, you know conversations,buyer meetings consumer
interactions, and just, again,other things that we've
(21:07):
leveraged it for.
So, definitely a big part ofour, of our history for sure.
Really, really strong moment.
And we've grown so much fromthat moment too, you know, so
it's been a, it's been a minute.
Charles Schelle (21:17):
Yeah.
And you know, the great thingabout the show too, is that, you
know, it's syndicated.
Um, it's on, I think, Hulu wherepeople can watch at any time.
And I'm sure you might see anunexpected boost every so often.
I know, you know, um, anotherreality show.
I watched diners, drivers, anddives.
Guy Fieri mentions it.
When a rerun airs, we tell thesepeople, these restauranteurs in
(21:40):
advance when we're filming theepisode with them, just know
that there are going to bereruns and you're going to be
unexpectedly busy whenever arerun airs.
Kun Yang (21:47):
We were, it was so funny.
I think it was like last monthwe were, um, at a trade show in
Salt Lake City, in Utah.
And and, and we were at thehotel that night and reran that
night that we were there.
And so the next day we showed upand they're like, you were on
TV.
We saw you on TV last night.
We're like, yeah, I mean, youknow, it was a really
serendipitous moment.
And then we ended up at theairport and some random, you
(22:09):
know, person went up to mypartner cause we were still
wearing our Pricklee shirts,like, I just saw you on TV last
night
Dana Rampolla (22:14):
for
Kun Yang (22:15):
most folks, they don't know when it aired.
It could have happened lastnight.
Well, you know, right.
So it is the gift that keeps ongiving to your point Charles and
a great, again, probably one ofthe best PR moments that, that
you could You could ever receiveas a, as a business for sure.
Dana Rampolla (22:28):
Well, I know there's only so much you can
talk about.
How, how did it wind up that youwere on the show?
And then, you know, from aviewer perspective, is it really
as kind of intense as what weperceive it to be?
Kun Yang (22:41):
Yeah.
It, I mean, I think Shark Tankis the epitome of the American
dream.
When you think about whatentrepreneurship is to America,
and they've done a fantastic jobwith that production to
represent and select a verydiverse set founder and founder
stories that I think representswhat entrepreneurship in America
is so really proud to be analumni of that program we
actually were very very lucky.
We we launched February of 2021And um, we this is back when
(23:05):
Facebook was still facebook andnot meta.
And so This is also before iOS14, which is the biggest update
that really disrupted, you know,Facebook marketing and things
like that nature for the worst.
But, um, at that time we hadposted up a Facebook ad to
announce our launch.
And that first week, Friday, weget this email from from Shark
Tank producers asking us toapply.
(23:25):
And we had no idea that this wasreal.
We were just kind of like, thisis a random email in our hello
inbox.
And it was Turns out you know,so we're like, all right, we're
happy to sign our, you know,life away and fill out this
giant application, you know,for, you know, it took us maybe
three hours to do the longestapplication of my life.
Turns out it was real, you know,which is great.
So they, they found us and itwas, it was mind blowing that,
that that all happened.
(23:46):
Um, and then it was a reallylong process, you know, from
that moment to the time we airedwas almost 15 months.
You know, a lot of prep work, alot of filming, a lot of
producing, a lot of editing, alot of that kind of stuff.
But I will say, um, you know, itwas a very, very, I think,
authentic representation of theconversation that we'd had in
the tank, you know, we're inthere for about 45 minutes and I
(24:07):
think it was edited postproduction to about eight or
nine minutes.
But I, but watching it and Imean, when it was on TV, it was
the first time that we saw ittoo, you know, and we're, you
know, we're, we're also not evensure if it is going to air.
Right.
So we've always productionavailable and we're hoping, you
know, it does air and it totallydid.
So we had a, we had a Shark Tankparty at my, my buddy's
restaurant.
And so we're all waiting for usto come on the TV and we're just
(24:28):
like crossing our fingers thatit's going to happen, you know,
eat crow.
So it it certainly was one ofthose moments that I'm glad it
happened.
And then, um, Yeah, I just feltlike they did a fantastic job of
representing the conversation,the dialogue.
Certainly there was someproduction, but very minimal in
terms of the spirit of theconversation and dialogue.
Um, and and for us, we kind ofwent in there with a very, I
(24:49):
think, prepared game plan.
Like we definitely knew what wewere willing to offer, what we
were willing to negotiate downto.
And so fortunately for us, Ithink the conversation actually
ended up being right in linewith our, with our planning.
Um, so we were very, very luckyto not get kind of caught off
guard, you know, during theprocess.
Dana Rampolla (25:08):
So Kun, how are you overcoming the challenges
that the sharks brought up aboutdistribution, um, shelf space
challenges, and also themarketing?
Kun Yang (25:18):
Um, every day, daily, just waking up every day trying
to be better, you know, and Ithink this is a I mean,
entrepreneurship isn't foreverybody.
You know, as much as it'sglamorized, it's, it's, it's the
single most difficultprofessional challenge I've ever
undertaken in my life.
And I can sit, I'm sure everyone of my, you know, partners
and, and team members wouldagree.
(25:40):
Um, it's not for everybody, youknow, and I mean, It's a very
gritty you know, path to take.
And so you have to just alwaysbe problem solving and think
about solutions that don't evenreally exist, right?
That's really what the spirit ofentrepreneurship is.
Um, and and so for us, it'sreally just about taking every
day at a time and just you know,taking every one at a time and,
(26:01):
and building that distributionbecause the, the, the thing of
it, of it is the hardersomething is the more you
overcome of it.
The greater the chances ofsuccess are, and that's obvious,
but it also means that thebarrier of entry for other
competitors are much, you know,higher.
Um, so all these challenges ofdistribution, marketing, yeah,
they're there, but if you'reable to overcome them, it puts
you in a select position toreally be able to be successful,
(26:23):
um, because it is very hard toovercome some of these things.
And, you know, fortunately forthe last four or so years we've
really entrenched ourselves inthe industry to a point where we
truly know everything about, youknow, how to, how to run this
business inside and out.
And so we're just growing everysingle day and, and solving
problems as they go.
Charles Schelle (26:39):
Yeah.
I, I really thought that MarkCuban was, you know, tremendous
help.
And just the, those few secondsof saying, Hey, you know, let's
talk about the antioxidants.
Let's tell, tell, tell yourstory a little bit more.
About the, the differentiationbetween this and coconut water.
And we see today, like yourlabeling has changed and your
icon.
And I think, you know, just,just that enough of a few
(27:02):
seconds with Mark Cuban, we, youknow, we paid paid off, right?
Kun Yang (27:06):
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, these folks are in theposition they're in, you know,
for, for a reason.
And certainly I think they havea lot of experience to share a
lot of great, great points.
I think a lot of it validated alot of things that we were
thinking about at the time too.
Um, so that was really, reallygood.
And Yeah, I definitely feel likewe're we're really at this.
We've really hit our stride, youknow, and you know, just with
Good Housekeeping, we'relaunching Whole Foods this month
(27:28):
in just a couple of weeks,Sprouts nationwide, you know,
and, um, you know, so we, wehave a lot of really strong
momentum that I think putss usin a position where we just have
to focus on building the brand,you know, and certainly I think
a lot of what they said to yourpoint, Charles came to fruition.
Charles Schelle (27:44):
So you mentioned Sprouts and Whole
Foods you're located in, um,anywhere else people can find
you.
Um, and I've, I've seen, I guessyou've hit the million can mark
recently as well.
Kun Yang (27:54):
Yeah.
I mean, we're an Amazon, you canbuy a product online.
We're, we're really saturated inthe Southwest, you know, cactus
country, if you will.
Right.
And so our team is down there.
And so our focus from a retaildistribution standpoint is
really to focus in the Southwestbecause it just requires less
education.
Um, also, you know, I mean,it's, it's, it's a warmer
climate.
So the beverage season, thehydration season is a bit
(28:17):
longer.
Um, there's also a little bitmore of a emphasis on health
conscious sort of, points ofdistribution down there, right?
More accounts to kind of, tobuild your business around.
And so it's a great place to, tobuild a brand in the Southwest.
Um, but certainly we haveaccounts up here in, in the
Northeast as well.
And you can find our storelocator on our website.
Dana Rampolla (28:37):
And can't, can't sign off before asking.
Do you have any new productdevelopments or innovations that
Pricklee Cactus Water isconsidering?
Or you have in the pipeline thatyou're able to share?
Kun Yang (28:48):
We're working on some really exciting things, not
nothing that I can share to toomuch degree at this existing
moment.
But I will say that, you know,again, it goes back to our
mission.
You know, our mission is reallyto create a brand that champions
healthier hydration options foreveryone.
And really does it in a way thatthe champions natural
ingredients, stable ingredientsand packaging.
Um, and it's something that canreally be something that rallies
(29:09):
families and, um, you know,together.
Something for the entire, entirefamily.
So, um, things that productsthat fit in that vein of, of our
mission is exactly where we'reinnovating.
So we should see some reallyexciting things come out in the
next, I'd say like 18 months.
Charles Schelle (29:25):
Kun, you're an inspiration to both the AAPI
community, um, and pharmacystudents, as well as being a
first generation American.
So, what would you tell peoplewho are considering pursuing a
path similar to yours?
Kun Yang (29:38):
I think finding something that you're
authentically passionate about.
Um, that you can really wake upand, and just give everything
to, um, because it takes thatand more, and then doing it with
the support of loved ones andpeople around you, you just
can't do it by yourself, youknow?
But I think it's, it's just soimportant that what you pursue,
you authentically do feelpassionate about.
And I've just seen just, again,it goes back to it.
(30:00):
Entrepreneurship is not foreveryone.
It is so, so challenging.
It's so much more glamorizedexternally than it is
internally.
Um, but, but I think the beautyof it.
You know, I think there's asaying, right, which is like the
journey is the destination.
And I think that as we've gonethrough this journey, that has
not been clear to us.
And the biggest reason for it isas our goals have become larger
(30:22):
and larger, um, you know, and,and some to points where we had
no idea that we could haveachieved these things, we
started to, you know, realizeover time that the outcome isn't
actually what matters.
Right.
And it certainly isn't even thebiggest reward.
The biggest reward, I think thatyou can get from
entrepreneurship is kind of theperson that you become along
(30:43):
that journey, the skill sets,the community, the impact the
relationships and, and just thelearnings, the wisdom, the
experiences that you, that yougain.
I think to me, that's, that'sreally what the prize is at the
end of the day.
That is the ultimate definitionof success in my books.
And, and I think when, you know,folks are considering
entrepreneurship, like that isreally what you're signing up
for, right?
(31:03):
Don't get so obsessed with theoutcome.
The outcome, you know, it wasgreat, great to achieve it.
Great.
If you don't.
But in a day, you know, you haveto understand, like, you're
doing this for the rightreasons, which is to make a good
impact and something that youbelieve believe in authentically
and are passionate about.
Without those things, it's goingto be really difficult to
succeed.
Charles Schelle (31:20):
Well, you are doing tremendous work.
It is always great talking to aproud and successful University
of Maryland, Baltimore alumnus,and we wish you nothing but the
best in your future and withPricklee.
Kun Yang (31:33):
Thank you so much guys means the world.
Jena Frick (31:40):
The UMB Pulse with Charles Chalet and Dana Rampolla
is a UMB Office ofCommunications and Public
Affairs production, edited byCharles Chalet, marketing by
Dana Rampolla.
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