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Shirah Bernarde, a trailblazing entrepreneur and the CEO and Co-Founder of NightCap, has dedicated the past four and a half years to revolutionizing personal protection. Under her leadership, NightCap has emerged as a pioneer in the development of innovative tools aimed at ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals. Notably, the company gained widespread recognition with its groundbreaking product, the original drink spiking prevention scrunchie, which captivated audiences and investors alike when featured on the renowned entrepreneurial platform Shark Tank.
Shirah’s journey into the world of business and personal safety began at the University of Tampa, where she pursued a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Armed with a solid educational foundation, she embarked on a mission to create impactful solutions for a prevalent societal concern. Since co-founding NightCap in June 2019, Shirah has been unwavering in her commitment to empowering individuals with tools that prioritize their safety, setting a new standard in the realm of personal protection.
As the driving force behind NightCap’s success, Shirah Benarde continues to lead the company with a passion for innovation and a dedication to creating products that make a meaningful impact. Her visionary leadership has not only established NightCap as a prominent player in the industry but also positioned her as a respected figure in the entrepreneurial landscape. With a relentless focus on creating a safer world, Shirah’s influence extends beyond business, making her a true advocate for personal security and well-being.
NightCap, born from the visionary mind of 16-year-old Shirah Benarde in 2019, is a revolutionary safety solution designed to combat the alarming issue of drink spiking, particularly among college students. Conceived from a dream and fueled by a commitment to protect her peers, Shirah, along with her brother Michael, transformed a simple idea into reality by creating the first NightCap prototype using pantyhose and a scrunchie. Since its launch in December 2019, NightCap has garnered widespread recognition, winning multiple awards, receiving acclaim from media outlets such as Fox Business Network and USA Today, and achieving a remarkable sales milestone of over 400,000 units in more than 40 countries. Featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and securing a rapid deal with Lori Greiner, NightCap is not just a product but a social mission resonating deeply with a global audience, aiming to provide safety and peace of mind to individuals worldwide through collaborations with bars, clubs, universities, and law enforcement agencies.
Cara: Welcome to the Women’s Roundtable podcast, powered by the Think Factory, where we learn how women think big and grow their businesses. My name is Cara Fialkoff Counsel with Outside General Counsel Solutions, and I’m the host of today’s episode. I have the pleasure to talk to Shirah today, who’s the founder of NightCap. Shirah, thank you so much for spending some time to talk with me today. I’ve seen your product all over social media, and also saw you on Shark Tank, which was really cool. I knew you were going to be amazing for this podcast, especially because I remember going into college, my parents sitting me down, and one of the big things they said was, if you go out, cover your drink, because that kind of concern has always been there. So, to kind of talk to you about Nightcap and how you developed this product is really amazing. So if there’s people who aren’t familiar with the product, can you give a little background and the history of NightCap and how you got started?
Shirah: Yeah, thanks for the intro. So, NightCap is the Drink Spiking Prevention Company. It originated as the Drink Spiking Prevention Scrunchie, which I have in my hand right here. It’s a scrunchie. Well, the first product is a scrunchie. You can wear it on your wrist or on your hair. And then when you go out to the bar, you pull out the cover from the scrunchies pocket and place it over your drink, so you don’t get roofied. There’s also a straw hole. So, you pop in your straw. These are washable and reusable. They come in black, blue, purple and pink. And then we also have different products like keychain versions, bottle tops for your beers, cool canned coolers, bachelorette boxes, gift boxes, all of the things. So, yeah.
Cara: I saw the recent product, which was almost like a commercialized sticker that goes over drinks for bars that was really cool and innovative to see that maybe you’re getting also traction from kind of the industry itself in making sure its patrons are protected.
Shirah: Yeah, that product—that’s a sticker. So, it’s a disposable option that we sell to mainly bars and universities. It’s a sticker. It peels off, it goes on your drink, and then you pop in a straw. We actually acquired that product from the UK, so we have the rights to sell it in America. But yeah, it’s kind of a way to sell more to businesses at a cheaper cost so they can afford it and protect their students or their customers.
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