After the show, Wachtel told TechCrunch the experience was a \u201cwhirlwind\u201d and said the exposure is huge for startups like hers. Cheeky Cocktails<\/a> offers a line of handcrafted cocktail mixers. She heard about the show after coming in second at another pitch competition earlier this month. A producer for \u201cMeet the Drapers\u201d reached out and asked if she was available to film, and less than two days later, she was pitching on the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no substitute for hearing a founder tell their own story,\u201d she said. \u201cAt the end of the day, people might buy from you because they like you and then stick around because they love the product.\u201d<\/p>\n Last Monday, the show provided a behind-the-scenes look at how it\u2019s made to selected media and guests. Draper told TechCrunch he wanted to offer a behind-the-scenes look at how investments are made.\u00a0<\/p>\n His judging panel included his sister, Polly Draper, an actress best known at the moment for appearing in \u201cHacks.\u201d Also on the panel were Andy Tang, a partner at Draper Associates, and Rosie Rios, who served as Treasurer of the United States from 2009 until 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco The show is one of many on Draper\u2019s newly launched television channel, DraperTV, which offers programming around business and entrepreneurship, available via streaming services like Roku. Previously, the show aired on channels like BizTV.\u00a0<\/p>\n This season of the show travels throughout various cities in the U.S., such as Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Austin, and Detroit, tapping into local talent and highlighting different tech ecosystems.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wachtel was one of six founders on the New York episode, the winners of which go on to the semifinal round against all the other city winners, and then the grand finale in San Francisco to vie for the $1 million prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea was for people around the world to be able to see what the entrepreneurial and venture capital interaction looks like, and why it\u2019s one of the best things for creating jobs and wealth and energy and consumer activity around the world,\u201d Draper said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The show had all the hallmarks of entrepreneurship and entertainment that viewers love. Draper has a big personality and knows when to poke fun at himself. The investors gave clear insights, and the founders came with grand visions. Everyone hailed from diverse ethnic and gender backgrounds and various careers in a myriad of industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sujana Chandrasekhar, founder of the medtech KivviMed, partook in the same New Jersey pitch competition as Wachtel and also received a recommendation to audition for \u201cMeet the Drapers.\u201d Chandrasekhar said she was more nervous than usual while pitching on \u201cMeet the Drapers,\u201d especially knowing the show\u2019s audience size. KivviMed is creating a medical device to help alleviate ear pain.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve created five digital twins. I\u2019ve got my digital twin interviewing, like, Karl Marx. <\/p>\n Draper said the show has a big viewership, specifically in India, Brazil, and Taiwan. DraperTV, launched last summer, reaches more than 350 million households throughout the world, according to stats the show provided.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to stay focused and convey what I needed to convey and answer the questions as best as I could,\u201d Chandrasekhar told TechCrunch. The show\u2019s staff also helped prepare her, she said. They helped her hone her pitch, did a tiny walking tour of New York with the founders, and provided hair and makeup, which, she said, made her feel special.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe exposure that our company and vision receives is outstanding,\u201d she added about why she chose to participate.<\/p>\n Hilary Taylor, the founder of WattsUp, agreed. WattsUp is a startup that created electric vehicle infrastructure. Taylor found out about the show through the Techstars Alabama Accelerator program, of which her company is currently a part.\u00a0<\/p>\n She called the show engaging and challenging, saying it was just as much about storytelling as it was business.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to connect with viewers and judges in a very short window, simplifying complex technology for a mainstream audience while still sounding credible to investors,\u201d she continued, adding that the show helps early-stage founders connect with those beyond the tech bubble.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUnlike the buttoned-up feel of many VC pitch rooms, this one had candid, funny, even goofy moments that made it feel human and unexpectedly fun,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMeet the Drapers\u201d is only one part of a larger Draper media empire being built. Draper himself is a third-generation investor (after his famed father and grandfather) and, in the 1980s, founded Draper Associates, a venture firm that has backed some of the biggest names in tech, like Tesla, Skype, and Twitch. His children have also entered the family venture capital business, including Jesse Draper, founder of Halogen Ventures,<\/a> and Adam Draper, founder of Boost VC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear Draper has big ambitions for his tech and startup-focused media empire. DraperTV offers shows like \u201cDraper Decentralized,\u201d about AI and web3; the \u201cCan\u2019t Be Done\u201d podcast, about emerging technology; and \u201cTalk with Tim,\u201d in which Draper shares his perspectives about business and technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s no substitute for hearing a founder tell their own story.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also building digital twins: AI versions of himself that can interact with people and even conduct interviews. He believes digital twins will become a more significant part of entertainment, media, and news, though added humans will still play a big role in news development.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve created five digital twins,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve got my digital twin interviewing, like, Karl Marx.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/New-York-Image.png\")
Tim Draper (CENTER) with the founders who appeared on the show \u201cMeet the Drapers.\u201dImage Credits:”Meet the Drapers”<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 27-29, 2025\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n