Two local entrepreneurs, Davon Larson and Jesús Ruvalcaba, have experienced remarkable growth in their businesses after showcasing their products on the reality show “Shark Tank.”Davon Larson, president and founder of Surf Skull, shared his journey of creating a fashionable accessory that could save lives. “I cut my head with my own fin. I considered briefly wearing a proper surf helmet, and I just didn’t like them,” Larson said. “So I just put together a bump cap and a bucket hat, and I had a friend who was like ‘that’s a great idea, you should turn that into a product,’ and I was like–alright.” Larson initially planned to stop if the product didn’t take off, but it quickly gained traction. “Everyone just kind of immediately understood this is a product that should’ve existed a long time ago,” he said. “There are a lot of really good helmets on the market, but still a lot of people are uncomfortable wearing them. And this is supposed to bridge that gap.”The hidden helmet design caught the attention of “Shark Tank.” “At first, their faces were like, ‘ What is this dumb surf hat and then we show the helmet, we turn it around, and it was shock and awe. They just got it immediately,” Larson said. Paul, a member of Larson’s team, expressed their surprise at receiving offers from three sharks. “The fact that not just one but three sharks came to us with offers we were just honestly really stunned,” he said. “We ended up choosing Daniel because we had done a little research prior to the show and we saw that he had done a previous investment in the surfing/water space.” Larson noted the impact on sales, saying, “They’re flying off the shelves. It’s kind of insane. I’m a little worried about inventory to be honest. We’ve seen about, depending on the week, 5-10x jump in sales since the same time last year.”Jesús Ruvalcaba, founder of Paper Tacos, also shared his experience. “It’s one thing to be at home on your couch and criticize the entrepreneur but once you’re there and you’re facing the sharks it’s pretty nerve-racking,” Ruvalcaba said. After a successful pitch, Mark Cuban made a deal with Ruvalcaba, who appreciated Cuban’s recognition of his potential. “I didn’t want to go past a certain percentage to give away of my company. And I really liked that Mark saw what I had built already and that he saw the potential in me and that all I really needed was some support,” Ruvalcaba said.With guidance from Cuban and his team, Ruvalcaba’s sales have flourished. “Sales have been great. When I was on the show, I was just in under 200 locations nationwide, now we’re in over 500 locations,” he said. “And we’ve more than doubled our sales since being on the show.” Paper Tacos is now in five regional grocery chains and has a national order from TJMaxx/HomeGoods. Ruvalcaba, a product design manager, started the business as a passion project in 2017. “As a designer–why not. I’m going to make a few cards, share them with friends and family, and see what they think, and everybody loved them,” he said. “I started posting them on social media, and it started growing from there.”Ruvalcaba now offers about 200 card designs, selling approximately 35,000 per holiday season, all made in Salinas. He emphasized the uniqueness of his cards compared to those from Hallmark and American Greetings. “When you think of the Latino culture, you can’t just put us under the umbrella of Spanish language. We each have our own traditions and even language,” he said. “I feel like I’m putting a small part of our culture into a space where we’re not really represented, and hopefully I can continue to do that.”If you’re interested in getting your ideas in front of the “Sharks,” applications are open for Season 18, and you can apply here.

SALINAS, Calif. —

Two local entrepreneurs, Davon Larson and Jesús Ruvalcaba, have experienced remarkable growth in their businesses after showcasing their products on the reality show “Shark Tank.”

Davon Larson, president and founder of Surf Skull, shared his journey of creating a fashionable accessory that could save lives.

“I cut my head with my own fin. I considered briefly wearing a proper surf helmet, and I just didn’t like them,” Larson said. “So I just put together a bump cap and a bucket hat, and I had a friend who was like ‘that’s a great idea, you should turn that into a product,’ and I was like–alright.”

Larson initially planned to stop if the product didn’t take off, but it quickly gained traction.

“Everyone just kind of immediately understood this is a product that should’ve existed a long time ago,” he said. “There are a lot of really good helmets on the market, but still a lot of people are uncomfortable wearing them. And this is supposed to bridge that gap.”

The hidden helmet design caught the attention of “Shark Tank.”

“At first, their faces were like, ‘ What is this dumb surf hat and then we show the helmet, we turn it around, and it was shock and awe. They just got it immediately,” Larson said.

Paul, a member of Larson’s team, expressed their surprise at receiving offers from three sharks.

“The fact that not just one but three sharks came to us with offers we were just honestly really stunned,” he said.

“We ended up choosing Daniel because we had done a little research prior to the show and we saw that he had done a previous investment in the surfing/water space.”

Larson noted the impact on sales, saying, “They’re flying off the shelves. It’s kind of insane. I’m a little worried about inventory to be honest. We’ve seen about, depending on the week, 5-10x jump in sales since the same time last year.”

Jesús Ruvalcaba, founder of Paper Tacos, also shared his experience.

“It’s one thing to be at home on your couch and criticize the entrepreneur but once you’re there and you’re facing the sharks it’s pretty nerve-racking,” Ruvalcaba said.

After a successful pitch, Mark Cuban made a deal with Ruvalcaba, who appreciated Cuban’s recognition of his potential.

“I didn’t want to go past a certain percentage to give away of my company. And I really liked that Mark saw what I had built already and that he saw the potential in me and that all I really needed was some support,” Ruvalcaba said.

With guidance from Cuban and his team, Ruvalcaba’s sales have flourished. “Sales have been great. When I was on the show, I was just in under 200 locations nationwide, now we’re in over 500 locations,” he said.

“And we’ve more than doubled our sales since being on the show.”

Paper Tacos is now in five regional grocery chains and has a national order from TJMaxx/HomeGoods.

Ruvalcaba, a product design manager, started the business as a passion project in 2017. “As a designer–why not.

I’m going to make a few cards, share them with friends and family, and see what they think, and everybody loved them,” he said. “I started posting them on social media, and it started growing from there.”

Ruvalcaba now offers about 200 card designs, selling approximately 35,000 per holiday season, all made in Salinas.

He emphasized the uniqueness of his cards compared to those from Hallmark and American Greetings.

“When you think of the Latino culture, you can’t just put us under the umbrella of Spanish language. We each have our own traditions and even language,” he said. “I feel like I’m putting a small part of our culture into a space where we’re not really represented, and hopefully I can continue to do that.”

If you’re interested in getting your ideas in front of the “Sharks,” applications are open for Season 18, and you can apply here.