Temple alumnus to pitch company during Friday, March 5, episode of hit television series

Simply Good Jars founder and CEO Jared Cannon, MS ’16, will appear on the March 5 episode of ABC’s Shark Tank where he will pitch his company to a panel of potential investors. ©American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PHILADELPHIA, March 1, 2021 — Since its founding in November 2017, Simply Good Jars has enjoyed quite the rise. The company’s Simply Smart Fridges were blanketed all over the city, present in gyms, hotels, coworking spaces and even the convention center. It has also succeeded in reducing food waste; 8,700 pounds of trash has been reduced in the last three-plus years.

However, the company’s biggest test could come this week.

On Friday, March 5, Simply Good Jars founder and CEO Jared Cannon, MS ’16, will be on ABC’s Shark Tank where he will pitch his company to a panel of potential investors. Now in its 12th season, Shark Tank shows entrepreneurs making business presentations to five investors or “sharks,” who then decide whether to invest in the company.

The founders behind successful companies like Simply Fit Board, Ring Video Doorbell and The Comfy have all previously appeared on the show. In its first 10 seasons, a total of $143.8 million had been invested in participants’ companies.

“It was a pretty surreal experience and by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Being on the set was the perfect combination of inspiring, terrifying but surprisingly energizing,” says Cannon, who graduated in 2016 from Temple University’s Fox School of Business with a Master of Science in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. “This year has been tough for so many here in Philadelphia and around the world. It really reinforces the need for social responsibility in business.”

Simply Good Jars was launched after Cannon invented a patent-pending packaging technique that preserves fresh-ingredients without the use of preservatives. Through the use of convenient, pre-packaged jars, he is able to provide a restaurant-quality product experience to customers.

High-quality, locally-sourced salads are available right in these jars and can be fully mixed just by shaking for 12 seconds or less. The jars are also tightly sealed to ensure there are no spills.

Cannon’s previous background is as a chef, and his idea for Simply Good Jars was born partially out of his time in the restaurant business where he witnessed large amounts of food being wasted. He honed in the idea of reusable, sustainable food jars while he was at the Fox School, working within its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (IEI).

©American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“My time at Temple provided the opportunity to realize that no idea can be great when it only exists in your mind. It’s only when you begin sharing ideas, that powerful things start to happen,” says Cannon, who was a finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year® Greater-Philadelphia.

Simply Good Jars can be purchased online through the company’s website, and they’re also available in select retailers across the city of Philadelphia. The company promotes a sustainable business model, donating one meal to the homeless and hungry for each customer that agrees to divert their jars from landfills by pledging to reuse, repurpose or recycle their jars at home. So far, Simply Good Jars has donated over 45,000 meals.

Cannon’s appearance on Shark Tank came after the casting team reached out to inquire about interest in the upcoming season, which prompted an audition pitch submission to the team for consideration.

The episode will air this Friday, March 5, at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. For more information on Shark Tank or to view a teaser of the episode, visit ABC’s website.

ABOUT THE FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The vision of Temple University’s Fox School of Business is to transform student lives, develop leaders, and impact our local and global communities through excellence and innovation in education and research.

The Fox School’s research institutes and centers as well as 200+ full-time faculty provide access to market-leading technologies and foster a collaborative and creative learning environment that offers more than curriculum—it offers an experience. Coupled with its leading student services, the Fox School ensures that its graduates are fully prepared to enter the job market.

The flexibility and responsiveness of our knowledge-creating research faculty allow the school to address the needs of industry and generate courses and programs in emerging fields. As a leader in business research, the Fox School values interdisciplinary approaches and translational research that influence and impact real-world problems. Our research informs an adaptive curriculum, supports innovation in teaching and prepares students for the ever-changing business environment.