CertifiKID Goes Swimming with the Sharks

Local Family-Focused Deal Website to Appear on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’

Mar 18, 2019

POTOMAC, MD - March 18, 2019 – CertifiKID, a Potomac, Maryland-based deal website focused on kids’ activities and family entertainment, will appear on the popular ABC television show “Shark Tank” on April 7th at 10pm EST.

The brainchild of D.C.-area mom entrepreneur and self-professed expert “Deal Finder,” Jamie Ratner, CertifiKID was the first of its kind in the niche family deal space when it launched in 2010. Nine years later, CertifiKID is a $5M+ per year business and a household name in its Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area home base. The company has also expanded to other major markets across the country, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. 

Ratner will go up against the likes of Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary and Lori Greiner on Shark Tank’s April 7th show with her husband and CertifiKID President, Brian Ratner, by her side. The couple’s children, Jamie’s parents (her father Gary is CFO), and CertifiKID COO, Amie Morville and her daughter, also make guest appearances on the show. The Ratners are seeking a deal with one or more of the Sharks with the goal of more rapidly scaling the business nationwide. “We want CertifiKID to be the go-to resource for parents all over the country looking for affordable activities and entertainment for their kids no matter where they live,” said Jamie Ratner.

“The safe and comfortable approach for us would be to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Brian Ratner. “We don’t need a Shark’s investment to continue to grow and be successful as we’ve built a phenomenal business. However, we recognize that the business is at a point now where a strategic partnership with the right Shark could be the gasoline to our flame and help us reach our potential much more quickly.”

CertifiKID offers its members exclusive deals at incredible savings on everything families want and need – from family-friendly activities, entertainment, and getaways to kids summer camps, classes and birthday party packages. Unlike its competitors, CertifiKID does not aim to be everything to everyone, which is what Ratner credits as the key to the company’s success. “While the few deal sites that remain in the space continually expand their offerings, we remain focused on the family market. Parents come to our site because they know they are not going to have to wade through an overwhelming number of deals that don’t apply to them to find what they’re looking for.”

As for their experience in the Tank, the pair couldn’t comment on whether they came away with a deal. However, Jamie said the preparation was intense and it was one of the most nerve-wracking and exciting experiences of her life. “I’m not normally a hand holder, but I had a death grip on Brian’s hand to try to keep myself from shaking. It’s definitely an experience I’ll never forget.”

To celebrate the event, CertifiKID will be holding a watch party for family, friends, and business partners on April 7th at Badlands in Rockville, Maryland.

About CertifiKID
Recognized by CNBC, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine as one of the best deal websites for parents, CertifiKID offers exclusive deals every day on kids’ camps and classes, products, family activities, restaurants, entertainment, birthday party activities, special needs offers, and much MORE! CertifiKID Founder & CEO Jamie Ratner was named one of the region’s “Brightest Young Business Leaders” by The Washington Business Journal and one of Greater Washington’s top women business leaders by Washington SmartCEO.

Contacts
For press inquiries or to arrange an interview with Jamie and Brian Ratner, please email [email protected].