In Season 1 Episode 5, Irena Blok appeared on Shark Tank seeking $50,000 for 30% of her designer face masks, Face Blok.
Here’s a quick recap before we dive into the Face Blok Shark Tank update.
Shark Tank Pitch Recap
- : “It’s downright freaky.”
Out - : He sees the Face Blok as a novelty item. It’s not a serious business and he doesn’t see the market for it.
Out - : He agrees with Kevin.
Out - : “Keep doing it as a side business. Don’t quit your day job.”
Out - : “It’s a unique idea, but it’s not investable.”
Out
| Season 1 Episode 5 | |
|---|---|
| Episode Number | #105 |
| Network | |
| Air Date | September 6, 2009 |
| Business Pitch | fashionable surgical masks for people with an edgy sense of humor |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneur | Irena Blok |
| Asked For | $50,000 for 30% |
| Deal | No Offer |
| Shark | No Shark |
| Business Status | Out of Business |
|---|---|
| Estimated Valuation | — |
| Website | — |
After Shark Tank Update
Prior to appearing on Shark Tank, Face Blok masks were featured on FOX and the Sydney Morning Herald where they gained some attention, but not enough to warrant a bump in sales.
As many have noted, the Face Blok was an interesting idea pitched at the wrong time, but according to an interview with Vulture Magazine, Irina has no regrets. 1
For a brief period in 2020, Irina’s designs returned, brought back by popular demand, during the pandemic as face masks took the world by storm and more people were interested in adding a bit of fun and self-expression to what some would consider a bleak and dreary canvas.
#COVID19 #facemask designs by popular demand (I have no masks to give out or sell at the moment sorry.) https://t.co/G4dhqEdd6X pic.twitter.com/N3NcaY9cOY
— irina blok (@irinablok) March 28, 2020
Where Are They Now: Is Face Blok Still in Business Today?
2022 Update: Face Blok is no longer in business but Irina hasn’t left her creativity behind. After a long history of working on designs for companies like Facebook, Apple, Yahoo and Google where she was apart of the team that created the Android logo, Irina now runs Creative Blok – an apparel design company “inspired by what’s happening in the world today”.- https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/shark-tank-irina-blok-face-masks.html#comments[↩]
Where is Irina now?
Lmaoooo I said the same thing
her idea would have made lots of sense today
Working for the CDC
https://twitter.com/irinablok/status/1286676356248424450?s=20
So unfortunate they literally laughed at her…these DO and did have a place on the market…especially in Children’s Hospitals worldwide. Perhaps if she had business and real sales back then she could of gotten somewhere…Americans don’t realize that face masks are an everyday staple in alot of other countries…I personally do not wear even during pandemic, but I bet at one point 75% of population did. They even ran out of them nationwide and across the globe. She should be a multi millionaire by now…just another too ahead of her time…