Stakt Mat: An Update on Their Status After Appearing on Shark Tank Where Are They Now?
Millie Blumka and Taylor Borenstein, both entrepreneurs, appeared on the third episode of season 14 of ‘Shark Tank’ with their product, Stakt Mat, in the hopes of receiving a life-changing investment from one of the Sharks. The Stakt Mat takes great satisfaction in being the all-in-one yoga mat that can assist you in practicing any of the various styles of yoga that you might be interested in. Due to the fact that the product eliminates the need to carry extra mats, we have made the decision to investigate the company further.
Also Read: Where Is Phurba Tenjing Sherpa Today? Is Dreamer’s Destination Still In Business?
Who Are They and What Do They Do?
During her time as a student at Tulane University, Millie Blumka was active in a number of different social organizations and ultimately earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from that institution. In addition, while Millie was attending university, she landed a position at Runway2Street as a Fashion Marketing Intern, which provided her with the much-required professional experience. Millie began her career at SinglePlatform after graduation working as an Inside Sales representative. However, in October of 2017, she was given the opportunity to advance to the role of Senior Partnerships Account Executive.
Millie left SinglePlatform in October 2018 and started working for Simplifeye as a Senior Channel & Partner Sales Executive. Shortly thereafter, she was promoted to Sales Manager at Simplifeye. Millie was not one to remain in one location for an extended period of time, and so in May 2021, when she was presented with the opportunity to become the Partnerships Manager at Showfields, she made the move. Nevertheless, she has been successful in obtaining yet another promotion, and she now serves as the Director of Partnerships in the same company.
On the other side, Taylor Borenstein graduated from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. During her time at university, she worked as an intern for a number of organizations, including Tour Director, Course Hero, Inc., ConvergeDirect, and Bloomberg. After she graduated in 2016, she began working for Bloomberg as a product specialist. Despite the fact that Taylor hasn’t had a lot of job moves, she is incredibly driven to succeed and has always let her talent and work ethic do the talking for her.
Taylor was promoted to the position of Senior Product Specialist at Bloomberg a few months after she started working there, and after two more promotions, she is now the Product Implementation Team Leader at Bloomberg LP. Her career at Bloomberg began just a few months ago. Because Taylor and Millie wanted to push themselves further in their workouts, they came up with the idea for the Stakt Mat. The majority of yoga mats are designed to be rather thin for the sake of comfort, and as a result, the user is unable to engage in more difficult activities such as sculpting, Pilates, or high-intensity training on them. In addition, after a while, transporting two mats, one for yoga and one for other forms of exercise, becomes an impossible burden to bear.
Therefore, after Taylor and Millie realized there was no answer to their problem, they put their heads together and thought of the idea for Stakt Mat. The Stakt Mat is a more substantial variety of the traditional yoga mat that is designed to accommodate more strenuous forms of exercise in addition to yoga. Additionally, due to the fact that it can be folded, consumers are able to utilize it for a variety of additional exercises, such as triceps dips and incline/decline activities. In addition, the folding mechanism makes it possible for the user to store the mat in a very small space, and the mat itself is simple to clean with water and oil-free soap.
Where To Find Stakt Mat Right Now?
Millie and Taylor were aware that the concept of the Stakt Mat was exceptionally creative; nevertheless, they were also aware that they needed to advertise it in a way that was appropriate for their target audience. Because of this, and the fact that the businesspeople were well-versed in yoga as well as other forms of exercise, they formed partnerships with fitness instructors in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan in order to sponsor the mats and expand their customer base. In addition, they utilized social media, and much to their amazement, a video that they had created about Stakt Mat went viral on the app TikTok. As a result, as soon as the mat became available to the public, there was a mad dash to get their hands on one, and the supply quickly ran out
However, despite the product’s early success, difficulties were on the horizon because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many firms to close and wreaked havoc on Stakt Mat’s supply lines. Millie and Taylor had to spend money they didn’t have in order to find solutions to the logistical issues they were facing, but they persisted in their efforts because they were determined to win. The outbreak was eventually contained, and when normal operations were resumed, an uptick in sales was observed almost immediately.
In addition, in addition to successfully operating a business, the two individuals also support a variety of charitable organizations and run a program called the Upcycle Program. This program allows consumers to trade in their used Stakt Mats for a discount on the purchase of a new one. Customers who are interested in purchasing a Stakt Mat can do so solely through the company’s official website. Despite the fact that the mats are available in a variety of colors, a single mat can be purchased for $86, even though it costs more than that. Having the opportunity to observe Millie and Taylor’s meteoric rise has been quite motivational for us, and we are certain that the company will continue to have a great deal of success in the not too distant future.
On Friday, October 7 at 8 pm Eastern Time, the third episode of “Shark Tank” will air, and the versatile Stakt will be featured in the episode. The concept will be pitched by the product’s co-founders, Millie Blumka and Taylor Borenstein, to the “Sharks” Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Lori Greiner, as well as to guest Shark Kendra Scott.
Also Read: Love In Contract Episode 5 Recap and Review: Park Min-young Is Back In Business
New Episode of Shark Tank
“Entrepreneurs from New York City introduce their foldable 2-in-1 fitness device that opens a new level of versatility in your exercise routine,” the company’s website states.
In addition to this, they serve as one another’s primary source of support. They started off as friends, and as a result, they have a great deal of regard for one another and trust in one another’s judgment.
According to Millie, “It’s really good to have that support system because we have a group chat with all of us and our partners, and there’s always spitting forth ideas.”
They get a lot of motivation from other female entrepreneurs and social media influencers that they follow, and these women continue to motivate them every day to turn their idea into a reality. This is where they get a lot of their inspiration. These ladies inspire people to imitate what they’ve done in order to achieve the same level of success that they have.
And it is very evident that they have been gaining knowledge from the very finest. They have used a wide variety of inventive marketing campaigns and collaborations to promote their product, and these efforts have been successful in making people fall in love with Stakt. They were able to attract the attention of thousands of people before they had even launched their product by doing things such as sponsoring gym classes in SOHO or engaging with fitness influencers. They were able to totally sell out of Stakt mats on their maiden launch when the video went popular on TikTok.
The road to a successful launch that sells out all of its tickets is not, of course, as glamorous as it may appear on social media. The journey is never without its share of challenges and opportunities for growth. Especially when beginning a business during a pandemic that is affecting the entire world.
The epidemic caused a number of disruptions in the supply chain, which was one of the most difficult obstacles that Millie and Taylor had to overcome. It was not a simple chore to find solutions to have products transported from overseas on schedule and without exceeding the budgetary allotment.
Taylor and Millie emphasized the significance of continuous education as they reflected on the difficulties that their company was required to overcome as they discussed their business.
Details on Shark Tank
According to their Instagram profiles, Taylor Borenstein and Millie Blumka are the co-founders of a “multi-functional, patent pending, stackable workout mat.” This mat can be stacked for convenient storage.
Since their time as undergraduates at Tulane University, Taylor Borenstein and Millie Blumka have been close friends. Their shared passion for yoga was the catalyst that brought them together.
Taylor attended Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, where she was able to complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Marketing degree. Following that, she graduated from the Product Management Studies program offered by the General Assembly.
She began her professional life working as a Tour Director at Camp IHC, and through time, she worked her way up the success ladder. Before becoming a Product Implementation Team Leader for Bloomberg LP, she held a variety of other positions and worked for a number of different firms.
While everything was going on, Millie attended Tulane University and completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology degree there. She began her professional life by working as an intern in the fashion marketing department at Runway2Street. At the moment, she serves in the capacity of Director of Partnerships at SHOWFIELDS.
She and her partner just just announced their engagement.
Appearance of Stakt on Shark Tank
The yoga devotees Millie and Taylor, who are also the co-founders of Stakt, came up with the idea for the company when they were unsuccessful in their search for a mat that would “support their new fitness schedule,” which included pilates, sculpt, and strength training.
Millie & Taylor, in a discussion pertaining to the Stakt, mentioned the following on their official website, shopstakt.com:
“Our workouts adapted to the shifting landscape of the world around us.
Stakt was established due to a passion for perspiring as well as a requirement for change. Because our “at-home workout” consisted of more than just a weekly yoga class to wind down, we needed a fitness mat that could keep up with us.
They designed Stakt, the first stacking exercise mat that boasts a unique, folding form for increased support, flexibility, and mobility as you walk, after a protracted process of study and design. Stakt is currently the subject of a patent application.
The co-founders of the company have promoted the mat by paying for and hosting lessons in Manhattan and SoHo. They have even been working together with people that have a significant amount of influence in the fitness industry in order to bring consumer attention to their products.
After its launch, their product quickly became popular on TikTok and was quickly purchased up to capacity. The company’s co-founders are currently making an appearance on the show “Shark Tank” to promote their product and increase its sales.
Characteristics of the Stakt Mat
A Stakt mat with a thickness of 10 millimeters can be folded “once or twice” to provide additional cushioning for joints. This mat is described as being “lightweight and exceedingly compact.” The exercise mat “transforms into a block that can be used for tricep dips, planks, push ups, lunges, and more,” when it is entirely folded up.