Cheek'd Shark Tank Update

Cheek'd Shark Tank Pitch

Lori Cheek became interested in architecture until her passion for striking up relationships. Lori Cheek created Cheek'd, which makes it easier to initiate the first move in building a relationship with a stranger by passing a business card with info to connect later. Lori met her husband using this method.

Lori launched Cheek'd in 2010 and, at the time of filming, had 4,500 non-paying active members. Lori has had $56k in sales of some sort to users over three years. Lori plans to have users pay for a set of Cheek'd cards and an ongoing subscription to keep their code on the website active.

Lori has put $120k into Cheek'd and has no more money to put in. She lives on her friends' sofas. Lori credits some of her income issues to having a broken website but assures the sharks it is now fixed, along with an app she is ready to release.

The sharks find Cheek'd unproven after three years and question the theory behind the business. All sharks go out. Barbara recalls starting a flower business that she desperately believed in for two years and was thankful she moved on from it and suggests Lori do the same.

Cheek'd After Shark Tank

Lori Cheek went on the Entrepreneur Stories 4 Inspiration

Lori ended up hiring several web developers from across the world, and Lori had no understanding of where her money was going until it was all gone and she had a broken website. One of the web developers from the US that Lori found beneficial ended up buying out the first two business partners. Lori felt extremely nervous when she was on Shark Tank. After not getting a deal, Lori was even nervous about her and her company's perception as she walked around New York.

According to a 2022 interview Lori did with valiantceo.com

Cheekd pivoted into focusing on the app where users fill out their preferences. Utilizing Bluetooth low-energy technology built into phones, when you get within 30 feet of another Cheekd user that meets your criteria, you will both get a notification to your phone.

Lori tried to go to a top-tier software developer and get the app done right, which took over a year to make and was launched in 2015. The app never took off. In 2021, Lori said the app doesn't work but could still download. However, in 2023, the app no longer exists in the app store.

Lori regrets getting a patent because she spent over $10k getting it and then got sued. A viewer of Shark Tank believed he came up with the business idea of Cheekd, and told his therapist, who somehow told the idea to Lori, who stole the idea. Lori has never seen the person who is suing her or the therapist. As of 2021, Lori had spent over $114k fighting in court. The first case got thrown out, and the guy hired another lawyer and sued again, Lori started a GoFundMe to raise money to pay the fees and publicize her situation for help. Then the man sued Lori for $10 million, claiming Lori defamed him by putting up the GoFundMe.

Lori was paying her rent by subleasing rooms in her apartment, doing paid speaking gigs, and other hustles. Lori was single and felt a change of scenery would do her well. Lori moved from New York City to Kentucky during the 2020 Covid panic. She has resonated with a group of entrepreneurs in Kentucky and has a new app idea she hopes to pursue. Lori is leaving Cheekd be until the lawsuit issues are over.

As of 2023 the website is outdated but still active at cheekd.com