Shark Tank Casting Call in Philly This Weekend

Can a local company impress?

Beatrice Fischel-Bock, Madeline Fraser and Elizabeth Grover of ZOOM Interiors.

Beatrice Fischel-Bock, Madeline Fraser and Elizabeth Grover of ZOOM Interiors pitching their business on Shark Tank.

Shark Tank is one of the rare things that can take a business from great idea to household name. Now it’s producers are coming to Philly to hear pitches from entrepreneurs hoping to eventually make a deal with likes of Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner.

The casting call is part of the NAACP Annual Convention that’s in town from July 11-15. (It features talks from heavy hitters like Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.)

Applicants will be heard on a first-come, first-serve basis starting at 11 a.m.

The registration website provides this adorable (and accurate) public service announcement:

Please note: Shark Tank occasionally features entrepreneurs who have a “good idea,” but the vast majority of entrepreneurs that appear on the show have a strong customer base, revenue and some level of existing investment. If you have a business that matches these criteria, please apply and we’ll be in touch with venue and other details.

If a Philly company gets picked for the show, it’ll hardly be the first time. Just this past season, Zoom Interiors struck a deal with Barbara Corcoran (but it fell through), and Drexel student Christopher Gray got a $40,000 investment for 15 percent of his scholarship app Scholly.

Meanwhile, Shark Tank’s biggest success story is Scrub Daddy (you know, those yellow smiley-faced sponges). The Delaware County company has made revenues of $50 million and is a fixture at Walmart, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and QVC.