On the very first season of Shark Tank, in 2009, Purdue University agriculture economics student Sawyer Sparks pitched Soy-Yer Dough, his wheat-free modeling dough. Traditional modeling dough including the brand Play Doh contains wheat which makes it off-limits for children with wheat allergies and celiac disease.
Sawyer went into the Tank seeking an investment of $125,000 in exchange for 25 percent equity. He had impressive sales, a provisional patent on the product, and calls from Play Doh (made by Hasbro) offering to buy the patent. When asked by Kevin O’Leary why he hasn’t accepted Hasbro’s offer, Sawyer says he wants to keep manufacturing and production of Soy-Yer Dough in the U.S.
Three of the Sharks – O’Leary, Robert Herjavec and Daymond John – team up together and often $300,000 for 51 percent, and Sawyer accepted. [Related: 27 Favorite ‘Shark Tank’ Products at Amazon — New List]
After Shark Tank, Sawyer — who’d been making the product in his mother’s kitchen — built a factory in Bloomfield, Indiana and rebranded the product. Soy-Yer Dough is now Yer Dough. The original gluten-free recipe used soy flour but the company has since created a soy-free recipe.
In May 2020, it was reported that Sustainable Projects (SPGX) acquired 100 percent of Soy-Yer Dough including all equipment and inventory. Sawyer will serve as CEO of YER Brands, which operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of SPGX. Sawyer said: “We’ve come a long way from our early days on ABC’s Shark Tank, but it was important for us to find a partner who could help us reach a larger audience.”
New episodes of Shark Tank air Fridays at 8 pm on ABC.
