Sister and brother duo, Allison Jornlin and Mike Huberty, pitched their ghost tour services business, American Ghost Walks, on Shark Tank Season 15. Their business offers live tours of haunted locations, where they provide real ghost stories with a guide, delivering spooky fun with a paranormal experience for participants.
Did any of the Sharks decide to invest in their business? Let’s find out what happened to their business and how it is doing now.
| Company Name | American Ghost Walks | |
| Founder/Co-Founder | Allison Jornlin and Mike Huberty | |
| Founded | 2010 | |
| Product | Real Ghost tours guide | |
| Asked For | $250k for 15% equity | |
| Final Deal | No Deals | |
| Shark | No Sharks | |
| Episode | S15 E5 | |
| Air Date | Oct 27th, 2023 | |
| Business Status | In Business | |
| Website | Visit Website | |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Annual (Revenue) | $0.5 Million *estimated | |
| Worth / Valuation | $1.66 Million | |
| Buy and Watch | Buy Now | Amazon Prime |
What Is the Background of The Founder?
Allison Jornlin and Mike Huberty, a sister and brother team, are the co-founders of American Ghost Walks. Mike founded the company in September 2010, and Allison joined in June 2019 as a tour developer and “professional weirdo.” Before joining the business, Allison wrote articles on paranormal topics.
Mike Huberty is also a musician and has been associated with Sunspot LLC, a music band and production company, since 1997.
Business Pitch Episode Recap
Allison and Mike asked the Sharks for $250,000 in exchange for 15% equity in their company. During their pitch, they shared an intriguing story from September 24th, 1869—known as the first Black Friday—when the United States stock market collapsed.
They mentioned that one businessman, Cornelius Vanderbilt, was able to foresee the disaster, and it was said that he knew the stock market’s future through communication with spirits.
Allison and Mike explained that their company, which offers live, guided haunted history tours, currently operates in seven states and Puerto Rico, with 32 employees. Mike shared that they specifically hire tour guides who believe in the paranormal.
Allison has been a ghost tour guide in Milwaukee since 2008, and Mike started working as a ghost tour guide in Madison in 2010. In 2020, they expanded their tours to Minneapolis, generating $92,000 in gross revenue.
After expanding to Illinois in 2021, their gross revenue grew to $392,000, though their expenses were $300,000. By 2022, their gross revenue reached $546,000, but they still faced a $42,000 loss.
Additionally, they spent $115,000 to acquire a Chicago tour to further expand their business. In 2023, they projected $650,000 in gross revenue, with estimated expenses of $600,000.
Jason Blum suggested that Allison and Mike should first focus on making their current tours profitable before expanding further. He felt that the business was not yet investable, so he is out.
Lori Greiner agreed with Jason Blum’s assessment, so she is out.
Barbara Corcoran advised the entrepreneurs to make their current business profitable before attempting to expand. Therefore, she is out.
Mark Cuban feels that the business is not investable for him, so he is out.
Kevin O’Leary told the entrepreneurs that they were asking for too much money. He said, “Now, my options are I give you the $250,000, or I buy another watch, and most of my watches appreciate in value.” So, he is out.
Sharks Offers list!
| Sharks | Offers |
|---|---|
| Jason Blum | No Offer |
| Kevin O’Leary | No Offer |
| Mark Cuban | No Offer |
| Barbara Corcoran | No Offer |
| Lori Greiner | No Offer |
| Founder’s (Countered) | No Counter |
| Final Deals | No Deals |
American Ghost Walks Shark Tank Update
All 5 Sharks decided not to invest in American Ghost Walks. However, despite not securing a deal on Shark Tank, Allison and Mike saw a significant increase in their client base due to the exposure from the show. Within one month, they sold tours worth thousands of dollars across various states.
When we checked the official website of American Ghost Walks, we found that their ghost tour services are available in California, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, New Orleans French Quarter, and Wisconsin.
Check out Shark Tank Season 15 Business Update.
You can see some businesses from Season 15 here.
