VACE Winners Announced! 4th Annual CCTS "60-second Poster Pitch" Competition
Lexington, KY – On October 18, 2024, Destin George Bell appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank Season 16 premiere to pitch his company, Card.io. Destin is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and graduate from the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky (UK). He received his undergraduate degree in marketing and pursued an entrepreneurial pathway as soon as he could.
As a freshman and budding entrepreneur at UK, Destin got involved early on with The Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship (VACE). He applied to the VACE Entrepreneurs Bootcamp Accelerator, working on several startup concepts, until identifying one idea he had a driving passion for called “Run.io.” The initial concept led Bell to receiving prize money in Bootcamp, and later pivoting to what would become Card.io.
Card.io’s goal is to create a fun, social experience with every step that our users take. Using gamification, we are the app making cardio fun and engaging for everyone, whether they be die-hard runners, casual walkers or anything in-between.
Bell graduated from UK in May 2020 and moved to Austin, Texas where he would continue working on the app and seeking out additional capital to build out its capabilities and mapping features. To date, Card.io has since gained 22,000 users across seven countries, earning $470,000 in the process.
At the beginning of 2024, Bell would get invited to pitch on Shark Tank and said in the show that it had been a lifelong dream of his to appear on stage with his mother by his side. After Bell asked for an initial investment of $150,000 for a 5% stake, two sharks — Daymond John and Rashaun Williams — countered with an offer of $150,000 for a 15% stake split evenly between them. Bell made a counteroffer of his own, raising the investor stake to 10%, but the sharks stuck to their original offer. Before accepting, Bell requested some time to ask for his mom’s advice, who he had flown out from Kentucky to join him on air.
“Take the deal,” she told him as she came out to meet the sharks, so he did.
Since the show aired, Bell has received global recognition and continues to increase downloads for Cardi.io. He is also a mentor and guest speaker for VACE’s Accelerator and helps coach up and coming Kentucky entrepreneurs.
“Working with early-stage entrepreneurs and driving new businesses forward is something we take pride in at The University of Kentucky. Destin never gave up on his dreams and we are very proud of everything he’s accomplished and continues to achieve.” – Mariam Gorjian, VACE Assistant Director and Founder of the Entrepreneurs Bootcamp Accelerator
“Destin’s hard work and tenacity has certainly paid off. He is a perfect example of an entrepreneur who knows the path he/she wants to pursue and goes after it with passion.” – Warren Nash, VACE Executive Director
