Shraman Mitra
Most people who consume bananas have noticed how they ripen and turn brown if kept outside for a long time. The brownish color often ruins the taste and makes the fruit quite unsavory to look at. Entrepreneur Sean Adler hoped to fix that when he appeared on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank‘ season 14 episode 8 to introduce his company, Nana Hats. As the name suggests, Nana Hats produces tiny hats for bananas that cover the stem and keep them from turning brown. Well, let’s dive into the details and find out more about the company, shall we?
Nana Hats: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Unfortunately, Sean Adler, the brain behind Nana Hats, prefers to keep a private online persona and hasn’t revealed much about his personal life in the public sphere. Still, he always wanted to establish and run an organization of his own. Although Sean’s educational information is unclear, readers will be interested to know that the Nana Hats founder started his professional career in 2010 when he joined JPMorgan Chase & Co. Bank as a Financial Advisor. His diligent and attentive work soon earned him many accolades; within a couple of years, he secured a promotion which saw him join J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as a Financial Advisor in 2012.
Since then, Sean has been associated with the J.P. Morgan Group and has over 12 years of experience as a financial advisor. Eventually, in October 2020, he established his own company, Nana Hats, but continued working in the finance industry. Sean Adler loves consuming fruits and is especially fond of eating bananas. However, he noticed that whenever bananas were left out overnight or for a long time, they gradually turned yellow, ruining the taste and presentation.
Quick research revealed that the fruit naturally produces and releases ethylene gas, which causes overripening and yellowing if not stored in a proper environment. While the internet provided temporary solutions like wrapping plastic or cellophane around the Banana stems, Sean wanted something more presentable and permanent. That was when he took to the drawing board and came up with the idea of banana hats.
Banana hats, stylized as Nana Hats, are tiny BPA-free silicone hats that fit cleanly on the stem of a bunch of bananas. Each cap has a crocheted cover that attaches to the silicon cap with a magnet and can be changed at will. Moreover, the covers come in numerous patterns and colors to liven up the customer’s fruit bowl. Besides, Sean stated that his product is completely safe and does not harm the banana in any way.
Nana Hats is Headed Towards Success
Once Sean came up with the idea of Nana Hats, he had to go through several prototypes before settling on the final product. Readers will be interested to know that Sean did not initially plan on running a business as he produced the Nana Hats from his living room and treated it as a pandemic project. However, as the popularity grew, the entrepreneur realized he had to find a proper manufacturer and run Nana Hats as a full-fledged company. Sources say that Sean met with vendors, designers, and manufacturers online and produced the first batch of Nana Hats through the help of Zoom meetings from his living room.
In September 2020, Sean launched a Kickstarter campaign that surpassed its goal of $3000 within a few months, helping him set up his business and increase his customer base. At present, his products earn him a lot of popularity and have been featured in several well-known publications and TV shows, including Glamour, Men’s Health, and others.
Customers interested in Nana Hats can buy them off their official website for $12.99 each. While the website offers periodic discounts, people can get their hands on these cute banana hats at online retail giants like Amazon and Uncommon Goods. Besides, while the hats are available in several patterns, a notable few being the monkey, the unicorn, and the octopus, we believe the company is headed for further success soon.
Read More: Collars & Co. Shark Tank Update
