Shraman Mitra
Robbie Friedman and Allison Zofan appeared in season 13 of the reality show titled ‘Shark Tank.’ They presented their business venture OotBox to the “Sharks,” hoping to benefit from an investment that can boost their business. OotBox offers an interesting and convenient twist to workplaces, making them portable and convenient. Naturally, this piqued our interest. Well, here is everything we know about the company!
OotBox: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
OotBox is the brainchild of Robbie Friedman and Allison Zofan, who hoped to take the mobile workplace industry by storm. Robbie earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism and English from the University of Toronto and later obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Before law school, Robbie even worked as a journalist and ski instructor. But after his JD, he took up an Associate position at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.
Robbie co-established the law firm Friedman Law Group, LLC in 2011 and in 2012 became one of the co-founders of Viewabill, a software that helps track billable activities in an attorney-client relationship. Robbie even worked for Miratech after they acquired Viewabill before setting up OotBox in July 2018.
On the other hand, Allison pursued her Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Affairs Management from Indiana University Bloomington before working for companies like US Airways and CEB. She then took on the position of a Senior Executive Advisor at Gartner after they took over CEB. In November 2019, Allison joined OotBox as the Co-Founder.
Although the mobility of a workspace is quite essential in this day and age, we often see how employees have to make do with working out of co-working spaces, coffee shops, or even mobile trailers when on the move. OotBox aims to solve this issue by providing easy-to-set-up mobile workplaces that are completely furnished and can be bought, rented, or leased as per one’s convenience.
Each unit provides a soundproof, insulated, and temperature-controlled workplace that comes fully equipped with air conditioning, wall panels, flooring, and lighting. Apart from being portable, OotBoxes are quite eco-friendly, require no permits or installation, and are brand-able with customized designs and logos.
Where Is OotBox Now?
OotBox was met with a favorable response upon its release and soon became quite popular among the corporate crowd. It proved to be an easy solution, especially for companies wanting to invest in pop-up stores or offices, as OotBoxes were ready for use upon delivery and had no installation delays. Moreover, Robbie and Allison worked wonders with their after-sale customer service, which increased the popularity of the product and paved the way for the company to be featured in prestigious publications like Business Insider, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Architectural Design.
At present, OotBoxes can be availed in two models, namely the OG and O2. The models are technically the same apart from the O2 having an operable window and costing $1100 per month compared to the OG’s $1000 per month price tag. Additionally, one can get a custom-made OotBox perfectly suited for their needs. While orders are now subject to availability and can only be placed on their official website, the company has been growing steadily and will surely witness more success in the years to come.
