The burgeoning men’s grooming company Crowned Skin came up big on the latest episode of Shark Tank, securing a $500,000 investment from Rashaun Williams.
The Chicago connection was real as Crowned Skin founder Darrell Spencer, a Chicago native, appeared on the April 15 episode. Bonding with Williams over their Chicago roots, Spencer secured a $500,000 deal for a 10% stake, plus a $ 1-per-unit royalty until $1 million is repaid, AfroTech reports.
“You did a great job. I’m so excited. Your growth, it speaks for itself. You got me out here smelling good,” Williams told Spencer following the onscreen deal.
Crowned Skin was already gaining major traction before its Shark Tank debut. Spencer scaled the brand to eight figures in under two years, carving out a niche in men’s grooming with its cologne-infused body butters and oils.
The brand has ranked among the top sellers on TikTok Shop, landed in Amazon’s top 10, and secured a national retail deal through Walmart’s Open Call, with a wider rollout set for 2026. It has also partnered with the National Basketball Players Association and expanded to Macy’s online, while earning a spot in Amazon’s Rising Stars campaign.
Spencer quickly grabbed the Sharks’ attention with his numbers, revealing he hit $2 million in a single month through direct-to-consumer sales and surpassed $10 million overall, with projected revenue of $14–15 million and strong traction on TikTok Shop.
He initially sought $500,000 for 5% equity in Crowned Skin, surprising the panel. Kevin O’Leary and Barbara Corcoran countered with a joint offer of $500,000 for 20% plus a royalty structure. Still, Spencer ultimately struck a deal with a fellow Chicago native in a move that left him energized about the brand’s future and its impact on aspiring Black entrepreneurs.
“I feel like I’m in a dream and I haven’t woken up yet,” Spencer said on the show. “I’m most excited about just really
being a beacon of hope and being a light for other Black men to see that things that you probably never thought or envisioned that you can do, you can absolutely do it because I’m a living witness to it.”RELATED CONTENT: Black Women Redefining Leadership And Ownership As Millennial and Gen Z CEOs