Fifteen different prototypes inching toward the perfect design has been a personal mission for Rener Gracie as he plans to unveil his Hero Hoodie on national television. On Sunday, May 12, Quikflip Apparel will be debuting on ABC’s Shark Tank — a notable milestone for the young apparel company and one of the first times a BJJ black belt will be pitching to the famed entrepreneurs.
In a quest to figure out a better version of the hoodie, Rener had an epiphany one day and thought about a hoodie that had the dual functionality of both a zip-up hoodie and a backpack. The result has become a sensation a hoodie with unlimited branding potential — a comfortable piece of outerwear in cool or warm weather with an enthusiastic and charismatic CEO behind it.
Over the last few months, Rener has been active on the clothing apparel trade show circuit, educating audiences far as he goes with the same fervor as seen in any of his Gracie Breakdowns. By his own admission, it’s been a steep learning process getting to this point. However, he has applied jiu-jitsu principles every step of the way. It will be interesting to see how a staple of the jiu-jitsu community like Rener approaches the Sharks and how they will take to his polished public presentation skills that are no secret to anyone who keeps up with the breakdowns.
Watch what he has to say about the development below:
