MU alumna makes ‘Shark Tank’ deal on heirloom trunk business

Lindsay Mullenger, a 2010 Trulaske College of Business graduate, secured a deal with three investors — known as sharks — when she appeared on Season 16, Episode 9 of the business reality television series “Shark Tank.”

Mullenger began her heirloom keepsake trunk business, Petite Keep, in 2020 when she was having her second daughter and could not find anything to store their keepsakes in. Mullenger said that she always had reason to believe her business — which is projected to hit $10 million in sales for 2024 — would be successful, but seeing customers and investors share her vision provided confirmation. 

“There’s definitely a validation moment of how much hard work I poured into this over the years, and to see that three Sharks also saw the vision of what I’m building alongside my team, it was really exciting to have that boost of confidence,” Mullenger said.

After watching countless episodes of the show with her husband, Mullenger said that the opportunity to be on “Shark Tank” was a full circle moment for her. The show was a success for Mullenger as she came away with a deal for $400,000 in exchange for 15% equity in her company, divided between sharks Jamie Kern Lima, Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban.

At the University of Missouri, Mullenger was a member of the inaugural class of the  Cornell Leadership Program, a four-year experience dedicated to leadership development for high-achieving business students. Mullenger went on the first Tigers on Wall Street trip, an annual week-long business trip that Cornell Leadership Program students take to speak with business leaders in New York City. 

“I was from Missouri, I hadn’t left Missouri, [The Cornell Leadership Program] was a window to the world with, like, all the opportunities and the possibilities, and then there’s such an emphasis on leadership in the program,” Mullenger said. “So I think there was just a lot of core skills that were honed as well that were helpful in the future.”

Along with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in Spanish, Mullenger made lifelong connections at MU. Mary Beth Marrs, director of the Cornell Leadership Program, convinced Mullenger to attend MU and was a key mentor during her undergraduate studies, Mullenger said.

Mullenger has kept in touch with her old mentor. She asked Marrs for advice before leaving her corporate job at Procter & Gamble to focus on Petite Keep. Marrs made a “Shark Tank” inspired assignment for her current Cornell Leadership Program students to learn from her former student. When she heard Mullenger would be on “Shark Tank,” Marrs said she felt proud.

“I screamed and then I was just tearing up. I just had so much pride, so much incredible joy for her to be recognized this way,” Marrs said. “I know she’s worked so hard and she has sacrificed a lot and to see that she is going to be recognized for her talents and her motivation on a national stage, that’s just priceless.”

Mullenger’s support system goes far beyond her mentor. When she first began her business, her parents and husband helped build and ship the trunks. With five children under the age of 8, Mullenger said she “built this business with a baby on [her] hip.” 

Now, Mullenger has a 10-person fully female team across the country and many more supporters, including Marrs who came to her “Shark Tank” episode viewing party.

“When you see like 80-100 people, they are just absolutely cheering on Lindsay’s accomplishments and cheering on who she is as a person and as a leader, it was incredible,” Marrs said. “It was just such a wonderful moment of pure joy of everyone in the room, and love and appreciation for who she is as a person and what she’s brought to their lives. I told my students, ‘My hope for you is that you will have that same village of people supporting you and cheering you on in life.’”

Along with the Cornell Leadership Program, Mullenger was involved in Gamma Phi Beta and the Trulaske Student Council where she found opportunities for leadership, volunteering and friendship.

“Everything I feel like in life is another notch on your belt of experience and opportunity that makes you the person you are down the road,” Mullenger said. “So much of my experience at Mizzou was Cornell Leadership Program and was Gamma Phi, and those absolutely molded me into who I am today.”

Edited by Eric Hughes | ehughes@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Alana Sheba and Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com