Zoobean Founders Dive Into "Shark Tank"

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Zoobean, a web service that recommends apps and books for children, announced today that co-founders and married couple Jordan Lloyd Bookey and Felix Brandon Lloyd will pitch their business to ABC's "Shark Tank" investors in an episode airing Friday, April 18 at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

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Launched in May 2013, Zoobean combines the perspectives of expert curators with data science, to help parents get a head start on improving children's literacy. Serving as a sort of "Pandora for children's apps and books," Zoobean personalizes selections based on each child's age, interests and reading level. It also provides tools for parents to collaborate with teachers and family in building their children's literacy. Zoobean offers both a web-based "SmartList" service and a "book of the month" delivery service, which are accompanied by digital guides to facilitate deeper engagement with each app or book.

"Shark Tank" features entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to well-known investors called Sharks, in the hopes they will  invest in their businesses. In the show's four previous seasons, the Sharks have offered more than $23 million to hopeful entrepreneurs.

Bookey and Lloyd were excited to share their business ideas, as well as their passion for education, with the experts on the show. "We were thrilled to present Zoobean to the Sharks," said Lloyd, Zoobean's Chief Dad. "We've been fans of the show since the first episode aired. We learned many key lessons from our experience on the show and have refined our service to be even more useful and accessible for families with young children."

Both founders have a dedication to children's education that has been evidenced throughout their careers. "At Zoobean, we know that parents and families play the most important role in building their children's literacy, and so we have set out to make reading a more accessible, ongoing family activity," said Bookey, Zoobean's Chief Mom. "As we approach our first anniversary as a company, we are ecstatic about sharing Zoobean with families across the country, and hope our segment inspires more people to join us in our mission to help kids imagine and achieve anything."

To find out whether Zoobean secured an investment from the Sharks, tune in on Friday, April 18 at 9:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

About Zoobean

Zoobean combines the perspective of educators and librarians with data science to makes app and book selections for each individual child. It also provides tools for families to collaborate with teachers to build their children's literacy. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Zoobean offers both a web-based "SmartList" service and a "book of the month" delivery service, through which curators provide families with app and book selections along with reading guides. For more information, visit www.zoobean.com.

Media Contact: Jordan Lloyd Bookey, Zoobean, 412.721.2016, [email protected]

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SOURCE Zoobean