Pepper Pong wasn’t born in a boardroom. It was hacked together in a garage — equal parts invention, accident, and therapy. My brothers, my friends, and I spent years messing with scrap parts from other games and a weird collection of foam balls that somehow made everything feel right. It wasn’t a product. It wasn’t even called Pepper Pong. It was just The Game. And we played it everywhere.

We loved ping pong, but it got old — too serious, too breakable, too loud, too “bro.” Coffin-sized table. Busted balls. Endless setup. Blowouts instead of close matches. So we kept what mattered — competition, camaraderie, connection — and threw out the rest. Those foam balls stretched rallies to 30, 40, even 50 shots. Matches stayed close. Comebacks became legendary. And everyone could play: grandparents, kids, coworkers, recovering rivals.

In 2016, I got sober. The toughest rally of my life, and the most important one I’d ever win. Sobriety gave me clarity, faith, and focus — and reminded me what I valued most: real people and real laughter. By 2020, in a world starving for connection, I decided to bring The Game to the world. Not for profit. For purpose. Then I obsessed over every inch of it: 100+ design iterations, 20+ factory prototypes, countless late-night rallies.

In early 2024 we launched a small batch of OG Founder Sets. No marketing blitz, no hype — just word of mouth and contagious laughter. Then Shark Tank called. I hadn’t applied; they’d heard the story. On November 22, 2024, Pepper Pong aired and became one of the biggest product hits in the show’s history. Todd Graves, founder of Raising Cane’s, came on as a partner — and I repaid his entire investment within the first business hour after airing. Partners in mission, not just money.

People always ask if I went on Shark Tank to raise money or to market the game. Neither. I went to highlight what I believe is one of the greatest challenges we face today — declining human connection. Pepper Pong just happens to be one joyful way to solve it. I hope it brings you laughter, fosters friendships, and reminds you that any struggle can become a triumph — and that real human connection is the key ingredient.