Ali Kaminetsky '16 was on Shark Tank in February 2024 pitching her New York City-based company Modern Picnic.

Launched in 2018 to provide working women with a chic alternative to the traditional lunchbox, Kaminetsky presented to Sharks Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner and Emma Grede. She asked for an investment of $400,000 for a 6.5 percent equity stake.

Working in the retail industry in New York City, she would carry her lunch in a paper or plastic bag, which inspired her to create “the luncher,” a fashionable and sustainable lunch bag that has an insulated interior and vegan leather exterior.

“As a young founder she has been a wonderful contributor to our programs, providing expertise, mentoring and inspiration,” says Lisa Getzler, vice provost for entrepreneurship at Lehigh University. “We have also connected her with opportunities and introductions as she continues to make Modern Picnic a successful venture.”

While the Sharks turned her down, Kaminetsky says she got valuable advice, which was to lower the amount she was spending on advertising. She says it's already helped her bottomline.

Kaminetsky majored in supply chain management and marketing and minored in communications.

Image courtesy of Ali Kaminetsky
Story by Rob Gerth