Daniel Lubetzky Joins ‘Shark Tank’ as Mark Cuban Departs

As Mark Cuban prepares to leave the ABC hit “Shark Tank” after more than a decade, the reality show is giving the guest star Daniel Lubetzky a permanent seat on the five-person panel. The show, which has aired since 2009, introduces well-connected investors, like Lubetzky, to ambitious entrepreneurs who hope to strike a deal.

Lubetzky, who founded Kind Snacks, signed a multi-season deal, and his presence will bring a new dynamic when the next season airs on Oct. 18. This is the first time since 2012 that the show has introduced a regular investor — known as a shark — to its rotating panel, which also includes Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary.

“We’re seeing it as an inflection point, as an opportunity to grow,” Clay Newbill, the executive director of “Shark Tank,” said in a video interview.

Lubetzky started appearing on the show five years ago, often attracting founders of food companies. During negotiations, Lubetzky often smiles and asks entrepreneurs for their back stories. In the process he shares his own. Before he declines to fund someone’s company, he offers advice and shares stories of his own rejections and business miscalculations. He often invokes his father, a Holocaust survivor, when talking about resiliency.

Lubetzky complements the show’s themes around the American dream and enchantment with entrepreneurship. He was born in Mexico, and as a child watched his father run businesses. When he was a teenager, the family moved to the United States, and in 2004, after starting other businesses, he began his Kind brand, which emphasizes that its snacks lack artificial flavors and preservatives. A deal with Starbucks in 2009 helped the brand reach even more customers. In 2020, Mars, the maker of M&M’s and Snickers, acquired Kind and valued the company at about $5 billion.

Lubetzky says he sees himself as a team player as he joins the show permanently.

“So many kids and families watch this show together,” Lubetzky said in an interview in June on the set of “Shark Tank” in Los Angeles, adding that the show is a way for viewers to learn about entrepreneurship. “It’s just an incredible way to contribute.”