While on deployment, three veterans found a way to cultivate peace and empower the farmers of Afghanistan. Now, thanks to the help of Mark Cuban, a Dallas-based tech entrepreneur and billionaire investor on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” their mission has seen progress, CNBC News reports.
The three veterans — Emily Miller, Kim Jung, and Keith Alaniz — started Rumi Spice to bring some of the best quality saffron in the world to the United States. Their mission statement says that “over 80 percent of the Afghan population is reliant on the rural agricultural economy.”
The team appeared on Friday’s episode of “Shark Tank” seeking an investment to help expand their organization. Two potential investors on the show, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary, were wary of investing, especially after learning the price of one ounce of the spice costs $140.
“It’s so expensive because there is no automation, it all has to be hand processed,” Jung explained, according to CNBC News. Jung later said the team was looking to do more than become a part of the spice industry, they were seeking to build “a brand around saffron and doing other saffron-related products.”
Despite the warnings and clear disapproval from colleagues, Cuban offered Rumi Spice, a $250,000 investment for 15 percent equity in the company. He told CNBC News he decided to make the offer because he enjoys working with veterans and respects the team’s goal of empowering farmers in Afghanistan.
“Striking a deal with Mark Cuban is a game changer, for the women in Afghanistan who work for us, for the farmers in Afghanistan,” Miller told CNBC News. “Now we are going to have the ability to scale and bring our brand to all the consumers in America. This is huge. This is huge for us.”
Mark Cuban invests in veteran-run business that sells saffron from Afghanistan
