Crooked Compass appears on ‘Shark Tank’ to strike deal

Lisa Pagotto and her boutique tour operator business, Crooked Compass, appeared on Channel Ten’s Shark Tank last night, to try and tempt the investors to buy a stake in her company.

Crooked Compass founder, Lisa Pagotto, braved “The Tank” to pitch her culturally immersive small group tours.

And although no deal was done, she did win the support of Naomi Simson, entrepreneur and founder of Australian online gifting business, RedBalloon.

In per pitch, Pagotto told the Sharks travel as a product has changed.

“Travel is becoming more about depth rather than breadth of experience, and the off-the-shelf holiday package is going out of style.

“People are seeking a more raw and sensory want to experience our world; they want to do what the local people do, eat what the local people eat and live how the local people live.

“The regions we travel to are on the lesser-known sides.

“I’m obsessed with finding these experiences that are new and unique and that people haven’t heard of, but most importantly, what’s not on offer by any other operator in the Australian and NZ market.

“I’ve literally sacrificed everything to make my dream, my passion, come to life,” Pagotto told the Sharks, adding that she sold her house to fund her business.

Crooked Compass can now reveal that it is the first international product partner for RedBalloon following an appearance on Shark Tank.

Through this partnership, Red Balloon can now offer their clients an exciting range of once in a lifetime global experiences.

Simson said, “Sometimes an entrepreneur comes into the Shark Tank who skilfully weaves you into their spell with their ability to tell a story. For me, Lisa did just that.

“I imagined what it was like in her start-up world, able to take travellers to far away places to experience life in all its cultural richness.

“Her passion, curiosity and persistence were infectious, I could not help but put up my hand to offer assistance.”

Pagotto added, “Naomi has been instrumental in helping me to further shape my brand and drive new channels of revenue.

“It is a true privilege to be the first international product partner of RedBalloon.”

Pagotto previously appeared in Travel Weekly‘s industry tattoo feature in the magazine, which you can catch here.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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