Keith Young had joined the New York City Fire Department back in 1998. When Keith wasn’t saving lives or spending time with his wife and three kids, he loved being a chef. He authored a cookbook and also made appearances on the tv shows Chopped and Throwdown With Bobby Flay.
The family man wanted to find a way to enjoy even more time with his family instead of always being in the kitchen at home, so he got creative.
Keith invented the Cup Board Pro in 2010. It’s a cutting board thats equipped with a built-in cup so it makes it easier to clean while chopping.
While trying to perfect the prototype, Keith’s wife Elizabeth was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer. She passes away in 2012.
Keith and his three children were about to suffer yet another loss.
Before the Cup Board Pro could start selling to consumers, Keith died at the age of 53 on March 17, 2018. Keith died from a rare form of cancer he developed by being a 9/11 first responder.
After their father’s death, Christian, Keira, and Kaley wanted to make his final dream come true. They all appeared on Shark Tank in the hopes that they could find funding to move their fathers invention forward.
Shark Tank member Daymond John tweeted: “Out of my entire decade of being on #SharkTank this was the most emotional pitch I have ever been through. It took everything in me not to walk off the set because my emotions ran so crazy because I was there and lost many friends from 9/11.”
Watch the three siblings’ touching and emotional pitch in the clip below, and the rare decision made collectivly by all five sharks.