Wild Squirrel Nut Butter Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 3
Wild Squirrel Nut Butter mixed creativity, hustle, and sweet flavors on their Shark Tank journey. Find out how two college roommates turned homemade peanut butter into a national brand.
Wild Squirrel Nut Butter made its debut on Shark Tank Season 3 Episode 14. The business was founded by college roommates Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh, who started making peanut butter in their college apartment.
Learn more about Shark Tank Season 3 Episodes.
About Wild Squirrel Nut Butter
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Wild Squirrel Nut Butter |
| Founders | Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh |
| Industry | Foods & Beverages |
| Product | Peanut Butter Spread |
| Deal Status | Deal Secured with Barbara Corcoran |
| Investment Asked | $50,000 for 10% Equity |
| Deal Outcome | $50,000 for 40% Equity (not closed) |
When Keeley and Erika’s homemade nut butter became a hit with friends, they decided to take it to local farmers’ markets and turn their hobby into a business.
The two young women soon had markets in Oregon and the northwest, and the business began to grow. They offered fancy flavors such as Vanilla Espresso and Chocolate Coconut, making them stand out in the market.
Wild Squirrel Nut Butter Shark Tank Pitch
Keeley and Erika went into the Shark Tank seeking a $50K investment for a 10% share in the business.
When they first appeared on Shark Tank, they had sold several thousand jars of peanut butter. The company had approximately $14,000 in sales and $7,000 in profits; they were set to roll out on supermarket shelves in Oregon.
Did Wild Squirrel Nut Butter Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Daymond wasn’t a “food guy,” so he went out quickly. Robert didn’t believe the girls could balance going to college and running a business, so he went out too.
Mark agreed with Robert and went out as well. Mr. Wonderful thought the peanut butter market was too competitive and that they would be crushed by the big brands, so he bowed out, too.
That left Barbara. She liked the girls but thought the deal would require a lot more money. She offered $50K for 40% of the business.
Keeley and Erika tried to get her to come down to 35%, but Barbara wouldn’t budge. They eventually agreed to a deal for $50K for 40%.
What Made Wild Squirrel Nut Butter Unique?
The company provided high-quality spreads in a lot of catchy flavors, which hit the mark for a lot of tongue palettes.
Wild Squirrel Nut Butter Shark Tank Update
Barbara’s involvement with the business ended with the on-air negotiations. During due diligence, Keeley and Erika decided to go it alone and forego Barbara’s investment.
In the aftermath of the Shark Tank, they received a lot of inquiries. The products were on nearly two hundred supermarket shelves by the time their original segment aired.
Whether they ended up with a Shark or not, Keely and Erika left school to focus on their business, and they took it to the next level.
Wild Squirrel rebranded as Wild Friends Nut Butter in 2016 after a trademark dispute with Squirrel Brand, another peanut butter maker, for copyright infringement.
They ended up having their product on the shelves at Whole Foods, Costco, Kroger, and a number of other supermarkets. Sales in 2016 were $6 million. The same year, they raised $1.4 million from investors on CircleUp.
In 2018, the company added a line of oats, nut butter cups, and single-serve nut butter packets to the line. They did another round of funding that raised $3.5 million in 2018 itself.
The company also brought on Beth Hanson, a former General Mills executive, as VP of Sales and Christina McCalla, formerly of Annie’s, as director of marketing.
By January 2023, the company had over $14 million in annual revenue. In April 2024, the company was shut down.
As of July 2025, Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh work at different companies in different capacities, with this entrepreneurial feat in their resumes.
Posts About Wild Squirrel Nut Butter on Shark Tank Blog
Check out what Wild Squirrel Nut Butter exactly had to offer.
Where Can You Buy It?
The company is out of business and its products are no longer available for purchase.
You may still find their listings on Amazon, but they are marked as unavailable. Their Facebook page also remains online, showing the company’s final updates before closing.
Quick Summary
- Wild Squirrel Nut Butter was founded by college roommates Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh and landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran on Shark Tank, though the deal didn’t go through after the show.
- The brand gained traction with unique flavors like Vanilla Espresso and expanded to hundreds of stores before rebranding to Wild Friends Nut Butter in 2016 due to a trademark dispute.
- Despite growing to over $14 million in annual revenue by 2023, the company shut down in April 2024.
Wild Squirrel Nut Butter soared before it sank, but what are some other business updates from the same episode?
- Cab 20 Shark Tank Update
- Mix Bikini Shark Tank Update
- Billy Blanks Jr.’s Dance With Me Shark Tank Update
