Northbrook entrepreneur Ari Siegel recently shared an inspiring story with us about how Northbrook Public Library helped him reach his goal of appearing on Shark Tank. This popular television show gives entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their businesses to a panel of wealthy investors, known as “the sharks.” If successful, an entrepreneur can gain business expertise, financial backing, and instant visibility for their product or service.
Growing up as a self-described history buff, Ari started a business called History By Mail, a service that mails subscribers carefully reproduced historical documents from American history. He works with archivists to select the documents and secure the rights for his graphics team to produce them on high-quality paper, along with providing historical context. An example of one of the historical documents that is mailed to subscribers is a reproduction of an envelope on which Rosa Parks jotted down her pancake recipe.
But before he could pitch History by Mail on Shark Tank, Ari first had to beat the odds. Over 40,000 people apply to be on the show each year, and only 100 are selected. So Ari came up with an idea to help him stand out from the rest, and that’s where the library enters the story.
“I discovered the green screen at the library’s Digital Media Lab—an incredible studio just minutes from home, and free to use,” Ari explained. “The staff is friendly, the space is beautiful, and the resources are top-notch. On short notice, I was able to film pitch videos and swap out the green screen for a Shark Tank-style background, which helped the show’s producers envision me in the Tank." And to guarantee his video would stand out from the rest, Ari had another great idea—he dressed like Abraham Lincoln!
Ari's hard work paid off. After months of waiting, he was invited to travel to Sony Studio in Los Angeles to face the sharks in person. To prepare, he spent hundreds of hours practicing answers to potential questions and even made life-sized cutouts of the sharks to rehearse his pitch.
After the taping, Ari was required to wait until the episode aired—seven long months—before he could talk about his experience in the Tank. We’re thrilled to share that Ari’s pitch was a success! He accepted a six-figure investment in his business from two Sharks: Barbara Corcoran and Daniel Lubetzky.
“I’m so grateful to have the Northbrook Public Library in our community. Thank you to the library team for supporting local creators and entrepreneurs—you helped make this dream possible,” he said.
We couldn’t be happier for Ari’s success, and we thank him for including us in his inspiring story. Ari’s episode (Season 16, Episode 15) aired on April 4, 2025. To learn more about Ari's business, visit historybymail.com.
To learn more about using Northbrook Public Library's Digital Media Lab, visit northbrook.info/peltz-digital-media-lab.
If you have a story to share about how the library helped you achieve a goal, we would love to hear about it. Please email us at feedback@northbrook.info.
