Lycoming County native to appear on Shark Tank

Many people dream of coming up with that one invention or idea that will push them into the realm of fame and fortune, and now one Lycoming County native will shoot for the stars as Kevin Langdon appears on the season premiere of ABC's Shark Tank Tuesday.

"I'm definitely a serial entrepreneur. I've built quite a few companies," Langdon told the Sun-Gazette.

Langdon grew up just outside of Lairdsville and graduated from Hughesville High School before going on to graduate from Messiah College, and eventually settling in the Milton area with his wife and their three boys.

Three years ago, Langdon began working on the product that would land him on national television, Ball 2.

Ball 2 mixes a traditional foam ball with integrated AI sensors and Bluetooth connectivity that allows the users to create any game of their own they can think of simply by explaining the game via a companion app.

"It comes from you being a dad and a family. The objectives were always to get kids moving, get them playing together and get kids creative as well," Langdon explained.

"When we first started playing with it, we were focused on the sensors and what's the best kind of electrical electronic toy you could build, and we we kind of felt like a ball was maybe the greatest toy of all time, so we went after Ball 2 being the next round of that," he said.

A year into the project, Langdon began incorporating A.I. Into the game.

"We realized it provided two things that were pretty critical, one was being a very easy to use interface to a computer, so the ability for a kid that can't even read to just talk to AI and tell it game ideas, and then the second was the AI's ability to just code that game for them," he explained.

"So, a kid can pick up the ball, talk to AI, and say, 'hey, I want to make a game where we see who rolls it the farthest, or have it bounce off the roof and hit that wall and get a point," Langdon said.

"A few weeks ago, we had a user ask, 'could I draw with it?' I was like, 'well, we've never tried that, but I will,' and I asked the game maker, 'can you make me a game where I draw,' and it works, and I can roll the ball around on the floor and draw with it," Langdon said.

Langdon said the ball could even be used for therapeutic purposes for those in need of such services.

"The key is that we really wanted to open up the creativity to everybody," he said.

Langdon's process to be part of Shark Tank began when a casting agent for the show approached him while showing off Ball 2 at the New York City Toy Fair this past February, where he also ran into another local in the toy industry.

"One of the first places to pick up our product for sale now, was the Mulberry Moose. They were one of our first supporters," Langdon said.

"I actually met Nicole at that same toy fair where we got introduced to Shark Tank," he added.

"We were showing stuff off, and this woman walked up and was like, 'this is really cool,' and I looked at her name tag, and it said 'Williamsport.' I was like, 'I'm from Milton,' and then we got talking, " he said.

Langdon began the application process in February, and ultimately filmed his segment in June.

Unlike many reality shows that are heavily edited for time constraints, Langdon said the show played out for the most part as is seen on T.V., with the added jitters of appearing in person.

"You don't get to meet the sharks beforehand, so it's really spontaneous. You walk down that hall with all the nerves, and then bam, you're in front of some of the most successful people in the world, and you really go at it in terms of giving your pitch and negotiating with them," he said, calling the experience "intense," which he handled partly with prayer.

"I definitely prayed hard and said 'give me the strength to do this,' because the build up is so much throughout the day all the way up until the time that you walk in there," Langdon said.

Langdon made his pitch to core Shark Tank cast Daniel Lubetzky, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, along with guest shark Jimmy Donaldson, commonly known as Mr. Beast, who was joined by Beast Industries CEO Jeffrey Housenbold.

Despite not being able to talk specifics, Langdon said each of the sharks left their own impression on him.

"They're all very successful people, and it was a privilege to meet all of them," he said.

Though Langdon has absolute faith in his product, he said that with so much at stake, there is always some type of pause.

"Anytime you put yourself out there, and being on national T.V., putting your idea, your product out there is always a little hard. You don't want to ever be laughed at for anything, and then there's the investment. There's all kinds of reservations about making sure it's a positive thing for everybody," he said.

Langdon said the hardest part of the experience may have been keeping his appearance on the show a secret until recently.

"For many months, that was the toughest part, being with a group of friends and they started talking about Shark Tank and about one of the sharks that I got to meet and not being able to say anything," he said.

With his upcoming appearance under his belt, Langdon said his focus is on upgrades to Ball 2.

"The ball was intentionally designed to scale up. We have holes and a groove in the ball that are made to have attachments fit onto it. So our next real focus in early 2027 will be coming out with things to change the ball into a football or to add other attachments that will change how it's played with," he said.

"We've made the CAD files for those holes and things public, so we've gotten to see how people, teachers and students are finding ways to to learn from it and build 3d fabrications that work with it," Langdon.

Langdon encourages anyone with a product and market validation to consider pursuing a spot on the show.

"Sometimes the hardest thing is just getting started, taking that first step, and I encourage everybody to simplify their product as much as they can, get some validation out of the market and reach out to a Shark Tank casting agent online and start working with them on the application process," he said.

Unlike many people who appear on national T.V., rather than hosting a watch party when his episode airs, Langdon will be hard at work, filling orders and handling his anticipated throng of new followers.

"My first thought was, 'I have to get a party together, and then the next thought was, 'you know what? I probably can't talk to anybody that night," he said.

Still Langdon is looking forward to the response from those that are able to watch that night.

"With Mr. Beast, who really appeals to all generations and the show itself, it's such a great watch. It's reality T.V that is feelgood. You're seeing some companies where people's dreams are coming true, and that's real, so I definitely would encourage everybody to tune in," he said.

Langdon is also grateful for all the local support he's received since revealing he was on the show.

"It's great to have the support from everybody in the area. I was actually living in Boston doing another startup when we became pregnant with our second kid, and my wife and I, we could live anywhere at this point, and we did a spreadsheet of where we should live, and what's best for our kids in terms of growing up? And it brought us back to Central Pa., and I love the area," he said.

The season premiere of Shark Tank, featuring Langdon, will air on ABC at 9 p.m. on Wednesday.