Sharks, Austin-based entrepreneur Destin George Bell is seeking to change how you view exercise through his gameified exercise app, Card.io.
In addition to founding Card.io, Bell is also a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and as of this year, a “Shark Tank” alumnus.
Bell’s “Shark Tank” section was featured in the premiere episode of season 16, so we caught up with him to chat about his experience, the deal he secured, and why he chose to launch his brand in the Capital City.
Rethinking how people move
As the old adage goes, 26-year-old Bell wasn’t born in Texas, but he said he got here as fast as he could. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Bell said he was always interested in sports, but it was hard to find the motivation to keep moving consistently as he got older and COVID-19 hit.
“Basketball was my first love — I always enjoyed it,” Bell said. “As I stopped playing it competitively, I realized that there’s not a lot of motivation as you get older to get up and run and do these different things.”
Inspired in part by Pokémon GO, Card.io allows users (and their friends) to engage in a virtual turf war and “claim” blocks of town by walking, running, and moving through them. Bell — who has a background in marketing — had no experience in creating an app before, and had to tap into his passion and networking skills to make the dream a reality.
Moving to Austin was key to that strategy. Bell moved to Austin in October 2020, shortly after graduating from the University of Kentucky, with the intent of launching his business.
“I read online all these great things about what was possible there as a young man trying to build a business,” Bell said. “I felt that Austin would be a good place for me to get a start. I didn’t have a job or anything, and I didn’t have a place to live. I figured I can be broke and jobless anywhere, so why not a place like Austin?”
While working in marketing with companies like the NBA and Old Spice, Bell sent a cold message to the CEO of Pokémon GO John Hanke detailing his idea. After a couple of months of back-and-forth communication, Hanke offered him a $50,000 grant to fund the app.
From there — with the encouragement of his mentors and family — Bell said he dropped everything to focus on Card.io, which launched in January 2023.
The path to “Shark Tank”
Like his love of sports and fitness, Bell also holds a longtime affinity for “Shark Tank.” He grew up watching the show — relating to Mark Cuban’s laid-back personality and shared love of basketball.
Bell said he’s been watching “Shark Tank” since he was 10 years old, and at age 16, he professed to his mother that he would someday appear on the pitch show. That dream meant that when recruiters reached out to get him on the show, he originally thought it was a scam.
“Two months of a whole bunch of diligence and video interviews and whatnot later, I’m going to LA in June to film my episode,” Bell said. “To put it in perspective, 60,000 companies applied. A lot of people don’t make it through the filter — a lot of companies bigger and better than mine didn’t make it. I just got lucky because this guy reached out to me ... and he thought I was an interesting deal with an interesting story.”
The moment came full circle when he took his mom, Sharon, onto the show alongside him, asking for $150,000 for a 5% stake in the company. Ultimately, Sharks Rashaun Williams and Daymond John offered $150,000 for 15% stake in the company, and Bell took the deal.
“It was unbelievably emotional — it was a dream come true,” Bell said. “Being able to actually bring her on (the show) was a moment that I genuinely can’t even describe for you. Every boy’s dream is to make his mother proud, and I feel like that was the moment I got to say I did.”
How can I use the app?
Card.io is free to download on the App Store. When you use it, take a page out of Bell’s book and remember that you don’t have to use it for running. Any movement — walking to work, jogging, and taking the dog out — counts as exercise.
“I would want to encourage you to think that cardio fitness is not just a process of qualifying for the Austin Marathon,” Bell said. “You do cardio more than you think you do when you walk from your corporate office to your lunch meeting, or if you walk your dog around the neighborhood, or you push a stroller, or you’re just taking the casual walk. There’s really no limitations to what counts.”
