Where Is Heidi Ho From Shark Tank Today?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

When Heidi Lovig entered the "Shark Tank" in Season 6 Episode 10, she came prepared with a cooler full of plant-based cheese – and a plan to bring it to the mainstream. Her company, Heidi Ho, offers dairy-free alternatives made from vegetables, nuts, and seeds, aiming to deliver real flavor and function without relying on soy or artificial ingredients. At the time, non-dairy cheeses were still struggling to break through — they hadn't yet earned a reputation for taste. But Lovig's products promised a cleaner label and a better texture, two things most vegan cheeses lacked.

What made her pitch stand out wasn't just the product but the way she presented it. Confident and clear, she quickly got the Sharks engaged — and hungry. Within minutes, the tasting turned into a conversation about investment. For viewers, it was a memorable pitch: A small Portland-based brand out to fix everything people hated about dairy-free cheese, just as plant-based eating was starting to gain national attention.

Heidi Lovig's pitch was one of the fastest deals in Shark Tank history. Backed by around $245,000 in lifetime sales and a strong mission to improve dairy-free cheese, she asked the Sharks for $125,000 in exchange for 20% equity. The product caught their attention, but it was the flavor that sealed the deal. After sampling the cheese, Lori Greiner made a quick offer: the full $125,000, but for 30%. Lovig accepted, securing a partnership in just minutes.

That speed wasn't just good television — it reflected the product's strong reception. The Sharks were impressed by the clean ingredient list, the versatility of the product, and the clear brand identity — something that set it apart from Bumbling Bee, another vegan brand that left the Tank without a deal. Lovig's vision wasn't just to stay in specialty stores — she wanted to go national. With Greiner's backing, the company was suddenly positioned to grow far beyond its Portland roots. For many brands, the Shark Tank bump fades quickly. Heidi Ho, at least initially, was poised to make it stick.

With new products rolling out and national retailers on board, Heidi Ho had the opportunity to become one of the best vegan cheese brands on the market. Following its appearance on Shark Tank, the company saw the kind of momentum many brands hope for but few achieve. Within just a few months of the episode's airing, the company's sales had jumped from $140,000 to $750,000. That growth opened doors with major national retailers, and soon after, the brand began introducing new plant-based flavors, including queso-style dips, smoky bourbon blends, and beer-infused cheese alternatives. Founder Heidi Lovig later appeared in a Shark Tank update segment, telling viewers that business had "exploded" since the episode aired.

With Greiner's help, Lovig was able to navigate the steep learning curve of scaling in the food industry – gaining more than just funding in the process. By 2019, Heidi Ho was preparing for a refreshed rollout and forming partnerships with local food businesses to get its products into restaurant kitchens. For a small brand with big ambitions, the years following Shark Tank looked like the start of a long run.

For a while, Heidi Ho seemed to be thriving. But by 2020, signs of strain started surfacing. In an Instagram post marking the company's 10th anniversary, Heidi Lovig thanked followers for their support while acknowledging that the pandemic had hit the business hard. She described it as a "challenging low" and noted the team was searching for ways to pivot. That post, dated August 2020, turned out to be the brand's last on social media.

By late 2022, the company's website had gone offline, and the brand appeared to be inactive across all platforms. According to Lovig's LinkedIn profile, she officially stepped away from Heidi Ho in December 2022 — over a decade after launching the company. While there was no public announcement of closure, the lack of updates, unavailable website, and the founder's exit all suggest that Heidi Ho is no longer in operation. For a brand that once had national exposure and retail reach, it ultimately shared the same unfortunate fate as Shark Tank's Project Pollo – a quiet disappearance after a promising start that marks a sharp contrast to its energetic debut in the Tank.

After stepping away from Heidi Ho in late 2022, Heidi Lovig shifted her focus to a new venture far outside the food industry. According to her LinkedIn profile, she now owns and operates Red Rug Realty, a short-term rental and real estate business she started in 2021. Based in the U.S., the company appears to be her current full-time focus. While she hasn't spoken publicly about her decision to leave Heidi Ho, the transition suggests a deliberate step away from the high-stakes world of consumer packaged goods. Years earlier, in an interview with OregonLive, Lovig acknowledged the level of sacrifice involved in launching a business: "There are so many people who are not in [a] position to do that. Every penny, homes, cars ... all of it [is] on the line." And after more than a decade in the business, walking away may have simply reflected a decision to stop betting everything on it.

Lovig's departure marks the end of a chapter that began with a bold pitch and a nationwide rollout. Though Heidi Ho may no longer be on shelves, its story reflects the unpredictable path many small food businesses face — even after a major boost from reality TV. While some brands, like Everything Legendary from Shark Tank, continued growing in the years after its appearance, Lovig chose to walk away from the industry entirely. She's traded cheese wheels for property listings, but she's still charting her course as an entrepreneur.

"Shark Tank" is available for purchase on Prime Video.