For the first time ever, Sharks, Dragons and Lions from the award-winning television franchise “Shark Tank” came together from around the world at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to learn about the?Sustainable Development Goals?(SDGs) and how they can take action on the most pressing challenges for people and the planet.

The visit to the UN was featured in the U.S. as part of the series’ season 15 finale on Friday, 3 May 2024. The U.S. Sharks – tycoon investors Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary – were joined by six stars from ?other international versions of the show: Manjit Minhas from Canada’s “Dragons’ Den, Dr. Catriona Wallace from Australia’s “Shark Tank,” Aman Gupta from? India’s “Shark Tank,” Elias Aalto from Finland’s “Lions’ Den,” Carol Paiffer from Brazil’s “Shark Tank” and Nishita Shah from Thailand’s “Shark Tank.”,

While at the UN, the Sharks, Dragons and Lions were briefed by leading experts and high-level UN officials who impressed upon them that they, as business leaders and entrepreneurs, have the power to make a real difference achieving the SDGs, the blueprint adopted by world leaders for a better future, peace and prosperity for all.

“You think about your kids and their future kids and the world you want to leave behind for them,” Mark Cuban said, reflecting on the challenge laid down to the Sharks to help spur action on the SDGs.

By investing in and supporting innovative solutions to positively impact the planet, the Sharks’ unique positions as leaders of industry have the power to directly impact the planet and to inspire others to do the same.

“Private sector leadership is essential,” Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, told the Sharks who were briefed on tackling climate change, achieving gender equality and spurring economic development.

“To me the whole day was a wakeup call,” said Barbara Corcoran. “What we learned today is that we have more power than we thought to make a difference in business. Now I’m going to choose different products, different businesses.”

But you don’t have to be a Shark, Dragon or Lion to make a difference. During their time at the UN, the business leaders rallied behind a major social impact call-to-action encouraging the franchise’s hundreds of millions of viewers around the world to do their part by taking individual action on the SDGs through the?UN’s ActNow campaign. To date, more than 20 million actions have been taken and recorded by people around the world as part of the ActNow movement, representing collective action that is having real and measurable impact.

You, too, can join the global movement for change by joining?ActNow!

?Disney/Erika Hernandez
Top: Aman Gupta, Barbara Corcoran, Carol Paiffer, Mark Cuban, Catriona Wallace, Elias Aalto, Manjit Minhas, Daymond John, Nishita Shah
Bottom: George Gray Molina (Chief Economist, UNDP), Sanda Ojiambo (CEO and Executive Director, UN Global Compact), Melissa Fleming (Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, UN), Cassie Flynn (Global Director, Climate Change, UNDP)

About Shark Tank

Launched in 2001, as Tigers of Money in Japan, created by Nippon TV, the format was later adapted as Dragon’s Den in 2005 in the UK and the show premiered in the US as Shark Tank in the year 2009. The format is distributed internationally by Sony Pictures Television.

Produced in territories on every continent, the format sees aspiring entrepreneurs pitch to secure investment from some of the top names in the business world.

Almost $1bn (US) in investments has been agreed in Dens and Tanks across the globe since the format launched, and around 300 titans of industry in all have sat on judging panels as the Dragons, Sharks, and Lions, appraising the pitches from the small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

The segment on the visit to the UN will air on other international versions of the show in the coming months.