Kevin Harrington

Kevin Harrington is recognized as the inventor of the infomercial and a leading figure in entrepreneurship and direct-response marketing. While watching television one night, Harrington noticed that stations sometimes aired only color test bars when they had nothing else to broadcast. This observation led him to produce the industry's first 30-minute infomercial, filling unused airtime and sparking a transformation in direct-response television advertising.

Harrington has launched more than 20 businesses that each surpassed $100 million in sales, participated in over a dozen public companies, and introduced more than 500 products that generated over $5 billion in global sales. He has collaborated with brands and personalities such as Jack LaLanne, Tony Little, and George Foreman.

Harrington invested $25,000 to launch Quantum International, which grew into a $500 million-per-year business on the New York Stock Exchange, increasing the stock price from $1 to $20 per share. After selling his interest in Quantum International, he formed HSN Direct, a joint venture with Home Shopping Network, which achieved hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. He later founded As Seen on TV, Inc. and acquired AsSeenOnTV.com, which became the largest website for As Seen on TV products. Entrepreneur Magazine named Harrington one of the 100 best entrepreneurs in the world.

Harrington was selected by producer Mark Burnett as an original Shark on "Shark Tank," where he appeared in more than 175 segments. He was one of the original panel members and investors on the ABC series from its inception, departing after two seasons. Harrington is known for his candid approach to both successes and failures, maintaining a 1-out-of-4 success rate, which is higher than the industry average of 1 out of 10. He also joined the reality TV show "Funding Faceoff," where real estate investors pitch a panel of deal makers for potential funding.

Beyond his business ventures, Harrington has contributed to the entrepreneurial community through institution-building and education. He is a co-founding board member of Entrepreneurs' Organization, which operates in 45 countries and includes thousands of members generating over $500 billion in sales. He also co-founded the Electronic Retailers Association, the exclusive trade association representing the global direct-to-consumer marketplace. Harrington's business practices have been used as a case study at Harvard and MIT for more than a decade, illustrating principles of entrepreneurship. He serves on the board of the University of South Florida's entrepreneur programs and teaches regularly.

Harrington is the author of several bestselling books, including "Act Now: How I Turn Ideas into Million Dollar Products," "Key Person of Influence," and "Put a Shark in Your Tank." As a keynote speaker, he has addressed audiences across five continents. His influence extends to more than 100 million people through his multimedia presence, and he is regularly featured as a business thought leader in outlets such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, Today Show, Good Morning America, and Fox Business. Harrington advises business leaders worldwide, from startups to Fortune 100 companies, leveraging decades of experience in entrepreneurship, product development, and business strategy.