Who is Kaley Young? Meet 'Self-Made Mansions' guest behind Cup Board Pro that made a million dollars
For entrepreneurs who make their way to 'Shark Tank', they need three things — a great product, a dream and the drive. And, of course, a very convincing pitch. No matter how much potential your product has, the challenge is making the 'sharks' recognize that potential, seeing that they're always looking at the bigger picture.
When the Young siblings — Kaley, Christian and Keira Young — made their way to the show, they definitely had a smart and practical product and a heart touching story to go with it. The sharks were so moved by their product that Mark Higgins (who showed initial interest) as well as Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner pitched in to bring Youngs' businesses to life. It's safe to say that the product was immensely successful, seeing that Kaley appeared on 'Self-Made Mansions' where she is house-hunting with her boyfriend, Branden Fowler, and her siblings. So, who is Kaley Young? Let's find out.
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Cup Board Pro is a nifty little kitchen aid that is essentially a cutting board with a container attached at the edge. This allows you to store all the unwanted food bits as you’re chopping, allowing you to collect it in one spot and discard it all at once, effectively simplifying your clean up process.
The Young's family story is heart-breaking
Although the product was pitched by Kaley, Christian and Keira Young, it wasn't the siblings who invented the product. The credit for that goes to their father, Keith Young, an NYC fireman and a chef. He invented the Cup Board Pro back in 2010, with a pretty sweet idea. He wanted to spend more time with his family as opposed to being stuck in the kitchen cleaning up big messes that usually came along with great meals.
While the idea was his, the product was a family effort, seeing that his children helped him with his marketing, design, packaging and website. Having perfected the product, Keith began to get into the production phase. However, tragedy struck when Beth King, Keith's wife, was diagnosed with cancer in May 2011. The couple had been together since they were teenagers in the '80s, seeing that they were high school sweethearts. With their lives on hold, the Youngs directed all their attention to Beth. However, just a year later, in August of 2012, Beth died.
While the family tried to stay strong, this loss affected them deeply. However, the struggle wasn't over for the Youngs. Shortly after Keith received his first shipment of the Cup Board, he was diagnosed with a cancer. He developed synovial sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, which was because he was directly exposed to the wreckage from working at ground zero during the 9/11 terror attack. The family tried everything within their power to cure the cancer, but within six months, Keith's condition worsened and he was completely handicapped and in hospice. Keith died in 2018, but his dream lived on through his children. The Young siblings, determined to carry on their father's legacy, appeared on Season 10 of 'Shark Tank' and secured the $100,000 investment they were looking for, turning their dad's invention into a household staple.
Who is Kaley's father, Keith Young?
The father of the Young siblings, Keith was also an NYC fireman, a first-responder on ground zero during the 9/11 attacks. A chef and a firefighter, he was no stranger to reality TV, seeing that he stared on 'Chopped' shortly after his wife's death and even went on to win the reality cooking show twice. Keith clearly had a passion for food and it translated through his product, the Cup Board Pro. It was a dream of his to be on 'Shark Tank', and although he was unable to do so, his three children saw his dream through.
Kaley is an interior designer
While running what is now the family business, Kaley is also an interior designer who is passionate about what she does. This career choice doesn't come as a surprise, seeing that she along with her siblings helped their father with design and product packaging for Cup Board Pro.
She's in a relationship with Lacrosse player Brendan Fowler
Kaley is currently dating Brendan Fowler, who, according to his Instagram profile is a former Duke athlete and a professional lacrosse player. He currently plays for the Archer's Lacrosse Club and is also the founder of Fowler Brothers Lacrosse, which provides coaching for young players. He is also a coach at the Faceoff Academy.
Now, Kaley is on the hunt for the perfect home for her family. With the help of Clinton Kelly, the award-winning host of 'Chew' and 'What Not To Wear', she hopes to find a home to share with her boyfriend and siblings.
The summary of this episode of 'Self-Made Mansions' reads: "Clinton helps Kwik-Hang's Derrek and The Cup Board Pro's Kaley and Brendan search for dream homes. Inspired by their dads' inventions, Derrek sold $8 million of his no-drill brackets, while Kaley and Brendan made over a million with their cutting board."
