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 f.
