Kevin Hart Becomes Temporary Shark on ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’; Discusses Mission to Close Racial Wealth Gap

Kevin Hart made an appearance on the hit ABC show Shark Tank and discussed the importance of closing the racial wealth gap: “My success will ultimately help close the gap.”

Hart, first known as a comedian extraordinaire, has added philanthropist, producer and business owner to his resume. With his HartBeat Productions, he mentioned on the show that he wanted to set himself up so that he would no longer be a “work for hire.” Now, he’s launched his newly-minted HartBeat Ventures, which he says is “all about financial inclusion.”

Yahoo! Entertainment reports Hart’s HeartBeat Ventures has invested in BeyondMeat, Fablectics, Therabody and more. The multi-faceted media mogul appeared on Shark Tank last Friday as a fill-in for Daymond John and Robert Herjavec. While Kevin O’Leary may have referred to him as a “rookie” shark, Hart let it be known that the art of business is more than just what you are able to invest. 

“The beauty in business is knowledge,” Hart said in response to O’Leary’s criticism. “What you need to gain is knowledge-based off on those who have opened doors for you. Kevin has opened amazing doors. But guess what? You get older. And as you get older, you start to slip up here and there. And what is my job? My job is to pick up here.”

Hart came together with Lori Greiner in a $200,000 investment during the show, with a shared 20 percent equity. The deal was made on a product called Snactiv, a device that reportedly looks like a chopstick and helps a person eat without getting their hands dirty. “I think this is an amazing product, I love the idea, and the fun behind it,” Hart said. “As a personality, I think that the idea behind marketing behind this product — that’s what I do really well.” Hart also collaborated with Mark Cuban to invest in an entertainment company called Black Sands, which works to highlight Black history. 

Hart said that one of his missions is to help close the racial wealth gap. “As HartBeat Ventures grows, you’ll see a real initiative in closing that big financial gap between my culture and mainstream America,” Hart explained. “My success will ultimately help close the gap.”