HummViewer on Shark Tank: Meet the hummingbird feeder mask business founders

A husband and wife from Loveland, Colorado, are all set to appear on episode 8 of Shark Tank. In the upcoming episode, the duo will present an exciting way to attract hummingbirds with their feeding tool, HummViewer.

The couple's Instagram page states that their HummViewer gives an "observational sensory experience" to feed and observe hummingbirds up close. The couple, John and Joan Creed, will showcase their products on the new episode of Shark Tank on Friday, December 2, 2022 at 8 pm ET on ABC.

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HummViewer founders appearing on Shark Tank are bird lovers

Both John and Joan Creed are bird lovers, and the love began when they were kids.

From an early age, John, who is the CEO of the company, was fascinated by hummingbirds. His family spent summers at their cabin in Westcliffe, Colorado, and had several bird feeders on the deck that attracted hummingbirds.

Image via hummviewer_hummingbirdfeeder

John was fascinated and amazed by the colorful and friendly birds. He has since developed a lifelong fascination for the birds. He even learned about the different species, their habits, migration patterns, and the best way to attract them, according to their official website, hummviewer.com.

Like John, Joan has also appreciated nature ever since she was a kid while skiing and exploring the Colorado mountains. Each home they lived in always had hummingbird feeders hanging outside. She says that she has always been mesmerized by hummingbirds' fierce behavior and the way they connect with humans.

Their appreciation for hummingbirds inspired the couple to design a product that would allow them to get a closer look at birds.

The idea of a wearable HummViewer was born in February 2017. At the time, John had watched a nature documentary of a “man wearing a motorcycle helmet with a hummingbird feeder hanging out in front of his face.”

Image via hummviewer_hummingbirdfeeder/Instagram

After weeks of planning, measuring, drilling, painting and resizing, the couple completed their first hummingbird feeder mask. Eventually, one hummingbird stopped long enough and stuck her beak in to take a long drink.

The couple started selling the feeder in September 2017. The following month, HummViewer was chosen as “One of the 9 Most Inspiring Stories of 2017” by Denver’s 9News/NBC.

After testing dozens of samples from different production partners, the duo landed their first official HummViewer product. However, during Covid, they pivoted their business model and began selling HummingViewer's mask as PPE.

In September 2021, John and Joan collaborated with @Hum.Daddy on TikTok. His video of him wearing the HummViewer got 3.5M views. The next month, their patent for HummingViewer got approved. In October 2021, the duo achieved a new high for Monthly Sales for 2021.

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Shark Tank's HummViewer comes with fake flowers and rubber tubes

The HummViewer is a wearable hummingbird feeder mask through which hummingbirds can be seen up close as they suck nectar from flowers.

The plastic mask completely covers the user's face and head. The mask comes with three flower feeder tubes and one nectar bulb. These flowers and rubber tubes are attached to the front of this mask. The bird’s food (sugar and hot water) is placed inside the tubes.

The HummViewer that will be featured on Shark Tank can be used in multiple ways - as a mask, on a surface, holding it by hand or hanging it like a traditional birdfeeder. The price of this bird mask is $69.95 and it can be purchased from the official website.

Tune in on ABC on Friday to watch the humming bird feeder on Shark Tank.