Jake Deleon, a Drexel University alumnus, recently appeared on ‘Shark Tank’ and secured an investment deal, writes Michael Tanenbaum for PhillyVoice.

Deleon is the founder of Fila Manila, a condiment brand that celebrates flavors and ingredients popular in Filipino cuisine.

Born in the Philippines and grew up in Camden County, Deleon pitched his condiment brand with goals of representing the next generation of Filipino-American flavors.

Fila Manila’s condiments include banana-based ketchup, ube purple yam and coconut spread, adobo marinade and sauce, creamy peanut sauce, and pineapple rum sauce. Each is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan without artificial colors or flavors.

Daniel Lubetzky, guest panelist on ‘Shark Tank’ and founder of Kind, agreed to invest $250,000 in Fila Manila in exchange for a 20 percent ownership stake at a reduced valuation of $1.25 million. Deleon can get back 5 percent of the company by meeting sales benchmarks.

“I’m super psyched I got a deal with Daniel. He was the shark I was targeting, and I think Daniel’s experience building Kind is going to bring Fila Manila where I want it to be,” said Deleon.

He is hoping to expand the company’s U.S. footprint and boost e-commerce sales of his spreads. 

Read more about Jake Deloen’s entrepreneurial journey with Fila Manila and beyond in PhillyVoice.

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