Raquel Graham, winner of “Shark Tank” Season 13 Episode 11 for her product, HEADLIGHTZ™ through her business Roq Innovation, is on a path to continue her elevation as a successful business woman. She spoke to Our Weekly about her time on the show, starting her business, and shares a few tips for small business owners.
“The first thing you have to do is get started. You have to get out of your head and make a step towards that idea or business every single day. Build that muscle, which means doing small things such as researching the competitive landscape.” She continued, “Ask yourself,’ Who are the competitors? How do I get a prototype made?’ I can go on and on, which is why I will be teaching a course soon.”
Graham emphasizes the importance of consistency and networking, a trait that some small business owners may grow weary of. “The answers only come when you take action. You have to get out of your head first. Action has to be your obsession. You have to work at your small business every single day, no step is too small.”
The Brooklyn, New York native gained her start with the launch of her first product in Chicago, NEKZ® (a scarf alternative), which she invented and created during the Polar Vortex in 2014 when she was in search of comfortable scarves for her kids. She then launched HEADLIGHTZ™, an LED beanie meant for working out, hiking, fishing or any other handsfree outdoors activity.
“Here is my secret that is not so much a secret, I create products that solve problems in my life… and that also clearly solves the problems of others as well. They are solutions to my everyday problems that resonate with my audience.”
A businesswoman and marketing genius first, Graham noted that her tv appearances have also played a role in her products gaining national attention. She has appeared on HSN, selling a multitude of units of her products in hours, with her products receiving praise from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, and Forbes.
“To be named to ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things’, that is a very high-profile place to be. And The Home Shopping Network, to me… a lot of businesses would not have done that. I’ve always loved TV shopping although some people don’t find it to be attractive, it’s not sexy to some people but I LOVE IT!”
She says that most people do not realize that TV shopping is a form of entertainment and that it is the blueprint for the current 24/7 shopping people see on social media, which is a trend that is increasingly becoming more popular in the U.S., as it is already happening in China.
Graham said that HSN and QVC have always been ahead of the curve. “They are the OG’s of this space and we currently see that with livestream shopping. It’s a form of entertainment for stay at home moms and for people who are retired.”
Black small business owners face a lot of difficulties such as access to capital, in comparison to their white counterparts. According to a 2024 Bank of America data report called the Women and Minority Business Owner Spotlight survey, “41 percent of minority business owners cite social and racial inequality as a primary economic concern, with 28 percent of Black entrepreneurs expressing skepticism about ever attaining equal access to capital.” The report also signified that “40 percent of Black business owners have experienced challenges with accessing credit, and 39 percent of those face fears of prejudice during the process.”
“I think it’s difficult for small businesses in general but when you add being a woman, and a Black woman of course, it presents challenges. Entrepreneurship is incredibly difficult because it is full of a lot of wins and losses.”
Graham reflects on financial capital and how she has utilized her access. “Access to capital continues to be a challenge, I just happen to be very resourceful and tapped into as many creative sources of financing as I could, which has been difficult but I’ve built my company in a very unique way because of that.”
She worked three consulting jobs around the clock to fund Roq Innovation and her products, NEKZ® and HEADLIGHTZ™. According to Black Enterprise, she garnered a business deal with Peter Jones and Kevin O’Leary for $200,000 for 20 percent of her company in addition to one-dollar per unit royalty until they recompense $600,000. As of 2022, she has generated $1.8 million in revenue.
Graham says “Shark Tank” really helped her not only catapult her business but, from a personal perspective, demanded and forced her to further rise to the occasion. She reflects on her time on the show.
“It was difficult but it was a very unique opportunity that I worked very hard for. There is a lot of pressure in entrepreneurship, but that was pressure on steroids. There is no repeating anything, no messing up and it’s all on live TV. My episode was very spirited. It was a part of my journey that I am very proud of.”
She will be launching her own digital business courses early October and will host a radio show, “Entrepreneuring with Raquel Graham” on KBLA Talk 1580, premiering Aug. 2, 2025 at 1:00 pm.
Her goal is to build community for small business owners. “You have to see the opportunity and create the gap, that is entrepreneurship. You are starting ‘this thing’ and creating it.”
For more information about her courses, products, and upcoming radio show visit www.roq-innovation.com and her instagram page @raquelsgraham.