Who is Steve Tisch? Guest Shark Tank Judge

When it comes to guest sharks, Steve Tisch is one of the most successful. He is a movie producer, TV producer, and co-owner of the New York Giants. His career has spanned decades, and shows no signs of slowing down!

Steve Tisch shark tank guest judge

He has worked with Sony Entertainment in conjunction with his movie production company, Escape Artists. Tisch is an alum of Tufts University and was awarded the school’s P.T. Barnum Award in 2007 for his contributions to the media and entertainment industries.

Early History

Born in New Jersey, Tisch began his life as the son of a film producer. His father also served as the Postmaster General for the United States. Steve has two siblings, Jonathon and Laurie.

Due to his father’s influence, Steve was able to break into filmmaking at a young age. He began his career at Tufts University while studying, and was able to transition directly to the film business following his college years.

His work in the film industry includes some of the most successful movies in Hollywood history. From Risky Business to Forest Gump, he brought some of the world’s most famous stories to life. In fact, his 1983 role in Risky Business was Tom Cruise’s first! Tisch didn’t limit himself to movies, and also worked on TV production as well.

In addition to his family connections, Tisch worked some entry-level jobs and positions at the start of his career. He was a production assistant on the 1971 films Cry Uncle! and Such Good Friends.

He has also had some bit parts as an actor. Tisch has appeared as himself on the program Billions, has also had a cameo, uncredited, on Seinfeld, and has been on the program Entourage.

Tisch’s first film was called Outlaw Blues. He created this movie shortly after leaving Columbia Pictures. After this first release in 1976, his next film was the box office hit, Risky Business. This was the start of a long run of producing hit films. In addition to his films being hits, they became a part of pop culture and American History.

Business Life

Tisch began his career with Columbia Pictures, now a part of Sony Pictures, as a film creator and TV producer.  With an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion, Tisch is one of the most successful film and TV producers in modern history.

In addition to his production credits, Tisch also serves as the Chairman and Executive Vice President for the NFL’s New York Giants. The team is co-owned by the Tisch family, with Steve’s father serving as owner when he was alive.

With the New York Giants, he earned two Super Bowl rings. Many people love to joke that he’s the only person who has won both a Super Bowl and an Oscar. In fact, he is the only person who has an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy nomination, and two Super Bowls. Tisch won his Oscar for his work on the film Forest Gump.

His current production company, Escape Artists, is an independent film company that is a part of the Sony Pictures family. With this company, Tisch has produced an impressive number of films.

The production company has also worked on television projects as well as a series with the Apple TV streaming service. He has worked with Nicholas Cage and Will Smith on more than one occasion. In addition to his films, he is also known for hit TV programs like The Burning Bed starring Farrah Fawcett.

Tisch takes an active role as the Chairman of the New York Giants football team. When the team performed less than stellar, he wanted to make changes. Considering the fact that the team finished the season with a 4-13 record, many fans and pundits agreed with Tisch’s stance.

After the 2021 football season, he is reported to have leaned quite heavily on co-owner John Mara to agree with his proposed changes. Word on the street is that Tisch wanted the head coach gone and Mara wanted to give him a third season to prove himself. In the end, head coach Joe Judge left the organization.

Shark Tank Investments

There seem to be as many misses as there are hits when it comes to the investments that Shark Tank guest sharks make. For Steve Tisch, his investment in Cookie Dough Cafe proved to be a winner.

  • Cookie Dough Cafe – in a joint venture with Lori Greiner, Steve proposed a $100,000 investment in exchange for a 30% equity interest in the company. This was the deal that was agreed to, in spite of Steve trying to lobby for a 40% equity stake. The company produces a snack dessert food that is healthier than eating typical cookie dough. It is considered healthier and safer because the mix doesn’t include eggs. This means that the dough can be enjoyed without having to worry about getting a stomach ache soon after! The investment was definitely a winner! When the deal occurred on Shark Tank, the company was valued somewhere between $250,000 and $330,000+. Now, it is enjoying sales of around $5 million!
  • Cycloramic – although he threw his hat into the ring on this deal, Steve wasn’t successful in his bid. He partnered again with Lori initially. Unfortunately, she dropped him and went with Mark Cuban. In 2018, the app was acquired by Carvana for $22 million, which is a healthy increase over the estimated $3.33 million valuation that was given during the Shark Tank pitch. This app uses smartphone cameras to take 360-degree photos.

Even though he missed out on the Cycloramic deal, Steve still did pretty good as a guest shark! With his Cookie Dough Cafe deal, he received a healthy return on his investment. He also was able to interact with some of the smartest business minds in the country!

He also got the chance to work with Lori Greiner, who many consider to be one of the smartest people working in marketing today.