American Ghost Walks Update | Shark Tank Season 15

In 2010, Mike Huberty was living in Madison and couldn’t afford his mortgage. So, he started giving ghost tours to make ends meet. His sister, Allison Jornlin, had already been doing similar tours in Milwaukee. Together, they turned it into American Ghost Walks, a business that runs haunted history tours in cities across the U.S., mixing scary stories with real local history. Will they walk into a spooky deal? Find out in our American Ghost Walks update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to American Ghost Walks after Shark Tank.

Allison and Mike appeared on Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $250,000 for 15% equity in their guided ghost walks business. After their pitch, they walked away without a deal as the sharks didn’t think the business was profitable enough.

In terms of an American Ghost Walks update, the company expanded its reach by launching tours in seven U.S. states, along with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Further, they have eventually diversified their offerings by adding themed tours like a Waukesha pub crawl and publishing a ghost book series.

Shark	Result
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Barbara Corcoran	No offer
Lori Greiner	No offer
Jason Blum	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank American Ghost Walks Pitch

• Entrepreneurs: Allison Jornlin and Mike Huberty
• Business: Guided ghost walks
• Ask: $250,000 for 15% equity
• Result: No deal
• Shark: None

Brother and sister duo, Allison and Mike, kicked off their pitch with a ghost story.

It set the tone for American Ghost Walks, their business offering guided walking tours through haunted and historic locations.

Their tours run in seven states and Puerto Rico, with 32 employees, many of whom were already doing similar work before joining the team.

The business is built around local research and storytelling. Allison and Mike handle the scripts, research, and location scouting.

Tour guides lead the groups, sharing eerie tales in cities big and small. Customers buy tickets online and attend live in-person tours.

They also offer time-lapse videos of pumpkin carvings, and custom events, and have started testing out haunted cruises.

Guest shark Jason Blum asked how long they’ve been operating. Allison started the first tour in Milwaukee in 2008. Mike added a Madison tour in 2010.

From there, they expanded to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other locations.

Barbara Corcoran asked whether all cities were equally profitable. Mike admitted some didn’t perform well.

In terms of sales, they earned $92,000 in 2020. For 2021, revenue jumped to $392,000 after adding locations, but they spent $300,000 and only profited $92,000.

In 2022, they made $546,000 but lost $42,000 due to reinvesting in tour acquisitions. They spent $115,000 buying out smaller tours.

Further, in 2023, they expected $650,000 in sales but projected to spend $600,000. They explained they’re in a growth phase and haven’t been taking much money out for themselves.

Jason said they were trying to do too much and advised them to focus on one area. He passed.

Lori Greiner liked the idea but agreed with Jason and dropped out. Barbara said they reminded her of entrepreneurs who chase too many things at once and lose focus. She also exited the negotiations.

Mark Cuban said the pitch lacked clarity, especially on how they’d scale profitably. He was out.

Meanwhile, Kevin O’Leary said the numbers didn’t add up for him. He joked he’d rather spend the $250,000 they were asking for on a new watch. He was the last shark to drop out.

Without any offers, Mike and Allison were forced to leave without a deal.

To find out what happened next for their company, keep reading our American Ghost Walks update.

Shark Tank American Ghost Walks Update

Our American Ghost Walks update shows the company now runs ghost tours in seven U.S. states: California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine, Louisiana, and Hawaii.

And they’ve also added Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

We checked out their website and Instagram, and they’ve been very active. Some of the cities where they operate include Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Honolulu, Madison, Milwaukee, Portland, and San Juan.

They even added a pub crawl tour in Waukesha and a special Winterfest Ghost Walk in Lake Geneva.

Each ghost walk usually lasts around 90 minutes, and ticket prices are between $30 and $35 per person. They also run private and corporate group tours.

They’ve started publishing ghost story books, too. The new book line is called American Ghost Books, and it includes titles like Ghosts of Lake Geneva, Ghosts of Lincoln Park, and Original Chicago Hauntings Companion.

The company now has around 32 employees helping with tours across all those cities. Tour guides include well-known names like Ursula Bielski in Chicago and Tea Krulos in Milwaukee.

Although they didn’t leave Shark Tank with a deal, they’ve clearly built something strong.

We will be back with another American Ghost Walks update as soon as we receive more information from the entrepreneurs.

However, in the meantime, you can catch up on the other companies featured during Season 15 Episode 5 here:

• I Love Chamoy Update
• Thrill Builders Update
• Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.