"An extraordinary figure" Shark Tank's Daniel Lubetzky discusses his father and their history

Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND snacks and newest judge on the hit show Shark Tank, carries with him a remarkable story of perseverance inspired by his father's journey. Lubetzky shared in a recent interview:

"My dad was an extraordinary figure. He arrived in Mexico with a third-grade education. He was a Holocaust survivor that was robbed of an education at the age of 9, and was liberated by American soldiers when he was 15-and-a-half"

His father's resilience and entrepreneurial spirit shaped Lubetzky's own path to success, culminating in the $5 billion sale of KIND to Mars while retaining a stake in the company.

Now, as Daniel Lubetzky joins the panel of business experts on ABC's Shark Tank, he brings his unique perspective on entrepreneurship and kindness to the popular show where aspiring business owners pitch their ideas to secure investment from the "sharks."

Daniel Lubetzky’s journey from Mexico to Shark Tank

Daniel Lubetzky grew up in Mexico City before moving to San Antonio, Texas, at age 16. His early exposure to entrepreneurship came from watching his father build a chain of duty-free stores on the Mexico-United States border.

"My dad was a Holocaust survivor who was robbed of an education at the age of 9," Lubetzky explains. Despite this setback, his father persevered.

"He arrived in Mexico when he was 17. He didn't speak Spanish or English. And because he only had a third-grade education, he educated himself by reading used books and used encyclopedias."

By the time his father passed away, "he spoke nine languages and had read thousands of books." Lubetzky describes him as "one of the most educated self-made people," who "worked in factories two or three shifts in a row."

Lubetzky's own entrepreneurial journey started early, he shared:

"Even when I was 8 years old, I was already making magic shows and doing parties, trying to force them into letting me do magic on them."

This passion for magic continues today:

"I love doing magic. It's so much fun for me, but because you don't want to embarrass yourself, you really, really need to practice."

After moving to the United States, Daniel Lubetzky found creative ways to earn money.

"When I moved to the United States, I didn't have a work permit, even though we moved here legally. So I had to be an entrepreneur, because I was allowed to do that."

His first ventures were humble.

"I had a lawn-mowing business, but I didn't have a lawn mower, so I had to borrow one from the people whose lawns I tried to mow. I also had a car-washing business with my cousin."

Lubetzky credits his father's influence for his business acumen and work ethic. The lessons he learned have shaped his approach to Shark Tank.

"For me, the most important thing is, do they have integrity and are good human beings? Because every entrepreneur is going to get in trouble. Not every journey is going to be perfect."

He distinguishes between being nice and being kind:

"Being nice is easier, because you can be polite. You don't need to invade people's spaces. You don't need to say things that they might not want to hear. Being kind requires the strength of honesty."

This philosophy guides his approach on the show.

"I want to be the person that says what needs to be said, but does it in a respectful, nurturing way. But I don't pull punches."

The genesis of Daniel Lubetzky’s brainchild

Daniel Lubetzky's path to founding KIND came through experience and necessity. While running his peace-focused company Peaceworks, he spotted a gap in the market.

"On those long days, when I was skipping lunch or dinner and I wanted a healthy snack, I could not find anything good. And I was spending all the time in grocery stores, and I couldn't find something that I felt good about eating."

This observation led to KIND's creation in 2004. "Back then, that category of healthy snacking didn't exist," he notes.

The company's approach was unique from the start. He shared:

"When we started making KIND bars, it was all done by hand. All of the industry relies on what's called extruded products... With KIND, we wanted to celebrate nature and use whole nuts, whole fruits, whole grains, and really, really preserve their identity."

Despite his success, Lubetzky acknowledges the struggles of maintaining work-life balance. "When I was 25 to 35, or 40 or 45, it was 18-hour days, and it was 'whatever it takes.' Maybe that's what needed to happen."

He's learned from those experiences. Today, he strives for better balance while remaining passionate about his work and legacy.

"I think it is really, really important that you invest in your family, that you invest in yourself, that you find a way to do so."

As Daniel Lubetzky takes his seat among the sharks, he brings not just his business expertise but also the enduring lessons from his father's extraordinary journey.

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Shark Tank airs on ABC Fridays at 8 PM ET and streams on Hulu.