Courtney Caldwell

Post-pitch story

Courtney and Tye Caldwell pitched ShearShare as Airbnb for salon chairs — letting stylists rent booth space by the day. The idea kept winning long after the episode: in 2021 ShearShare took the $1 million top prize in the 43North competition and moved its headquarters to Buffalo, New York, with total funding reaching about $5 million. Then came the hard part — financial strain and a lawsuit from M&T Bank over unpaid debt put the company under pressure. The story resolved in November 2024, when ShearShare was acquired by an undisclosed strategic buyer. The Caldwells framed the sale as a way to amplify the mission they started with, and they remain active in Buffalo's startup scene. From a pitch about empty salon chairs to a seven-figure prize and an eventual exit — a full entrepreneurial arc, with the messy middle included.