This Scrunchie Could Literally Save Your Life, with Shirah Benarde, the Gen Z CEO and Co-Founder of NightCap

Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff

Rebecca Minkoff

Society & Culture

4.8 • 543 Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On SUPERWOMEN, I talked to Shirah Benarde, the 22-year-old CEO and co-founder of NightCap. When she was just 16, Shirah found out that one of her friends had been roofied. Not long after, she got to work, taping together a pair of pantyhose and a scrunchie to make a prototype of a device that can help protect people from drink-spiking. Cut to one year later: Shirah and her brother Michael pitched the product on “Shark Tank” and secured a deal. But launching her business as a Gen Z founder was far from easy. “I knew deep down that I had no idea what I was doing, and that made it really hard for other people to see me in a professional way,” she told me. Shirah pushed herself to really understand her business, making costly mistakes along her journey. “We definitely spent a lot of money on things that we didn’t know that worked,” she said, “but it was a huge learning lesson.” In the process of building her company, she discovered how to get people to trust her vision: “You have to take yourself seriously.” NightCap has since taken off, partnering with nonprofits, and over 200 universities. The company has also been spearheading legislation to help people stay safe when they go out. This week on SUPERWOMEN, I talked to @shirahbenarde, the 22-year-old CEO and co-founder of @nightcapit about drink-spiking and her life-saving (literally!) accessories that help people stay safe when they go out. Shirah lets us in how she deals with the stigma of being a Gen Z woman in business, her time on “Shark Tank,” and how she personally convinced the CEO of a multinational fashion company at a conference to team up with her company. Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to order my book, “Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success.” Follow SUPERWOMEN (@rmsuperwomen) and Shirah (@shirahbenarde) on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Do you ever see a successful woman on your feed or in a magazine and think, wow, it must be
0:05.4	nice to have it so easy. Well, think again. Behind that glossy cover or smiling face is a ton of hard
0:12.0	work, countless failures, and endless learning experiences. I'm Rebecca Minkoff, and I'm here
0:17.1	to tell you that success isn't a walk in the park. It takes grit, resilience, and a willingness to take risks.
0:24.1	That's why I created Superwoman.
0:26.2	A podcast that peels back the varnish and gets into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to make it as a woman in today's world.
0:32.5	From luminaries and game changers to women you've never heard of but should,
0:36.5	this podcast is here to inspire you to take your next week, no matter how daunting it may seem.
0:42.1	We'll explore the sacrifices these women have made, the highs and loaves they've experienced, and the lessons they've learned along the way.
0:49.3	So if you're ready to be inspired and learn from some of the most successful women out there. Join me on
0:54.4	Superwomen. Together, we'll uncover the stories behind the successes and prove that with
0:59.4	hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck, anything is possible. Hey, everyone, you're
1:06.2	listening to Superwomen. Today's guest is Shira Bernard, the founder of Nightcap. She learned very early on at the age of 16
1:12.8	what can happen when your drink is left unattended and watched her friend get roofied. After that
1:18.2	terrifying experience, an idea came to her in a dream and with her mother's panty hose and a
1:23.5	scrunchy, she came up with the idea to protect your drinks, whether it be alcohol, water, or kombucha.
1:29.7	Cut two, she's the 22-year-old founder and CEO of an incredible company aiming to protect
1:35.6	anyone from drink spikeage. Since inception, Shira has not just saved one person, but over half a million
1:41.6	people worldwide. Nightcap has sold over 900,000 units in over 40
1:46.3	countries and has partnered with over 190 universities. She's on a mission to help change the way
1:53.5	we partake in communal activities and keep them safe. Take a listen. Shira, welcome to the podcast.
2:00.4	I'm so excited to talk to you today. Thank you so much to the podcast. I'm so excited to talk to you today.
	...

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