Local businesswoman to be featured on Shark Tank

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Local businesswoman Tracy Slocum will be on ABC's Shark Tank featuring her luxury brand Pretty Rugged. The episode will premiere on October 21.

Tracy Slocum was inspired to start her business by her family history and the sense of adventure the story brings. Her great-great-grandfather, Captain Joshua Slocum, was the first person to sail around the world alone from 1895-1898. To withstand inclement weather on the water, he would wrap himself in fur to keep warm. While learning this, Tracy was encouraged to do the same.

Tracy has taken her family's love of lakes and the water and designed a blanket with luxurious four seasons faux fur on one side and a waterproof, windproof, washable backing on the other. Tracy sought out to solve an issue of being cold and wet in undesired moments such as her son's baseball game or a boat ride on Lake George. Today she leads a team of women and is making a name for herself, impressing the likes of others as well as known entrepreneurs on Shark Tank.

Slocum states, “Going into the Shark Tank will change your life forever. It was the most challenging experience of my life." The blanket introduced in 2017 has grown to take the chill out of early morning weather and can be an asset for fall and winter especially in the Northeast.