Former Penn Coursera student to pitch Bubble Soccer on 'Shark Tank'

John Radosta will be swimming with some powerful sharks later this week.

Radosta, a former Penn Coursera student, is set to appear on ABC’s "Shark Tank" on Nov. 20.

He serves as the CEO of Advanced Sports Technology and is the league commissioner of the National Association of Bubble Soccer. Bubble soccer is played just like classic soccer, except players all wear large plastic bubbles on their bodies, causing them to tip over and roll around after coming in contact with another player. Radosta will be pitching the National Association of Bubble Soccer on an episode of "Shark Tank" on Friday. 

Radosta said the sport “has that wow factor” and is a fun and social group activity, popular among young adults who “want to have a couple laughs and have some beers with their friends afterwards.” Bubble Soccer franchises host competitive team league play, in addition to private events for companies or parties.

Radosta auditioned in early 2015 for "Shark Tank." On the show, entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to real investors, who include Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John, hoping to gain funds for their start-ups. Radosta shot his episode over the summer and spent about a week working in Los Angeles. Although Radosta loved preparing his "Shark Tank" segment, he had a moment of panic upon arriving in LA: He had forgotten his suit and had "no clothes to wear" on the show. Lucky for Radosta, his girlfriend shipped his suit overnight. Radosta is not allowed to reveal the outcome of the episode until it airs.

After graduating from Northeastern University and working in sales for a few years, Radosta came upon some Bubble Soccer videos online and loved what he saw. Following some research, Radosta began working with the equipment manufacturer to further develop Bubble Soccer gear. Radosta’s company grew exponentially and now oversees 46 affiliates all over the country. In his role, Radosta helps new affiliate founders start franchises and provides business and legal guidance.  Radosta also works to further expand Bubble Soccer across the US.

Earlier this year, Radosta took an online Wharton class, the Global Business of Sports, through Coursera. He studied revenue models and structuring among American and European sports leagues. He said the class was very applicable to his day-to-day work managing a sports organization and that he thoroughly enjoyed it. Radosta added he would certainly consider coming to Philadelphia to get an MBA at Wharton in the future.

As a young business owner, Radosta encouraged Penn’s aspiring entrepreneurs to “go out and start a business as soon as [they] can.”

“Learning by doing is a much harsher teacher, but you learn the lessons a lot quicker and more intricately,” he said. “Whatever you want to do, just go out and do it.”

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