$1Mfor 10%
Protein Candy
Valued at $10M
The pitch
Paul Dakermandji from St. Laurent, QC, pitched Ruddy Lad in Season 14, Episode 6, asking the Dragons for $30K for 30% of the company.
- Asked for$30K for 30%
- Valuation$100Kimplied by the ask
- OutcomeDealwith Vincenzo Guzzo
- Final deal$30K for 50%valued at $60K
Offers in the Den
| Dragon | Offer | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Manjit Minhas | Does not believe influencer marketing plan will work, calls founder a want-repreneur, out | Out |
| Lane Merrifield | Sees it as a lifestyle business not suited for the Den, out | Out |
| Michele Romanow | Founder needs to improve conversion, not something a Dragon is needed for, out | Out |
| Arlene Dickinson | Respects the achievement but not a scalable business, out | Out |
| Vincenzo Guzzo | $30,000 for 50% | Accepted |
Paul, from Laval, Quebec (referred to as Montreal in the pitch), asked for $30,000 for 30% of Ruddy Lad, a T-shirt brand featuring a cartoon redheaded character built around free celebrity endorsements from figures including Bono, Chuck Liddell and NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick. The brand has been operating for 18 months, has 12,700 Instagram followers, and has generated total sales of $11,400 through Kickstarter presales and one Montreal retail store; the founder had recently received a letter of intent from retailer Bootlegger, which operates 83 stores across Canada.
Manjit Minhas, Lane Merrifield, Michele Romanow and Arlene Dickinson all went out, questioning whether the founder could convert celebrity attention into sales and whether the business could scale. Vincenzo Guzzo offered $30,000 for 50%, which Paul accepted.
Pitch details from CBC’s Dragons’ Den pitch page.
Ruddy Lad today
- StatusOut of businessLast checked September 2026
Ruddy Lad, a clothing line founded by Paul Dakermandji, grew from about $30,000 in sales to about $500,000 with backing from Vincenzo Guzzo. The brand expanded into 40 Bootleggers stores across Canada, appearing in every province, and gained celebrity endorsements including from Bono, Josh Duhamel, and Ronda Rousey.