在大学宿舍里创业的美国姑娘们

私家花生酱品牌Wild Squirrel Nut Butter

创始人：蒂莉•提勒特森，艾瑞卡•威尔什

年龄：20岁，21岁

学校：俄勒冈大学

毕业时间：毕业前离校

    如果花生酱没了，大多数人会出去到杂货店，买上一罐新的——但提勒特森和威尔什不会这么干。作为俄勒冈大学（University of Oregon）二年级学生，他们用一款食品加工器和一包花生自制美味，开始在简单的配方中添加新的成分，Wild Squirrel Nut Butter就这样诞生了。2012年，两人登上了美国ABC电视频道的Shark Tank节目。投资者芭芭拉•考克兰愿意出资5万美元，但却遭到两人拒绝，因为她们不希望失去对公司未来的控制权。两人在Shark Tank节目中的露面带来了很大的广告效应：提勒特森和威尔什的电话开始响个不停，网站流量猛增。如今Wild Squirrel五种口味的花生酱已在160家杂货店上架销售，明年更是计划覆盖全国市场。

    下一步？两位创业者在上完了大二后就离开了学校，专注于公司发展。9月底，ABC电视台Shark Tank节目组的一个摄制组将飞到俄勒冈对Wild Squirrel进行跟进报道。

Wild Squirrel Nut Butter

Founder(s): Keeley Tillotson and Erika Welsh

Age: 20, 21

School: University of Oregon

Graduation: Left before graduation

    When out of peanut butter, most snackers stroll to the grocery store and pick up a new jar—but not Tillotson and Welsh. As sophomores at the University of Oregon, they used a food processor and a bag of raw peanuts to whip up a homemade treat, started to add new ingredients to the simple recipe, and Wild Squirrel Nut Butter was born. The duo appeared on ABC's Shark Tank in 2012. Investor Barbara Corcoran offered them $50,000, but they turned it down in hopes of maintaining control of their company vision. Appearing on the show was a brilliant PR move: Tillotson's and Welsh's phones began to ring off the hook and their web traffic sky-rocketed. Wild Squirrel's five flavors are now sold at 160 grocers, with nationwide distribution chalked for next year.

    Up next? The entrepreneurs left college after completing their sophomore years, focusing instead on their growing company. ABC's Shark Tank is flying a film crew to Oregon in late September to do a follow-up segment on Wild Squirrel.