ALUMNUS PROFILE: BRIAN RATNER '89

Brian Ratner has been featured on the Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers and the Legal 500 Leading Lawyers lists since 2014, and has been selected by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America for the past two years. But heading the International Practice at global litigation law firm, Hausfeld, is only the tip of the iceberg. He is also the President of CertifiKID, a family-run company that recently appeared on the popular ABC television show, Shark Tank, and landed one of the top deals in the show’s history.

Please tell us a little about your life since Valley School.

After graduating from Valley School, I went to Shady Side Academy. Then, I attended college at Indiana University in Bloomington and law school at the University of Pittsburgh. After practicing law for many years at a Washington, D.C. plaintiff-side litigation firm of 75 lawyers, I was part of a group of 25 that separated to start Hausfeld, a new global litigation law firm, in 2008. As a Partner at Hausfeld, I serve on our Global Executive Committee, am head of the firm’s International Practice, and specialize in global antitrust litigation. Hausfeld is now 100 lawyers-strong and operates in 11 offices across 6 countries. In addition to practicing law, I am co-founder and President of CertifiKID.

You recently appeared on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Mr. Wonderful. Tell us about your product.

Recognized by CNBC, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian Magazine as one of the best deal websites for parents, CertifiKID is a resource that helps parents find kids’ activities, family entertainment, camps, classes, birthday party packages, getaways, family-friendly products and services and more, all at unbeatable prices. People sign up with the website (www. certifikid.com) or app, and then get a daily deal email of exclusive offers at incredible savings on everything families want and need. We have over one million subscribers, and we offer more than 300 regional deals daily. We’re located in the Greater Washington area (D.C., Maryland, Virginia), New York, LA, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, South Florida, Dallas, Atlanta, and—of course—Pittsburgh!

Where did the idea for CertifiKID come from?

My wife, Jamie, was an early follower of deal websites like Groupon and LivingSocial, but as a mom with 2 toddlers, she wasn’t interested in the spas and restaurants they focused on. She has always been an entrepreneur at heart, and noticed the gap in the “daily deal” market for the family/mom niche, so she pitched the concept to me during a drive home to Greensburg for the Christmas holiday of 2009. We’d brainstormed lots of start-up ideas over the years, but this one felt special, and the landscape and timing were right. The idea meshed with who Jamie is as a person, and the stage of life our family was in at the time. Almost immediately, we were off to the races. We built a website in 5 months. We went live with our first deal in Washington, D.C. in May of that year, and were profitable within 3 months.

Tell us about your Shark Tank experience.

We were unlike many of the businesses that appear on Shark Tank because we were already quite mature. We had grown CertifiKID without external investors and were always profitable. From the start, we took all the risk and kept all the control. We didn’t need financial backing, but we saw Shark Tank as a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure and replicate our strengths in new markets across the country. We went in with our eye on Kevin O’Leary. We knew him to be an investor whose portfolio reflects his interest in profitable family-focused and women-led businesses. He always says, “If you want to make money, invest in a busy mom.” Kevin drove a tough bargain, but we walked away with $600,000, and he has been an incredible partner for us. Four days after we appeared on Shark Tank, we were on The View with Kevin. That was a remarkable experience, and sales have been booming.

Brian Ratner on Shark Tank.

What in your personal history prepared you for the CertifiKID experience?

At CertifiKID, I handle high-level strategic planning, finances, legal, and H.R. I acquired business acumen through my practice as an attorney and management role at my firm. I am experienced at negotiating and resolving business disputes, and I use that training to approach challenges we encounter at CertifiKID. Since I am a founding Partner of my law firm, I have been through the start-up process, and am heavily involved in firm management, I am capable of navigating the ups and downs, and managing and supporting people in a way that creates a positive team culture and increases productivity, which hopefully, has contributed to CertifiKID’s success.

What were you like as a kid?

I am an extrovert, so I tried to be friends with everyone; that was important to me. I was intellectually curious, and probably drove plenty of people nuts with my incessant questions. School was challenging. I wasn’t the kind of kid who aced everything easily, but I was driven to work hard because I wanted to be successful. At a young age, my view of success was holistic. It didn’t necessarily mean traditional success, but was more about the satisfaction of persevering through a challenge, and making a difference.

What comes to mind when you recall your Valley School experience?

I have great memories of Valley School. I thrived in the close-knit community. I felt the love and encouragement of my teachers, and I always knew they were there to support me. The academic rigor at Valley equipped me well for high school and higher education. I developed a lot of leadership qualities there, too. I was president of my 9th-grade class, and upon graduating, I won the Founder’s Award, which was a source of pride. I most fondly recall two teachers: Mr. Hutzell, who instilled in me a passion for history and politics, and Mrs. Varga, who taught me not only how to write, but to love it. I credit those teachers a great deal for my decision to pursue a Journalism/Political Science major in college and, ultimately, to go to law school. And I’ve carried these interests through everything I’ve done since school.

What is your vision for the future of CertifiKID?

I see CertifiKID continuing to expand more deeply in our current markets as well as venturing into new geographic markets. I see us becoming a household name all across the country. I look forward to the joy that working together and growing CertifiKID will continue to bring my family. We truly are a family business. CertifiKID benefits from the talents of my inspirational wife who is our fearless visionary and leader, as well as my father-in-law who is our CFO, and even my 2 children. Noah is 11, and we consider him our Chief Marketer. My daughter, Lila, is only 10, but she knows all the trends and is quite adept at social media strategy! The rest of our family also supports the business in myriad ways.

What advice do you have for current Valley School students who are looking toward the future?

As soon as you know what you really want to do, don’t wait to do it. It’s very easy to be a sheep and just follow the herd by seeking and taking the opportunity that everyone else wants and is seeking. But the sooner you can figure out what you really want to do the better, because once you are in that situation, the fulfillment will come immediately. Also, Valley School is a warm and enriching environment, and an amazing platform for future success. Feel fortunate to be there. Take advantage of the gift of your experience.

*CHECK OUT BRIAN’S SHARK TANK EPISODE: https://jumpshare.com/v/p01FjNkeKzjVtiffEgd8