Black entrepreneurs Joel Griffith and Maurice Bachelor founded Bot-It, an AI-powered website and smartphone app that automates online tasks. The duo founded their business after finding it impossible to secure tee times during the outbreak.
Griffith, a former Trenton resident, stated that there was a high level of interest in golf. “Golf has surged in popularity. As soon as they [tee times] became available, they were gone.
“Other people said, ‘We need this [automated process] for sneakers, for concert tickets, for restaurants…’,” Griffith told me.
As golf buddies who live in Los Angeles, they discovered that firms were developing Bots to buy up all of the tee times and selling them online for greater costs. They created Bot-It as a way to strike back.
“If you need anything automated—booking time, dinner reservations, concerts, you set up a bot and the system will do it for you,” Griffith went on to say. “You don’t have to be on the computer at the exact time.”
The couple recently featured on the entrepreneurship show “Shark Tank” to pitch their company to investors. In October 2023, Mark Cuban and Michael Rubin made them an offer of $300,000.
“I felt great,” Griffith added. “We were quite happy. It’s quite difficult to get on the show. Once you’re there, the sharks will be sharks. We were fortunate to be so prepared. We answered all of their questions in a timely manner.”
Explaining their debut on Shark Tank and the money they received, they stated that the process was rigorous and required extensive preparation.
“I was very nervous,” Griffith admitted. “My legs were shaky.” Fortunately, it did not appear on TV. “They did an excellent job of editing.”
“The most rewarding aspect of being on the show for me was showing others from my hometown that they, too, can achieve great things. Go to school. Continue to grind. “You can do anything.”
Griffith has always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and he also wants to help others.He was born in Trenton but grew up in Mercer County, where he witnessed the rise of various athletes from Trenton and Hamilton. Thus, becoming an athlete was normal growing up, but Griffith chose to pursue his own path. He now wants other Trenton residents to be successful businesses as well.
“I think Trenton is prime for a comeback,” he was quoted as saying. “There is fresh interest in the city now that the mayor is in charge. Trenton appeals to entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand. A new home development is being constructed. Trenton has a lot of potential.”
Griffith formerly held account executive positions at LinkedIn, Snap Inc., Amazon, and TikTok before co-founding Bot-It. He advises other budding businesses in Trenton to “keep going”.
“Being an entrepreneur involves a lot of ups and downs. If you believe in your product or service, keep fighting the good fight. Hopefully, you’ll succeed.