Soy-Yer-Dough

Soy-Yer-Dough is a wheat free modeling dough made so children with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can play safely with a clay style product. Many kids put modeling dough in their mouths or handle it for long stretches, and traditional doughs contain wheat. Founder Sawyer Sparks, from Bloomfield, Indiana, developed the recipe as a graduate project and built it into a product aimed at parents who needed a gluten conscious option.

Sparks came in asking for capital for a quarter of the business and triggered a bidding war among the sharks. The on air result was a large offer from Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec and Daymond John together for a controlling stake, far more money than he originally requested. The energy in the room reflected how much the sharks liked both the founder and the clear, kid friendly market.

What made it memorable was the clash of values once the cameras stopped. O'Leary wanted to move manufacturing overseas to cut costs, but Sparks had been firm that production would stay in Indiana to support local jobs. That commitment to keeping things domestic became the sticking point, and the televised handshake did not turn into a finished deal.

Even without the investment closing, the airing drove a sharp jump in sales, enough for Sparks to build out manufacturing in Bloomfield. To clear up confusion, since the dough contains no soy, the product was later rebranded to Yer Dough, and it reached customers well beyond Indiana.

In 2020 the brand was acquired by Sustainable Projects Group for an undisclosed amount. Public information about the product since that acquisition is limited, and its current retail presence appears reduced. The safest summary is that the founder built a real niche brand, then handed it off to a new owner.