A Maricopa man with a long list of creative pursuits is taking a shot at national television.

Farrell Road resident Austin Lawrence, 42, said he is heading to Southern California this week to audition for ABC’s Shark Tank, where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of investors in hopes of securing funding.

Lawrence shared the news today on Facebook, saying he plans to attend the show’s open casting call tomorrow at Morongo Resort & Spa in Cabazon, Calif.

He said the concept is a game show idea he first developed more than a decade ago.

“It’s one that I first created in 2011, but the technology wasn’t available yet for it,” Lawrence said. “Fast-forward 15 years and now it is.”

Shark Tank features entrepreneurs pitching products or business ideas to wealthy celebrity investors known as the “Sharks,” who decide whether to offer capital investment in exchange for equity in the business. The show has aired since 2009 and has become one of television’s most visible platforms for startups seeking investment and exposure.

In 2011, Rancho El Dorado resident Shane Pannell appeared on Shark Tank to pitch his SweepEasy broom, securing an investment offer from Kevin Harrington and Daymond John during the episode. The deal ultimately did not move forward, but Pannell later brought the product to market after years of development.

Lawrence is known locally as a guitarist, children’s book author and purveyor of tamales. (Fun fact: He even appeared in the May 2024 edition of InMaricopa Magazine as our “Connecticut” in a spread highlighting Maricopa residents hailing from all 50 states.) Now he is hoping to add entrepreneur and television creator to that list if his pitch catches the attention of Shark Tank producers.

“Please wish me luck,” he wrote in the Facebook post. “I’m excited to bring this game show to the whole world. The time is now!”