SPARK TANK!™
Where bold ideas in health, wellness, and beauty catch fire
October 17th, 2026 | Tempe, Arizona
This is not Shark Tank.
This is SPARK TANK!™
SPARK TANK!™ is a live collaborative stage experience where wellness founders, practitioners, innovators, and leaders step forward to pitch ideas, present emerging visions, and receive strategic feedback from experienced mentors, judges, and peers in real time.
Part pitch experience, part strategic refinement forum, SPARK TANK!™ was created to help meaningful ideas become clearer, stronger, and more actionable through thoughtful questioning, visibility coaching, collaborative insight, and real-world perspective.
Fundraiser afternoon tea immediately following to benefit Sonoran University scholarships.
12:30 – 2:30pm
Saturday, October 17th | 10:00am – 12:30pm
Sonoran University of Health Sciences
2152 E. Broadway Rd.
Tempe, AZ 85282
Applications to present close August 18
All proceeds from audience registration go directly to Sonoran University scholarships. Every seat filled is a student supported.
Who it’s For
SPARK TANK!™ was created for visionary leaders building ideas at the intersection of wellness, health, beauty, leadership, education, innovation, and meaningful impact.
Presenters may include:
- Wellness founders
- Health technology entrepreneurs
- Practitioners and clinicians
- Educators and speakers
- Retreat leaders
- Product innovators
- Clinic owners
- Authors and thought leaders
- Purpose-driven entrepreneurs
- Emerging startups and businesses
- Media hosts
- Researchers
- App or platform developers
- Nonprofit leaders
Whether your idea is early-stage or already established, SPARK TANK!™ is designed to help strengthen communication, refine positioning, sharpen strategic direction, and accelerate momentum.
How SPARK TANK!™ Works
Two Ways to Experience SPARK TANK!™
Take the Stage & Refine Your Vision
Selected presenters step onto the SPARK TANK!™ stage to pitch businesses, products, concepts, platforms, or emerging ideas in front of a live audience and strategic mentor panel.
This experience is designed to help presenters strengthen communication, refine positioning, sharpen messaging, and receive thoughtful, strategic feedback designed to move ideas forward from both the experts and the audience.
Presenters are selected based on:
- Clarity of vision
- Alignment and innovation
- Strength of idea and potential for meaningful impact
Applications close August 18, 2026.
Finalist Preparation Experience
If selected as a finalist, you’ll be invited into a mentored preparation experience designed to help strengthen strategic focus, presentation flow, and visibility and confidence.
This includes:
- Two 30-minute private preparation calls with Dr. Trevor Cates and Dr. Amy Bader
- Advance review and strategic feedback on your pitch materials
- 1–3 guest judges personally selected based on your presentation focus and desired outcome
Finalist Preparation Fee: $1,500
Application is free. This fee is collected only if you are selected to present — and covers everything you need to show up fully prepared and confident on stage.
Applications close August 18.
Be in the Room Where Ideas Are Refined in Real Time
SPARK TANK!™ is designed to be highly engaging for audience members — not just presenters.
As an audience participant, you’ll experience the energy of a live strategic pitch environment where founders, practitioners, and innovators present bold ideas and receive real-time feedback, strategic insight, and collaborative refinement from experienced mentors, judges, and peers.
You won’t simply observe the experience — you’ll actively participate in it through guided audience feedback, helping presenters strengthen their ideas while gaining valuable insight into communication, positioning, innovation, and business strategy along the way.
Many attendees describe the audience experience as equally inspiring and transformative, offering:
- exposure to innovative ideas
- strategic insight
- networking opportunities
- visibility and communication learning
- collaborative connection
- inspiration for their own work
Audience Registration
$100 secures your seat to attend SPARK TANK!™.
Important Note
Participants attending The ALIGN + SPARK TANK!™ Experience Retreat do not pay an additional SPARK TANK!™ application, attendance, or preparation fee.
All proceeds from audience registration go directly to Sonoran University scholarships. Every seat filled is a student supported.
SPARK TANK!™ is one powerful day. The ALIGN + SPARK TANK!™ Experience surrounds it with four weeks of virtual preparation, an immersive three-day retreat at a private luxury estate in Scottsdale, and 90 days of post-retreat integration support.
If you’re considering presenting at SPARK TANK!™, being part of the full retreat experience will prepare you in ways a single day simply can’t.
Early bird pricing ends July 13. Limited spots available.
Join Us for Afternoon Tea
Following SPARK TANK!™, we invite you to stay for an afternoon tea benefitting Sonoran University of Health Sciences — supporting the next generation of natural medicine leaders.
Included with your SPARK TANK!™ registration.
Your Hosts
Dr. Trevor Cates, ND
Dr. Trevor Cates is a naturopathic physician, USA Today bestselling author, entrepreneur, and co-founder of The ALIGN Framework™. She is the author of Clean Skin From Within and Natural Beauty Reset, and founder of The Spa Dr.®, a natural skincare and supplement company she grew and successfully exited.
With over 25 years of experience in women’s health, skin wellness, and root-cause medicine, Dr. Cates has helped millions through her clinical work, books, media appearances, and educational programs. She has been featured on The Doctors, Extra TV, and numerous other media outlets, and hosted a PBS special, a 10-part documentary series and two podcasts.
Through The ALIGN Framework™, she mentors healthcare practitioners and founders in building purpose-driven, sustainable businesses that extend beyond one-on-one care. She is passionate about helping leaders expand their impact, visibility, and long-term legacy.
As co-host of SPARK TANK!™, she brings deep expertise in clinical innovation, brand building, and scaling mission-driven businesses.
Dr. Amy Bader, ND
Dr. Amy Bader is a naturopathic physician, entrepreneur, educator, and co-founder of The ALIGN Framework™. She is the co-founder of SkinTē®, a collagen beverage brand that scaled to over 8,000 retail locations prior to its exit, with placement in major retailers including Sprouts, Publix, Mariano’s, Erewhon, and expanded into Walmart stores across multiple U.S. regions. SkinTē® has been featured in major media outlets including FOX, Bloomberg, Inc., Beauty Independent, and Allure.
Dr. Bader is also recognized as a pioneer in remote clinical practice and serves as faculty at the National University of Natural Medicine, where she teaches and mentors future practitioners. Known for her ability to blend analytical precision with creative vision, she works closely with healthcare professionals and founders to clarify ideas, refine strategy, and build aligned, scalable businesses.
Through her work with The ALIGN Framework™, she helps practitioners expand beyond traditional practice models into more impactful and sustainable careers.
As co-host of SPARK TANK!™, she brings expertise in product development, business strategy, and turning ideas into viable, market-ready solutions.
SPARK TANK!™ Testimonials
Spark Tank was extraordinary.
“Spark Tank was extraordinary. I watched other entrepreneurs pitch and found clarity I didn’t know I was looking for. The room gave us feedback from people who would actually use what we’re building. That pressure test was everything — iterate, find weaknesses, understand your strengths.
But here’s what really landed: the moment I said it out loud, my idea stopped being theoretical. When you keep an idea in your head, you don’t hear what needs to change. Spark Tank forced that conversation.”
- Dr. Deedra Wells
A place where ideas could be taken seriously, held generously, and strengthened through collaborative feedback.
“Pitching at Spark Tank was equal parts nerve-wracking, fun, and deeply meaningful.
Brent and I were so honored to be invited into that space, especially at NUNM, and especially after being coached and supported by Dr. Trevor Cates and Dr. Amy Bader in advance.
And, having been a part of the world of entrepreneurship for quite some time, I know how much it can be a cutthroat and competitive environment. Spark Tank definitely felt different from the usual pitch environment.
It wasn’t a room built around ego or takedowns. It really was a smart tank, not a shark tank. A place where ideas could be taken seriously, held generously, and strengthened through collaborative feedback.
The judges were clearly chosen with care. Barclay Burns and Bill Kelly gave us feedback that was practical, clarifying, and expansive, and the presence of the student and faculty community made the room feel even more alive. We were so fortunate to also get time with the other guest judges, and have stacks of paper to read through and consider as we continue incubating, and growing, our idea.
For us, Spark Tank really was more than a pitch. It was a place to test language, feel the resonance of the idea in real time, and receive reflection from people who genuinely wanted to help it grow.
We left with stronger language, better questions, a more committed direction, meaningful connections, and a lot of gratitude.
It was a formative experience for both of us, as partners in business and in life.”
- Brittany and Brent Martin
An incredible experience.
“An incredible experience. I was extremely impressed with the caliber of judges — the feedback was helpful, structured, and actionable.”
“The feedback from the judges was phenomenal. I really appreciated the mix of doctors, students, and entrepreneurs.”
“I loved hearing new ideas, being around influential people, and feeling inspired throughout the experience.”
“The judges were very insightful, encouraging, and helpful. It created a really supportive environment.”
“I enjoyed seeing how ideas were shaped in real time and how valuable the feedback was for turning concepts into something more concrete.”
- From the Audience
Ready to Bring Your Idea to Life?
SPARK TANK!™ was created for bold ideas that deserve to be heard. Whether you’re taking the stage, cheering from the audience, or joining us for the full retreat experience — we’d love to have you in the room.
Applications to present close August 18. Early bird retreat pricing ends July 13.