Crowd Rules

It's not easy running a small business, and any type of cash infusion can be beneficial to the company, which is why small business owners come on this show: to compete for the grand prize of a $50,000 investment. Each episode features three entrepreneurs who face a panel of three business experts and a 97-person audience and make the case as to why their company deserves the cash. Ultimately, the decision of which business should get the money lies with audience members, who vote to reach a majority opinion. The panel consists of news anchor Pat Kiernan, who runs a small business, and jewelry designer Kendra Scott, who grew her start-up into a global, multimillion-dollar brand within a decade. Each week, a third industry expert joins Kiernan and Scott on the panel to question the contestants and help the audience decide who should win the $50,000.