At just 23 years old, Shirah Benarde has already lived several lifetimes of purpose. As the co-founder and CEO of NightCap, she leads one of the most recognizable drink spiking prevention brands in the world, yet her story begins not with ambition, but with instinct. What started as a dream at sixteen has grown into a movement grounded in protection, awareness, and empowerment.
On this episode of The Healthspan Collective podcast, Benarde reflects on the journey from a handmade prototype to statewide legislation, sharing how consistency, self trust, and a deep respect for wellbeing have shaped both her business and her life.
A Dream That Became a Responsibility
The idea for NightCap did not arrive in a boardroom. It arrived while Benarde was sleeping. After learning that a college friend had her drink spiked, she recalls, “one night I went to bed and thought of this idea while I was sleeping, like in a dream. I literally thought of this scrunchie that doubled as a drink cover.” When she woke up, the urgency was immediate. “I was like, okay, I need to make this, ’cause this could save someone’s life.”
She ran through her house gathering materials, pantyhose, an old scrunchie, tape, and presented the prototype to her father. “I sat down with my dad and I was like, look what I just made, like this could save someone’s life.” What followed was not hesitation, but belief.
Building Before Being Ready
NightCap was never built overnight, despite how it might appear now. “People think it like happened overnight and we’re like, no, this has taken us so long,” Benarde says. With her brother leveraging college resources and pitch competitions, and early exposure through Fox Business, the brand began to take shape. Still, the work was unglamorous. “Most days can be very mundane,” she shares. “Not every day is gonna be like that TikTok business that you see.”
This commitment to showing up, even when the work felt invisible, became a defining trait. “Just showing up will get you to your goals,” she says, a lesson that echoes far beyond entrepreneurship.
Changing the Conversation Around Drink Spiking
Before NightCap, drink spiking was rarely discussed openly. “People were not covering their drinks. People were not talking about drink spiking,” Benarde explains. Social media became a tool not just for marketing, but for education. “We’ve been able to utilize social media in a way to not only talk about a product, but spread awareness.”
As stories poured in, patterns emerged. “This is a crime that’s done by people that are close to you,” she notes. “This is not something that’s always done by a stranger.” That realization shifted the conversation from fear to preparedness, from blame to prevention.
Confidence Built Through Action
Appearing on Shark Tank at seventeen was a turning point. “It was life changing,” Benarde says. “If I can make it here, like this can be the biggest thing.” That experience taught her to humanize opportunity. “They started just like how we did,” she remembers thinking before walking onto the set.
That mindset later led her to walk straight up to the CEO of Forever 21 at a retail conference. “It wasn’t about me talking to her, it was about me giving people access to a product,” she explains. The result was placement in over 400 stores.
Protecting the Self Behind the Mission
Despite the scale of her work, Benarde is intentional about her own health. “I take physical and mental health so seriously. I think it comes before my business,” she says. Weekly coaching, spiritual study, journaling, and movement keep her grounded. “Putting my needs first physically and mentally is truly how I show up in business.”
She is equally committed to living fully outside of work. “I need hobbies and I need interests,” she says. “You have to have a life.”
Making Safety Second Nature
Today, NightCap’s mission extends into legislation. After years of advocacy, California passed a law mandating access to drink covers upon request. “My goal now is basically making drink covers as accessible as a napkin,” Benarde shares. “In a few years from now when you go to the bar, safety is as accessible as a napkin.”
For her, impact is the true measure of success. “You can make real change,” she says. “I have no background in any of this. I just showed up every day.”
Closing Reflection
Shirah Benarde’s story is a reminder that healthspan is not only about longevity, but about safety, agency, and collective care. Through NightCap, she is redefining what it means to protect ourselves and each other, proving that when intention meets action, wellbeing becomes a shared responsibility. This is the heart of The Healthspan Collective, creating systems that allow people to live, gather, and thrive with greater confidence and care.
