Photography by Lo Kuehmeier.
For more than a year — or what seemed longer — the pandemic imposed restrictions on every aspect of our lives, including travel. Countless planned vacations were disrupted, but amidst these challenges, Tarik Syed found the perfect niche to launch his first business at the age of 13.
Now attending St. Mark’s as a freshman, Syed is the mastermind behind the successful Explorer Box. Instead of bringing people to countries, Syed found a way to help others learn about different cultures without leaving home. The Explorer Box went through a prototype phase that focused on Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It was tested when Syed sold five boxes to friends and family. Now, the box has gone through miles of improvements.
“I needed to find something that could introduce kids to all these different cultures, because cultural exploration is a big part of education,” Syed says. “It creates more people to be open-minded and lets people have more tolerance to other types of people.”
Each Explorer Box is completed with recipes, activities and comprehensive information about a specific country. The box’s main goal to give kids ages 5-11 an immersive experience. A fresh box is crafted every quarter, affording ample time for product sourcing and manual assembly. Typically, the process spans about two months, encompassing country selection, research and product procurement. Having produced boxes for London, Tokyo, Berlin and Buenos Aires, Syed’s experiences have enhanced his understanding of durable and sustainable products.
“The process has taught me a lot about marketing and business skills and to be more confident in myself, to be more self-assured, and to go do something and make a plan and execute it,” Syed says. “The biggest lesson was learning how to create something and make a good product and bring it to the market and pitch it to different people.”
Although COVID-19 restrictions have been mostly cleared, Syed still is passionate about the Explorer Box and connecting people with other cultures. A recent study by Forbes found 40% of American adults haven’t left the country, and 10% haven’t left their home state. For children, that number is significantly lower. Syed hopes that the Explorer Box will help bring awareness to children his age who have an interest in learning about other cultures but can’t experience it themselves. Syed also has personal insights into traveling as he was born in India and raised in Dallas.
Each box is listed for $34.99 and for those who want an extra dose of cultural fun, Explorer Box offers a quarterly and annual option. Looking ahead, Syed plans to further market the Explorer Box by creating an app and a website. Currently, he is preparing for the forthcoming box, which will delve into the historical realm of ancient Athens.
“Traveling connects me to different people and also reminds me where I’m from,” Syed says. “Traveling is very exciting, and I love learning as well. This business helps me learn more about different countries and learn as I make the boxes. It helps meintroduce new people to new cultures which I find important.”
