Kamran Farid article from the Summer 2015 issue of Southern Alumni Magazine

the

Fruits of his Labor

K

AmRAN FARId WAS mAJORING IN COmPuTER

“i see southern as a place of opportunity,” farid

SCIENCE AT SOuTHERN WHEN HE ANd HIS

says, noting the university is affordable and has a diverse

BROTHER, TARIq, LAuNCHEd EdIBLE

student body that includes many first-generation college

arrangements out of a 500-square-foot corner of their

students. “but if you don’t have the tools to get a proper

family’s east Haven, Conn., flower shop in 1999. as he

education, you’re going to struggle all the way through.”

nurtured the fledgling business, farid put college on the back burner.

He is a firm believer in the life-changing power of earning a degree and serves on the business advisory

fifteen years later, he has experienced success

Council for southern’s school of business. “the more time

beyond his wildest imagination. today, the Wallingford,

i spend at southern, the more i want to do there,” says

Conn.-based business — which crafts, sells, and delivers

farid, who is taking classes part time after stepping away

edible bouquets of fresh fruit — is known around the

from day-to-day operations of the company in January

globe. edible arrangements, which began franchising in

2014. He remains on edible arrangements board of

2001, now boasts more than 1,300 stores in 14 coun-

directors, and in 2014 founded Kamran Capital Group,

tries, including italy, Hong Kong, Canada, and the united

which helps other entrepreneurs grow their small busi-

arab emirates — and,

nesses. that same year he

according to forbes, the

established the Kamran farid

company hit $500 million in sales in 2013. farid ultimately returned to southern in 2014 (he is only a few credits shy of graduation, and hopes to complete his degree soon), but he knows his story is the exception. not everyone abandons their studies for bigger

Kamran Farid put his Southern education on hold while helping his brother build Edible Arrangements into a global powerhouse. Now he’s back in the classroom — committed to forwarding other students’ success.

By Natalie Missakian

opportunities — or with such

continuing the family’s tradition of giving back. the idea for the Helping Hands fund came to life after farid reconnected with his favorite professor, lisa lancor, now chair of the computer science department.

He remembered she had a special rapport with students, so he asked her to personally

wildly fruitful outcomes.

“When i was first in school, i knew of kids who lost

foundation, committed to

administer the fund. through word-of-mouth on campus, lancor has

their jobs . . . or their car would be crashed, and they

already found several beneficiaries, some with eye-

wouldn’t have money for a bus pass,” says farid. “all of

opening stories. “We had faculty members saying they

a sudden, they had to choose between buying a bus pass

saw one of their students on a corner with an ‘i’ll Work

and paying tuition, so they ended up dropping out.”

for food’ sign,” lancor says.

farid had those students in mind when he donated

“a lot of these students would never seek funds

$20,000 to launch the Kamran farid Helping Hands fund

through the university if they weren’t told to come and

at southern, aimed at aiding students struggling with

see me,” she adds. “i tell them the story of Kamran and

unexpected, short-term hardships that make it difficult to

how he wants to help, and they’re just overwhelmed

finish their degrees.

with gratitude.”

the fund helps pay for the little but vital things that

farid is no stranger to adversity. His family emi-

scholarships don’t — prescription glasses for a student

grated from pakistan to West Haven, Conn., when he

who can’t afford an eye exam, diapers for a single mom,

was 3, and at the age of 6, farid was diagnosed with

medical co-pays for a graduate student facing sudden

leukemia. His father was already working three jobs to

health problems.

continues on page 35 Summer 2015 | 11

The Fruits of His Labor continued from page 11 pay the bills, including a shift sweeping floors at burger King. the

new idea — his brother, tariq, had seen edible bouquets on cruise

illness put a strain on the family — both financially and emotionally.

ships and others were doing fruit kabobs — farid says they suc-

With only one family car, farid recalls how his mother would

ceeded in professionalizing the concept and creating a lucrative

take the bus and then walk to and from Yale for his cancer treat-

business model. that combined with a quality product are the keys

ments, often carrying him home because he was so weak. He beat

to edible arrangements’ success, farid says. “a lot of love and care go into our product,” he adds, recalling

the cancer, and his mother’s determination during the ordeal left a lasting impression, as did her work ethic and belief in helping those

the early days when he handpicked the fruit for the arrangements.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: don’t overthink it. He

in need.

Growing up, he remembers delivering newspapers and shovel-

remembers telling a trusted confidant about the idea for edible

ing driveways with his five siblings to help support the family. in

arrangements and almost becoming disheartened by his cautious

middle and high school, when his friends were out having fun, he

response.

“He said, ‘i don’t know. Have you done your market

spent evenings and weekends helping out at the family flower shop

research?’” farid remembers. “We told him, ‘Well, we showed it to

and then working at his brother’s computer business. “i don’t think we knew any different,” he says. “We never

our friends and our family and our neighbors, and they loved it.’ “sometimes it’s just taking that risk,” he adds. “i was no one

thought, ‘let’s go to disney’ or things like that. it was always, ‘How do we save money, reinvest [in the family business], and also give back?’”

special. i was just another southern student who went on to start

transitioning from floral to fruit bouquets was a logical segue.

edible arrangements with my brother. We were just a family that

although arranging fruit to look like flowers wasn’t a completely

saw an idea and worked very, very, very hard to see it grow.” ■

Read more stories in the Summer 2015 issue of Southern Alumni Magazine.

real. world. education.

Study-abroad experiences at more than 300 prestigious institutions of higher learning in 42 countries.

Education that takes place outside of the classroom at archeological sites, state-of-the-art laboratories, and schools and hospitals.

Internships at leading businesses, including ESPN, the Hallmark Channel, and more. See all Southern has to offer.

UNDERGRADUATE OPEN HOUSE

October 18 SouthernCT.edu/admissions/undergraduate (203) 392-5644 • (888) 500-SCSu GRADUATE STUDIES OPEN HOUSE

October 24 SouthernCT.edu/grad (203) 392-5240

go.SouthernCT.edu/real-world Summer 2015 | 35