Tariq Farid (Entrepreneur and Philanthropist) is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Edible® International, the pioneer and worldwide leader in high quality, artistically designed fresh fruit arrangements. In addition, he has founded or acquired successful companies in the fields of technology, distribution and supply chain management and has established a charitable foundation designed to support causes both at home and around the world.

Tariq was born in Pakistan in 1969 and immigrated to the United States when he was 11. He grew up in West Haven, CT, and became a U.S. citizen in 1986.

As a teenager, Tariq worked in a local McDonald’s for several years, and it was there he learned the power of business systemization. His own entrepreneurial experience began in the late 1980s when, at age 17, he used a $5,000 loan from his parents and family friends to purchase a local flower shop. Within two years, Tariq was operating four highly successful stores.

He launched the first Edible Arrangements® store in 1999 in East Haven, CT. He was inspired by the convergence of three trends: Americans’ growing consumption of fresh fruit, the robust growth in the specialty foods market, and the increasing amount of money Americans were spending on gifts. The first Edible Arrangements® franchised location opened in 2001 in Waltham, MA. The company has since grown to more than 1,300 stores worldwide.

The same year Edible Arrangements® opened its first franchise, Tariq founded Netsolace, Inc., a computer software distributor for the franchise industry. A self-taught computer whiz, he designed all the computer systems Edible Arrangements®’ franchisees use in their day-to-day operations, including order processing, training manuals, production and profitability tracking, and supply chain management.

In 2014, Tariq acquired software provider Emaximation and rebranded the company as Naranga, which provides a wide range of technology solutions designed to help franchise companies market themselves and manage their operations.

In 2013, Tariq established the Tariq Farid Foundation as a way to support causes both at home and around the world. The Foundation’s contributions total almost $1 million annually, and have benefited dozens of programs, including hospitals, schools, homeless shelters, food pantries, and organizations addressing childhood cancer, assisting refugees, and promoting leadership opportunities for youth. Tariq also started the Edible Cares® Fund, which provides financial assistance to Edible Arrangements® store employees in times of extreme need.

Tariq is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the IFA in 2009. In February 2018, Tariq was inducted into the IFA’s Hall of Fame. He has been designated a Certified Franchise Executive by the Board of Governors of the Institute of Franchise Executives. Tariq was instated into the Connecticut Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame in 2015. In April 2016, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Southwest New England’s Business Hall of Fame.