In our digital era, reducing screen time for children has become the number one problem. Growing up in an artistic family, these two Lebanese sisters knew the importance for a child to explore and play, and they were determined to create a solution. They even pitched their solution on the TV show Shark Tank and got a deal!
For those of you who don’t know, Shark Tank is a very popular show on ABC in America. In each episode, which is seen by an average of 6 million viewers, start-ups and entrepreneurs get a chance to pitch their idea to very successful investors.
Among the investors is Kevin O’Leary whose mother is Lebanese and has credited his Lebanese and Phoenciain heritage for his great success. He also later went on to invest in the startup of the Lebanese sisters.
The Khalife Sisters
Donna and Rosy Khalife fled Lebanon when war broke out and escaped to Canada. Despite the struggles on the way, they made the best out of their situation.
Their parents believed that anything was possible, and encouraged them to make their dreams come true. And so, Donna got to attend Harvard as she desired, and Rosy, who wanted to travel the world, studied abroad.
The two sisters both had a background in business, and after brainstorming on a shared Google document of 30 pages, they had an idea to start their own business.
Soon after, the two Lebanese war refugees became the creators of Surprise Ride, a company that curates subscription boxes for kids.
The subscription boxes were specially designed for children between ages 6 and 11, who would be able to read the simple instructions and do activities on their own.
Each box has a different exciting theme, which gives children a unique adventure that day-to-day life doesn’t offer. Surprise Ride helps children learn important skills and cool facts that parents could enjoy too.
Shark Tank Experience
In 2014, the Khalife sisters applied for Shark Tank, and unexpectedly got an email back! They pitched their creative idea and received an offer, but eventually left the show without any investment from the sharks.
But being on Shark Tank helped them in another way. They gained exposure to the public and reached their goal in that same year.
To their surprise, in 2016, one of the entrepreneurs from Shark Tank contacted the girls. It was Kevin O’Leary offering the sisters another deal, and they gladly took it.
Donna and Rosy have come a long way after leaving Shark Tank feeling defeated. They are now both successful entrepreneurs and share their experience and advice with others along the way.
Acquisition
in 2018, Surprise Ride was acquired by Fat Brain Toys, a family-owned educational toy retailer, as reported by the Washington Business Journal.
“This means we can continue to create bigger and better hands-on experiences for you and your little ones. We couldn’t be happier,” wrote the sisters on Instagram when announcing the news.
You can watch their Shark Tank pitch here:
