How 25-year-old Somia Farid is Making Her Mark on Edible Arrangements

Tariq and Somia Farid
Listen

At age 25, Somia Farid ’15 already is vice president and general manager of Netsolace, the IT service arm of her family business, Edible Arrangements, which her father, Tariq, founded in 1999.

Today, Edible Arrangements, a global franchisor that specializes in fresh fruit arrangements, has more than 1,000 stores worldwide and revenues of over $500 million.

How exactly does a 25-year-old, who employees remember as the little girl who loved wrapping arrangements, successfully step into such a leadership role? Somia said it’s a combination of a solid business education at entrepreneurship-focused Babson, the hands-on experience she gained through working in different departments in the business, and, most important of all, having the confidence to develop her leadership style.

Somia’s family entrepreneurial legacy started with her great-grandparents, who were farmers in India in the mid-1930s before the 1947 partition of India. They grew and sold cotton and other crops, and were the first farmers in their village to have their own business. The family came to the U.S. in 1981, when her dad was 11.

In 1986, Tariq bought a floral shop in Connecticut with the help of family and friends. Inspired by the beautiful floral bouquets, Tariq began making fresh fruit arrangements and selling them out of the back of his flower shop. Customers loved this innovative new concept and Edible Arrangements was born.

Join the father-and-daughter duo Tariq and Somia Farid Silber on March 26 at 3:30 p.m. for a live case study during Babson’s Family Entrepreneurship Week.
Register Now

Somia started working at the Edible Arrangements store at a very early age. Throughout her childhood, she learned bits and pieces about the business by spending time with her dad at the store. One of the most important lessons her dad taught her was that the Edible Arrangements brand is all about the customers’ experiences. “His goal has always been to ‘wow’ customers. He always says if a customer is not ‘wowed’ by our products and service, then we’re not doing it right,” Somia said.

Somia and Tariq always knew she would join the family business. After a yearlong stint at an advertising firm, Somia joined Edible Arrangements at age 22. Wisely, Tariq put Somia to work in rotations through various departments and functions within the company, so she could learn the business in depth. Somia immediately began to notice a common challenge an heir apparent in a family business faces—how could she best establish her leadership style given when she was so young, but yet was an owner who was expected to lead? How should she establish her leadership in the shadow of a legendary entrepreneur like her father?

For Somia, the first step was to get to know the business. As she moved through the various rotations, she was quite aware of the need to simply be humble, to ask questions, and try to understand the experiences of others. But, at the same time, she also felt responsible for the business and had a desire to lead, but was acutely aware of the need to both learn from long-time employees and to outwardly show respect for their work.

An opportunity to change the dynamics came when Tariq asked her to lead the new Netsolace operation in Atlanta and a new staff of 25+ would need to be hired, in addition to an offshore team of over 100 programmers. Although it has been less than 12 months since she made the move, Somia already talks and walks like a trusted leader.

Reflecting on her experience, Somia said, “In Atlanta, I have a totally new team and I can decide what kind of leader I will be. As far as my age is concerned, I have realized that there are lots of examples of young people running successful businesses. I don’t think about it other than the fact that I know I have to understand my business inside and out, and my team has to be filled with people who are comfortable with a 25-year-old leader. It turns out lots of people are!” said Somia with a confident smile.

This article originally appeared in Family Business Magazine.

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

More from Entrepreneurial Leadership »

Latest Stories

Two people sit next to each other in a classroom
As Workforce Needs Evolve, Babson Expands Its Commitment to Professional and Executive Education To better support organizations and professionals in rapidly changing times, Babson launches an expanded Professional and Executive Education portfolio, offering courses that are online, flexible, and urgently needed, while investing in a new lodging and conference center on campus.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
June 23, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis applauds while sitting at a table during a BCERC dinner
Honoring Andrew ‘Zach’ Zacharakis for 20 Years as BCERC Director As the 45th annual entrepreneurship research conference returns to Babson’s campus, BCERC pays tribute to Professor Andrew “Zach” Zacharakis for two decades of service. Zacharakis shares reflections of BCERC and its impact.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
June 16, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership

Public safety dog surrounded by students.
It’s All in the Name: Hero the Dog Brings Safety and Smiles to Babson Trained by the state police, Babson’s newest Public Safety dog comes with unique skills to boost campus safety and community engagement.
By
Hillary Chabot
Writer
Hillary Chabot
Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.
June 12, 2025

Posted in Community