Schulich Entrepreneur Makes Travelling Easy
While on his Schulich Exchange, Ben Futoriansky (BBA ’16) had a difficult time planning trips across Europe. His many friends abroad had similar issues coordinating their excursions.
“I would always be asked the same questions. Did we book the right flight? Where are we staying? How long are we going to be there? What are the best things to do?” said Futoriansky. “We found this was a huge problem people were experiencing and that is where we came up with the idea for DestaPlan.”
Co-founded by Futoriansky and colleagues he met on exchange Greg Benhaim and Yoni Philosophe, DestaPlan is a social platform that helps travelers connect with friends and visually organize trips. It shows where your friends have been, what they recommend and how they planned their journey.
“We consider ourselves a blend of TripAdvisor and Facebook,” Futoriansky said. “Our company gives you trusted opinions from friends and tips to truly experience the culture while abroad.”
Futoriansky studied at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain while on an exchange. Entering Schulich, he never envisioned pursuing entrepreneurship. Yet after four years at the school, Futoriansky discovered a passion for building companies and gained the expertise and courage along the way to create a startup of his own.
“The biggest lesson I learned abroad was taking calculated risks,” Futoriansky said. “Living in Toronto my whole life, the exchange was the first risk I ever took. However not being afraid to take the leap gave me the six best months of my life and the experience which was the foundation for DestaPlan.”