- Kunal Nayyar is an actor best known for appearing on "The Big Bang Theory."
- He's very close to his parents, but he lives in LA and they're in India.
- Helping them coordinate travel documents inspired his new business.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kunal Nayyar, cofounder of IQ121. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I've always been very, very close to my parents. They're my best friends. I was born in London but moved to New Delhi as a toddler. There, my dad was an accountant, and my mom was an interior decorator. They always valued the opinions my brother and I had, and never made us feel stupid or silly.
I'm so lucky to have been born to these parents. I feel we have a soul connection that keeps us close even when we're apart. Yet, the logistics of staying connected when we live on different continents have been challenging.
Keeping in touch got easier with tech, but is still challenging
In the late 1990s, I moved to the US for college. I would buy international calling cards to check in with my parents. Those were expensive, especially for a student, so I would ration them out for when I really wanted to hear my parents' voices.
Back then, I spent my summers in the US working, but I made sure to see my parents in person at least once a year, usually on Christmas.
Now, video calling has made it easier to stay connected constantly. I see my parents in person more too — we usually visit each other three to five times a year. I go to see them and my brother in India, and they come to visit me in LA or London too.
I wanted to create a platform to store essential documents
Living between LA, London, and New Delhi meant that I was constantly arranging travel, whether for myself or my family. It started back in college, when I would need to send my parents documents to sign. They would scan them and send them back.
As I got older and took over booking travel, I would need to ask for their passports. I'd send itineraries only to have my mom send me a panicked text asking why I hadn't forwarded her flight details. It was stressful.
The seed of an idea started to take hold. I wanted to create a platform where all these important documents could be stored in one place. Eventually, that became IQ121, the company I cofounded. IQ121 allows people to store all their important documents — like passports, licenses, wills, and insurance cards — and give access to select family members.
Streamlining logistics allows us to make the most of our time together
As I worked with my team to build IQ121 I kept expanding it based on what I needed. My parents need travel health insurance in order to get their visas, so we made sure there was a place for that on the app. After a family vacation spent air-dropping photos to each other, I created the means to share photo albums.
When you get older, time becomes more valuable. I want travel to be easy for myself and my parents. I want us to spend our time together sitting on the back patio, sipping rosé, and talking about the meaning of life, not discussing travel logistics. IQ121 lets that happen.
The app isn't just about travel. Earlier this year, so many of my friends were affected by the fires in LA. Many of them lost everything, including their important documents. I saw how the app I created could be truly utilitarian, helping people ensure they have the documents they need, when they need them.
Acting and entrepreneurship take similar perseverance
Being an actor is about so much more than just acting. To make it, you have to have something inside you that makes you believe anything is possible. Whatever road block you encounter, you need to be willing to work through. You're facing constant rejection and need tons of commitment.
Being an entrepreneur is the same. I had a dream about this app, and that dream has stayed with me.
Still, I don't like labeling myself as an actor or entrepreneur. I'm just a human, having a human experience. I'm transitioning to this new phase, with a platform that will make that human experience a bit easier for everyone.
