Meet Ekaksh Bansal | High School Student, Class of 2026

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ekaksh Bansal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ekaksh, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In today’s time and age of a fast-paced world, everyone regardless of age, has a device during dinner time. Few who intentionally put them away are also in a rush to finish and get back quickly. Connection and bonding over regular conversations about the world seem long lost. General learning is just not a dinner table conversation in households. Children find it boring, and parents are not able to simplify their knowledge to the level of a child. More often than not, they don’t even know where to start. This made me think that learning and growth should not be limited to classrooms. It has to be done daily. It should also be stress-free and not feel like work. It needs to be something that the entire family can enjoy as part of a regular conversation.

So, I came up with the idea of learning-based placemats and called it Xito because Xito adds the Xtra to any ordinary social setting.

Xito placemats are Educational, Fun, Engaging, and Interactive. They are intentionally designed for everyone — Children, Students, Adults, etc. These placemats cover a wide range of topics such as the U.S. Armed Forces, World Festivals, Wonders of the World, and Trivia. These are general awareness topics that are not taught in any formal setting but are relevant and critical for the growth of a more inclusive community.

I believe that for a stronger, brighter future for our communities and our world, we need to be able to have meaningful conversations and positive reinforcements every day. Thought-provoking and insightful conversations can happen everywhere! It needs to be done so that a group of people can effortlessly contribute to and together learn from, as part of a regular conversation.

Though I started with a simple purpose of promoting social interactions, I soon realized the depth of its impact and engagement.

Teens today face a unique set of challenges, from peer pressure to stress from academic and social expectations. Adolescence is a time when young people are forming their identities. With busy families on tight schedules and an increasing digital footprint with easy accessibility, many teens are not navigating this phase safely. They need guidance, emotional support, and meaningful connections to thrive. It all starts with open and honest conversations at home and at school. Ordinary conversations over general topics over an extended period of time build open, honest, comforting relationships that then increase the possibility of young people leveraging these connections when they need guidance and support.

So, I am now on a mission: a mission to increase awareness and promote the value of social interactions which will eventually and organically combat deep-creeping teen issues like anxiety, depression, technology use, substance abuse, etc.

The crux of my thought process behind my business and mission is that the future isn’t something we simply inherit, it’s something we create.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my company Xito with the thought that anything ordinary can become special with a little extra of something: a game when watched with a friend makes it special, a meal when enjoyed with family can make it special, etc. Xito, which stands for “Extra in the Ordinary,” promotes the value of social interactions in today’s digital world. Xito makes educational sustainable placemats on various non-academic topics like the US Armed Forces, World Festivals, Wonders of the World, etc. I designed and created my placemats. I iterated through multiple design ideas and worked with the vendors through the manufacturing process. I sell placemats through trade shows and also through my website. There were multiple times during the process when I wanted to give up. I initially struggled to find the right vendor, had to self-learn how to launch the website, and planned the investor pitch to raise funding to build the prototype. But I set goals for myself and, through meticulous planning and focusing on one step at a time, I finally made it happen. My biggest lesson is that perseverance is key, so keep your eyes on your goal but focus on one step at a time. Show grit and do not let the magnitude of the goal scare you.

I want the world to know that my passion is to empower the youth to make better choices and provide them with the tools and resources in my capacity because the future is not something we inherit, it’s something we create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to give him the best time ever, we’d dive into a week packed with everything that makes the Dallas-Fort Worth area such a unique place.

We would start with a trip up to the top of Reunion Tower. Those sweeping views of the Dallas skyline are absolutely breathtaking. We’d also stroll around Klyde Warren Park in Downtown, catching some live music or grabbing a bite to eat at a local food truck.

Because sports are huge around here, catching a Dallas Cowboys football game at AT&T Stadium is non-negotiable. On another night, we’d make sure to hit up a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center.

For a taste of true Texas heritage, we’d head to the Fort Worth Stockyards for a one-of-a-kind cultural experience that makes Dallas a perfect blend of modern energy and Wild West charm.

To break away from the city scene, we would go on a mini road trip to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. It’s such a cool experience to drive through and feed giraffes and zebras straight from your window, sort of like a Texas safari.

Food would obviously be a huge part of the week. We’d bounce between some of my favorite restaurants and the nicest eating spots in the area. We could stop by for dinner at Oishii Sushi, Princi Italia, Delhi Lounge, or get creative tacos from Velvet Taco. We’d eat and hang out in Downtown, Uptown, and Legacy West, where every block seems to have something new and exciting. Dessert at Mango Mango would also be a must have.

It wouldn’t matter what exact order we did things in; the combo of a variety of different experiences with my best friend would make it a trip to remember!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to thank Mr. Peter Burns from the Youth Entrepreneurship Academy in Frisco, Texas for mentoring and guiding me through the fundamentals of setting up a business. I am also extremely grateful to the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas and the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth for accepting my donations and using these placemats in both their dining area and entertainment room. I am honored and grateful to Rays of Light for their bulk purchase of my placemats.

I would also like to thank my parents who stood by me and provided constant encouragement to keep pushing forward while I was navigating the challenges of designing and manufacturing the placemats. Special thanks to my family and friends who shared their thoughts and provided feedback.

Most importantly, I would like to thank the people of the Dallas-Fort Worth area who stopped by my booth at various trade fairs and took the time to learn about my placemats. Many of them provided great responses leading to a huge conversion to sales.

Website: https://www.xito-usa.com/