Manpreet Patel blends technology, wildlife with Hologram Zoo

Manpreet Patel, ’25G, always wanted to work in education. However, the road to that dream wasn’t easy.

With an early interest in engineering and technology, Patel’s background and education were primarily in business management.

During COVID, Patel opened a retail business with her husband. Before that, she spent years working in the corporate sector at Dun & Bradstreet. There, she oversaw large scale global projects for the U.S. Food Drug and Administration.

It wasn’t until she was pursuing her MBA at Lehigh that Patel decided to combine her expertise in technology with her appreciation for wildlife to build the second hologram zoo in the nation.

Hologram Zoo Lehigh Valley opened in July. It was developed by Patel and her husband, Harshal Patel. The zoo, located in Easton, offers a 3D holographic adventure through different wildlife shows using technology purchased from Texas-based company Axiom Holographics. 

It’s the first of its kind in the Northeast and second in the nation.

During a global European perspective class at Lehigh, Patel began developing a concrete plan to build the zoo. She said her classmates were the first to provide feedback on the project.

“I was developing the business and marketing plan, and my peers gave their unbiased opinion, which was nice because then you’re getting opinions from professors and people who know how this works,” Patel said.

After exploring other areas in technology and the corporate world, Patel said she felt more prepared to pursue the business idea during her MBA program.

“I had tried retail, I had also tried corporate and I just wasn’t too enthusiastic about it,” Patel said. “So when I was working on this idea when I was doing my MBA, it was because I had had those experiences. You just have to really push through and I wanted to enter the educational entertainment center and this is really the best I could have done to start off.”

To secure funding, Patel pitched her business idea to various banks and to Easton’s mayor. She said the practice pitches she delivered as an MBA student boosted her confidence.

Tickets cost $24.99 for adults, $15 for students, $10 for chaperones and free for teachers. Discounted rates are available for staff members and guests who use wheelchairs. 

Patel said inclusivity and accessibility were major considerations in her business plan.

“When I did my marketing plan and presented it to my MBA class, they were like, ‘we should do $30.99 per ticket as per the return on investment,’” Patel said. “But other classmates were like, ‘Oh well, I have three kids and that’s just so expensive,’ so it was like that feedback really (helped).”

The zoo regularly hosts special needs groups, senior citizens and schools for field trips.

The most popular shows include the Dinosaur Adventure, Space Adventure, Africa and Underwater Adventure. Seasonal shows are also offered for Halloween, Christmas and other holidays throughout the year.

Patel said the idea of a hologram zoo resonated with her because it felt more sustainable and cruelty-free than traditional zoos.

She said visitors often have to travel abroad, such as the United Arab Emirates, to experience similar attractions. The zoo features continents like Asia and Africa, so visitors can see animals in their natural habitats that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience. 

During her MBA program, Patel said she was dealing with a medical condition that limited many of her daily activities. She said focusing on her career and business idea kept her moving forward.

Although she briefly considered taking a break, she realized the MBA program gave her a sense of purpose.

“I was like, ‘No, I can’t do that,’ because once you get married, you spread yourself thin and do a lot for everyone else,” Patel said. “This kept me mentally stimulated and engaged and gave my mind positive things to devote itself to.”

Patel’s seven-year-old son also provided early feedback during the zoo’s development.

She said she sometimes worried she was being overly optimistic about the project, but when her son expressed amazement at the experience, she felt more confident moving forward.

When determining the length of the shows, she said it was important to ensure children remained engaged.

During early demonstrations, she noticed children would start running ahead when they lost interest. 

“Kids are playing on their tablets constantly now,” Patel said. “So based on research and observations, 30-minute shows are especially good for children aged five to 10.”

Each show lasts 30 minutes and consists of shorter laps. Groups sign up together and enter a passage with a guide who leads them through the experience. Once one lap ends, the next begins shortly after. 

Mustafa Mirzakhil, one of the zoo’s employees, said he doesn’t face obvious challenges working with the technology. 

“I really just love seeing the joy on everyone’s face when they see the animals,” Mirzakhil said. 

Adrianna Arroyo, another employee, said learning to use and manage the technology to ensure  smooth operations for customers has been challenging.

However, she said watching visitors experience the show for the first time is rewarding.

“Even though you have watched it a million times, seeing how excited all the kids and adults are is very rewarding,” Arroyo said.

In the future, Patel hopes to add more digital content to make the experience more interactive.

 She said if funding can be secured, she plans on adding interactive tables and walls where kids are able to create physically and digitally, or “phydigitally.” There would be a physical aspect to the learning experience such as using blocks or a digital wand to create an animal and then see that creation come to life digitally in its environment. She said these additions would help keep kids entertained during field trips, family trips, and parties.

While building the business Patel said she always wanted to solve a problem and do something more meaningful.

“People ask me whether I enjoyed corporate more or if I prefer being an entrepreneur, and I was like, even if they pay me more, I wouldn’t go back,” she said. “That’s just the truth of it, because it could be anything — a job or a business — but you have to be passionate about it.”