Where You Want To Be
Where You Want To Be is a San Diego-based experiential tour and team building company founded in 2003, offering curated scavenger hunts, walking, biking, and bus tours to hidden San Diego locations for corporate clients, families, faith-based groups, and wedding parties. Following its April 2024 merger with Out of the Ordinary Group, the combined entity delivers 40+ programs across San Diego County.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Where You Want To Be does
Where You Want To Be is a San Diego-based experiential tour and team building company founded in 2003 by co-owners Marc and Darlynne Menkin. The company curates and delivers guided adventures to "secret" San Diego locations — scavenger hunts across 16+ locations, walking tours, electric bike tours, guided hikes, double decker bus tours, winery tours, and night adventures — with the explicit positioning of taking clients to hidden gems not found in guidebooks. Its flagship products are the Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunts and a portfolio of Team Building Experiences that include ice breakers, leadership development, wellness walks, and CSR-integrated programs such as charity giveback bus tours and good-deeds hikes. Beyond tourism, the company offers a Smartphone Video Production service priced at $750 per 2-3 minute video, leveraging co-founder Darlynne Reyes Menkin's background as a former KSWB TV news anchor for voiceovers.
The business operates as a privately held, family-owned services firm with 11-50 employees (stated as 20+), generating revenue primarily through custom-priced corporate team building events, individual/family tour bookings, gift certificates, and ad hoc video production. Its go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: enterprise bookings flow through website contact forms, phone (619-917-6037), and email, with strong reliance on earned media (CBS News 8, FOX 5, Travel Channel), online reviews (Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor), referrals, and brand presence at regional meeting-planning channels. Customer concentration is across diversified enterprise verticals including automotive (Daimler), hospitality (Marriott, Sofia Hotel), healthcare (Kaiser), education (UCSD), financial services, research (Scripps), and nonprofits, supplemented by consumers, faith-based groups, military families, and wedding parties. In April 2024, Where You Want To Be merged with Out of the Ordinary Group and Team Adventures, combining into a 40+ program portfolio while retaining its brand identity under the OOO family. The operating model is fundamentally human-capital-intensive and geographically constrained to San Diego County, with no technology platform, no mobile app, and no AI capabilities disclosed.
Where You Want To Be firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Where You Want To Be
- Legal name
- Where You Want To Be Tours, Inc.
- Website
- https://wheretours.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Where You Want To Be is a San Diego-based experiential tour and team building company founded in 2003, offering curated scavenger hunts, walking, biking, and bus tours to hidden San Diego locations for corporate clients, families, faith-based groups, and wedding parties. Following its April 2024 merger with Out of the Ordinary Group, the combined entity delivers 40+ programs across San Diego County.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where You Want To Be industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experiential Tour and Team Building Services
- NAICS
- All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports & Active Incentives (Golf, Ski, Sailing, Adventure) (THAHADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mountain Biking & Cycling Adventure Centers (Trail Parks, Guiding) (THAAAKAH), Endurance Stage & Destination Challenges (Multi-day Tours, Charity Challenges) (MPAKAIAG)
Keywords
Where Where You Want To Be is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Where You Want To Be business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Team Building Experiences: Customized team building programs including scavenger hunts, walking tours, bike tours, bus tours, wellness walks, and experiential activities. Priced per event/program with quotes based on group size and customization.
- Guided Tours: Various tour offerings including secret spots tours, double decker bus tours, electric bike tours, hiking tours, and specialty experiences. Revenue generated per tour or experience.
- Video Production Services: Smartphone video production at $750 per 2-3 minute video, including voiceovers and post-production.
- Gift Certificates: Gift cards and certificates available for tours and experiences, providing prepaid revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rent a Local Tour - $900 for up to 12 people |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Smartphone Video Production - $750 per video |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Where You Want To Be product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Where You Want To Be designs and delivers scavenger hunts, guided walking/biking/bus tours, and customized team building programs in San Diego County, focused on hidden local spots. Offerings include Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunts across 16+ locations, corporate team building events, wellness walks, charity giveback programs, wedding activities, and smartphone video production. Programs are tailored to corporate groups, families, faith-based organizations, military families, and wedding parties.
Product overview
Where You Want To Be is a San Diego-based tour and team building company founded in 2003 that offers experiential adventures and unique tours to hidden San Diego spots. The company operates primarily through its core products: Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunts (signature offering in 16+ locations) and Team Building Experiences. The product portfolio includes tour products (Double Decker Bus Tours, Biking Tours, Guided Hikes, Dream Day Experiences, Secret Spots Tours, Winery Tours, San Diego by Night Adventures), CSR-focused products (Charity Giveback Bus Tour, Good Deeds Hike), wellness offerings (Wellness Walks, De-stress with Dogs/Cats, Chair Massage), creative team building modules (Fun Ice Breakers, Arts Alive, Bridging the Gap Walking Activities), training programs (Corporate Leadership Development), cultural experiences (Sharing the Aloha Spirit, Polynesian Luau Dinner Show), and event services (Weddings, Company Picnics, Holiday Parties). In 2024, the company merged with Out of the Ordinary Group to expand offerings to include competitive team building games.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunt Signature scavenger hunt team building program offered in 16+ San Diego locations including Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, Coronado, Old Town, Encinitas, Oceanside, and La Jolla. Designed for corporate groups, families, and weddings with custom tasks.
- Team Building Experiences Comprehensive team building programs including scavenger hunts, ice breakers, leadership development, and experiential activities designed to build cohesive and resilient teams for corporate clients.
- Double Decker Bus Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of companies who focus on team building have fun, releasing oxytocin which combats stress and anxiety
Companies that use Where You Want To Be
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Where You Want To Be technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Where You Want To Be partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Out of the Ordinary Group and Team AdventurescoreMerger completed in 2024 combining Where You Want To Be Tours with Out of the Ordinary Group and Team Adventures. The merger enables offering a comprehensive suite of team building activities from scavenger hunts to competitive games like Survivor Team Challenge and Minute to Win It. Together, the combined entity offers Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunts in 16 locations, Survivor Team Challenge, Team Olympics, Sailing Regattas, Bike Tours, Food Tours, and Interactive Theatre Experiences.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Where You Want To Be competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Go Game: The Go Game is a national team building and corporate event company offering scavenger hunts, game shows, and interactive challenges for corporate groups. It is the closest direct competitor to Where You Want To Be's core team building and Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunt offerings, with similar facilitator-led event model.
- TeamBonding: TeamBonding is one of the largest US team building companies (formed via the merger of Outback Team Building and TeamBonding), offering corporate events including scavenger hunts, culinary experiences, and competitive games. It directly competes for the same enterprise team building customer base as Where You Want To Be.
- Strayboots: Strayboots is a scavenger hunt and team building operator active across major US cities, offering self-guided and facilitated hunts for corporate groups, tourists, and private parties. It directly overlaps with Where You Want To Be's signature Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunt product in format and target market.
- Wild Planet Adventures: Wild Planet Adventures operates small-group nature and adventure tours with a focus on local guides and off-the-beaten-path experiences. It is comparable to Where You Want To Be's guided hikes, secret spots tours, and locally-led nature experience offerings in positioning and customer appeal.
- Urban Adventures: Urban Adventures is a global small-group guided tour operator focused on local-led city experiences and hidden gems. It is directly comparable to Where You Want To Be's walking tours, secret spots tours, and locally-guided urban experiences across multiple city locations.
- Bike and Roll: Bike and Roll (formerly Bike and Roll Miami) operates guided bike tours and rentals in major US cities, including electric bike tours and city sightseeing. It directly parallels Where You Want To Be's biking tours and electric bike tour offerings in similar urban tourism and corporate event contexts.
Broad incumbents
- Viator: Viator, a Tripadvisor company, is the leading global aggregator of tours, activities, and attractions with broad enterprise distribution. It is a broad incumbent in tours and experiences that competes for the same tourist and corporate traveler demand pool as Where You Want To Be's tour products.
- Airbnb Experiences: Airbnb Experiences is the largest platform-aggregated marketplace for tours, activities, and local-led experiences globally. While not a direct competitor in corporate team building, it represents the broader incumbent channel through which small tour operators like Where You Want To Be are increasingly discovered and booked.
Emerging players
- Pedego Electric Bikes: Pedego is a US electric bike brand and franchise network offering bike rentals, tours, and sales across multiple cities. It is comparable to Where You Want To Be's electric bike tour product line in equipment and use case, with potential to disintermediate local guided bike tour operators.
- Detour: Detour is a mobile audio tour platform offering location-guided walking tours in major cities. It represents an emerging technology-enabled approach to urban tours that intersects with Where You Want To Be's walking tour and hidden gems business model, with potential to substitute for live-guided experiences.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Where You Want To Be social profiles
Digital presenceWhere You Want To Be financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Where You Want To Be leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Where You Want To Be funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Where You Want To Be M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Where You Want To Be
What does Where You Want To Be do?
Where You Want To Be designs and delivers scavenger hunts, guided walking/biking/bus tours, and customized team building programs in San Diego County, focused on hidden local spots. Offerings include Urban Challenge Scavenger Hunts across 16+ locations, corporate team building events, wellness walks, charity giveback programs, wedding activities, and smartphone video production. Programs are tailored to corporate groups, families, faith-based organizations, military families, and wedding parties.
Is Where You Want To Be a public or private company?
Where You Want To Be is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Where You Want To Be founded?
Where You Want To Be was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Where You Want To Be based?
Where You Want To Be is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Where You Want To Be make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Team Building Experiences are the primary driver. The others are guided Tours, video Production Services and gift Certificates.
Who are Where You Want To Be's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Go Game, TeamBonding, Strayboots, Wild Planet Adventures, Urban Adventures and Bike and Roll. Broad incumbents are Viator and Airbnb Experiences. Emerging players are Pedego Electric Bikes and Detour.
Does Where You Want To Be have an API?
No public API is recorded for Where You Want To Be.
What industry is Where You Want To Be in?
Where You Want To Be's product category is Experiential Tour and Team Building Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHADAJ, Sports & Active Incentives (Golf, Ski, Sailing, Adventure), with a secondary code of THAAAKAH, Mountain Biking & Cycling Adventure Centers (Trail Parks, Guiding). Its NAICS code is 71399 and its SIC code is 7900.