The Ties That Bind

Pim (Thirati) Koondel, MBA ’17, MSA ’18, and Alec Koondel, MBA ’17, MSA ’18, met competing for a spot in the College of Business’ MBA/MSA Dual-Degree Program. They’ve been tied to one another and Ohio University ever since.

“Who would have thought?” Alec says of the classmates-turned-couple’s journey.

They spent their MBA year collaborating with each other and fellow cohorts on projects and living in the same apartment complex. Both served on Graduate Student Senate and worked together as graduate assistants.

“It’s kind of funny how things work out,” Alec adds, noting that both are working in the same fields they were as graduate assistants—Pim as assistant director of marketing and digital strategy in the athletic department at Virginia Tech and Alec as assistant director of annual giving, also in athletics, at North Carolina State University.

They’ve continued to stay connected to and support the program that brought them together, mentoring current graduate students and attending annual events like the Sports Administration Symposium.

This past spring, Pim launched Koondel Design, an Etsy shop based out of their Raleigh, North Carolina home that sells personalized stationery with minimalist design and simple calligraphy. The start of her business coincided with the start of OHIO’s new Bobcat Neighborhood.

A free online directory of alumni-owned and/or operated businesses, organizations and nonprofits as well as those that serve OHIO’s campus communities, the Bobcat Neighborhood seeks to help support these entrepreneurs by connecting them to members of the OHIO community.

One of the first OHIO graduates to join the Bobcat Neighborhood, Pim found an opportunity to bring awareness to her new business while learning about her fellow Bobcat entrepreneurs.

“Shopping local doesn’t just mean buying from businesses within our proximity, but also supporting people within our network,” she says. “In this case, it’s our OHIO family. The Bobcat Neighborhood is the perfect place to start.”

To access the Bobcat Neighborhood, visit ohio.edu/bobcatneighborhood.

To read more about other OHIO graduates who have joined the Bobcat Neighborhood, click here.

Feature image by Ekkaporn Kongyuedyao