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

Hi Ferdi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It all started during the pandemic. Being isolated at home, working from home office, endless zoom meetings… I was feeling tired of my corporate job. I started looking into new hobbies and I came across origami (Japanese art of paper folding). It was fun to be able to create things off of paper. This is where my curiosity kicked in. I wanted to create something origami-like but, they had to be durable and long lasting. So, Covid triggered my passion to create things that would make people happier in their environments.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I prefer calling myself an entrepreneur more than an artist or creative. I had my fair share of corporate life, also created businesses in the past which, some were successful, some were not. Buori is different than others. I turned my hobby into an exciting business. I enjoy every part of it, thinking, creating, getting my hands dirty and finally putting a smile in our customers faces. There were lots of challenges to overcome since I didn’t have a path to follow. I had to make my own path while struggling with bigger projects, especially logistics. Even though we are a new company, I am proud to see that there are new companies, artists are following the path we created.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I moved to Atlanta from Chicago 6 years ago. I am still new here but I have a few favorite spots. Octopus Kitchen is by far my favorite restaurant in the city. A dinner there is a must. I am a soccer fan and I love watching Atlanta United games in the stadium. There are lots of spots we can hang out at in Buckhead for a weekend night out. Other than that I love nature. A nice boat ride in Lake Allatoona and hiking in Red Top Mountain State Park sounds awesome.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank my family for supporting me through this journey and my team for their tremendous efforts.

Website: www.buori.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/buori

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ferdikaragul

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.