Welcome to Episode 41 of The Darlington Podcast! 

In this Darlington Connects episode, host Avery Cypress ('14) of the Admission Office connects with former classmate Ali Kayahan ('14) during a recent trip to Ali's home in Istanbul, Turkey. Ali shares his Darlington story, talks about his college experience and career path, and provides valuable advice for young entrepreneurs.

Ali and his partners founded Ottodsg, a furniture design manufacturing and international trade company, in January 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, but they've been working to materialize it since 2020. He holds a B.S. in Architecture from State University of New York at Buffalo, where he also minored in Urban Planning. Upon returning to Istanbul, Ali worked in architecture and freelance design before becoming a visual merchandiser for IKEA, an opportunity that sparked his passion for the furniture industry and taught him critical skills that set him on the path to start his own small business. Now, he spends his time focusing on product development and marketing for Ottodsg, which sells products in Turkey, the United States and, soon, the rest of the world. 

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