When asked to describe her mother, the words come easily for Matina Zenios. Compassionate. Caring. Loving. Big-hearted. Kind. Sue Bouzounis was all these things and more. The mother of two and grandmother of four was the North Star of her family, and someone who consistently put others above herself. After she passed away in 2016, her family, who for years have worked together in a family business, wanted to do something that would honor Sue’s memory, and continue the legacy of her good work and passion to help others.
“Both my mom and my dad were very generous to the community when we were growing up, starting with our church and spanning out from there,” Zenios said. “My mom helped get the business off the ground and then devoted most of her time to raising us and balancing everything. She would spend all of her spare time serving others. It’s just who she was. She volunteered in the surgery waiting area at The Ohio State University Hospital for more than 30 years.”
Born and raised in Greece, Chris Bouzounis came to the United States in 1966 to give his sister away at her wedding. While in the states he met Sue, and the two were married a short time later. They decided to make their home in Columbus, and Chris started his own print shop, Olympic Press, the name a nod to his homeland. That company eventually became Olympic Incentive Ideas in 1967 when Chris shifted the business to focus on promotional branding. Chris and Sue initially ran the business out of their basement, producing branded business cards, matchbooks, and calendars for local companies. When the Olympic games came to Atlanta in 1996, however, the family was forced to change the name of their business when the U.S. Olympic Committee sent them legal papers saying they owned the rights to the name Olympic.
Sue and Chris Bouzounis. Photo courtesy of Matina Zenios.
“It was my mom who came up with the name Artina, a combination of my name and my brother, Art,” explained Zenios. At first Matina and Art weren’t sold on the idea, and talked through many other names before circling back to Artina. “It is a family business, and the name really spoke to it being a family business.” Both Zenios and Art are involved with Artina Promotional Products today, with Zenios serving as President and Art as Vice President.
The Artina “Choose Kind” Fund was established in March 2019 as a way for the company to facilitate its philanthropy and honor Sue. The Donor Advised Fund works well for them because it offers the flexibility and choice to give to organizations and causes they want to support. A committee, including some members of the Artina team, works together to identify needs and opportunities in the community.
Matina Zenios, President & Owner of Artina Promotional Products
“Great ideas come when you put multiple minds together,” said Zenios. Through the fund, the family plans to support organizations with a mission to help families and children facing situations of need, such as homelessness, severe illness, financial distress, and other challenges—all things that were meaningful to Sue. Since its inception, the Artina “Choose Kind” Fund has awarded grants to Children’s Hunger Alliance, A Kid Again, and Family Promise of Delaware County. In addition to fundraising events, the company is capitalizing on its own expertise to help grow the fund, through the “Choose Kind” store on its website. From t-shirts and tumblers to blankets and tote bags, the merchandise all conveys a message that is helping this family honor a legacy.
For Zenios, she sees no end to the good they can do through their philanthropy. “The sky is the limit,” she said. “We want to grow our fund and help provide grants to as many opportunities as we can. I think my mom would be really proud and honored with what we’ve accomplished.”