Couple’s Next Adventure Keeps them Close to Alma Mater
Since graduating from UT Dallas, a lot has changed for Nguyen Phan BS’13 and Thy Phan BS’08, MBA’13, most recently becoming business owners.
Nguyen Phan BS’13 and Thy Phan BS’08, MBA’13
The two first met as students in the University’s Student Union. With similar backgrounds, they immediately connected and spent many “date nights” studying or hanging out in the old Comet Lounge.
After graduating from the University in 2013, the couple married the following year and have maintained close ties to their alma mater.
“We know UT Dallas very well, as students and employees,” Thy said. “Nguyen was the Student Union manager in his first few years as an undergraduate, and I worked at the University for six years in various departments while earning my degrees.”
The couple decided to pursue a new entrepreneurial opportunity for themselves and are now proud owners of their own branch of Brightway Insurance, a national franchise established in 2008 that sells property and casualty insurance through a network of independent stores across the country. With more than $500 million in annualized written premiums, the company is one of the largest property and casualty agencies in the U.S.
Alumni couple Thy Phan BS’08, MBA’13 and Nguyen Phan BS’13 launched a new Brightway Insurance agency just a few miles from the University where they first met.
Though the Phans’ Brightway Insurance storefront is just opening, the couple are confident in the success of their business and thankful for the knowledge they acquired through their University studies.
“My time at UT Dallas allowed me to discover who I wanted to be and what career path I wanted for the future,” Nguyen said. “The skills and leadership opportunities I gained have proven invaluable in my professional life, especially now as an entrepreneur.”
— Alexandra Hopkins