6-18-21

2C — June 18 - July 22, 2021 — 30 Under 30 — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal

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30 U nder 30

owdo you contribute to your company and / or the industry? Joe Massott, AKF Group Massott helps keep AKF standards, details & workflows up to date, incorporating new technologies and products H

not a wayward homeless man, we all had a good laugh, and it was back to work. We met our deadline, and the story is now retold multiple times a year to the amusement of all our new employees. What outside activities do you enjoy during you free time? Motorcycles, sports and beer. Never at the same time. Okay, sports and beer, yes. Anything that keeps me active and experiencing all that life has to offer. I’ve also been in a couple bands, and I plan to continue to perform stand-up comedy once COVID allows. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young executive graduat- ing from college? It’s never too late to help your future self. Take that extra hour to really tighten up your resume, spend the extra hundred bucks to get your suit properly tailored, pull one more late-night study session for your licensure exam. This is the time to lay the founda- tion for your future successes; don’t take shortcuts. MAREJ

feel makes you most suc- cessful in your profession? Coming from a diverse back- ground, moving around a lot as a kid and constantly having to adapt to new situations has set me up as an excellent problem solver both in the world of business and engineering. I feel just as much at home in a suit with a briefcase full of contract documents as I do in a hard hat with an iPad full of architectural drawings. What is the funniest, most unique situation you have faced / conquered during your career? Or in your life? I worked through the night for a big deadline. At about 5AM, I decided to nap on AKF’s lobby couch for an hour before getting back to work. After sleeping as comfortably as one could on an office couch, I was awoken by a very in- timidating security guard and a very confused AKF senior executive, who happened to be the first one in the office and had never met me face to face. After groggily explaining that I was in fact an employee and

Joe Massott Electrical Engineer Years with company/firm: 4 Years in field: 6 Years in real estate industry: 6

Beyond my day-to-day as an electrical engineer, I sit on multiple internal committees at AKF. I help keep our stan- dards, details and workflows up to date, incorporating new technologies and products into our workflows. I spearhead our internal mentorship pro- gram as well as provide the in- terface between AKF and our local universities’ internship/ coop programs. My most ambi- tious contribution is related to automation. We are working at AKF to push the limits of how we can tie together cut- ting-edge tech (3D scanning, VR/AR, BIM) with machine learning and customized in house software (Python, C, PowerBI) solutions to deliver exceptional value and quality to our clients. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current posi- tion and why you choose the field/profession you are in today?

My passion began in col- lege at Drexel University where I worked my way up to President of the ‘Drexel Smart House’ student group. We were tasked with retrofit - ting an old Victorian row home with cutting edge technology and design. It was here I be- gan to connect with profes- sors, engineering students, and leaders in the real estate industry. We worked tire- lessly towards an end goal of maximizing energy efficiency while creating an incubator for students to live, learn and study howwe interact with our built environment. This led naturally to a diverse career in architectural engineering where I specialize in electri- cal systems. I enjoy bringing

a holistic design approach and personally connecting with all stakeholders in every project I work through. What were some of your early goals and did any- thing happen to change them? I was really hoping to make my first million by 30, but un - fortunately, I haven’t thought up a killer new app or solved how to make wireless electric- ity. Going on 30, I’ve learned to break down my goals into more attainable and sustain- able blocks, which has led to a solid foundation of knowledge, a sprawling professional net- work, and I’m getting closer to that million day by day. What unique qualities and or personality do you

Creating flexible spaces that inspire people as they live, learn, work, heal, and explore

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