4A — June 2023 — Thriving Under 30 — M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal
www.marej.com
T hriving U nder 30
Ryan Schulok, AKF Group "Harness confidence to conquer every situation, gain trust, and seal deals!"
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I bring a holistic view to the firm and to my coworkers. I was an intern with AKF before I was hired full-time. I can connect with the new co-ops and interns that come in, able to teach them the engineering and people skills that I have learned, while also advancing my own communication skills. When it comes to communica- tion with contractors, I exude confidence that the result of a project is the best that it can be. If there are issues or concerns, controlling the tone of the conversation is a great skill I have. At the end of the
day, we are one large team that is satisfying our clients, so let’s work together and give them the best product. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? My strongest influence is my parents. Though they are not in the engineering field, their support while I was pursuing my degree allowed me to get my bachelor’s degree and mas- ter’s degree in architectural engineering within the same weekend. Back in 2012 when I entered Penn State Univer - sity, the economy was recover- ing from the 2008 recession and Architectural Engineering was not on the top list for a lot of people. My parents stood behind my decision and re- sulted in me graduating with a 4.0 in my master’s, walked right into AKF group already established from my previous internships with them, and was able to integrate into the atmosphere of the firm. My parents were able to give me the tools to be a confident engineer. 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? The foundation of my career is from my childhood, building small toy homes out of Lincoln Logs. From that young age, I knew I wanted to do some- thing with buildings, either designing them or building them. During 9th-12th grade, I was able to start establish- ing myself in programs that were building-design driven. I was able to show off my cre- ative side while still making a functional product. I have always had a connection with a hospital environment from my mother being a nurse and hav- ing the utmost respect for the dedication they pour into their patients – now I offer my as- sistance every day by helping design mechanical HVAC sys- tems for hospitals, operating rooms, cath labs, emergency departments, etc. I chose to be an engineer because it is a job that can help any person but allows us to be behind the scenes. When you walk into a building and you are comfort- able, you do not think about it. That is our job, to provide continued on page 30A
hat is your most no- table project, deal or transaction?
Ryan Schulok Mechanical Engineer Years with company/firm: 6 Years in field: 6 Years in real estate industry: 6
My most notable project is a Pediatric Hospital’s new Physician and Administration Office Building. Utilizing ac - tive chilled beams, the office space for notable doctors was able to have higher ceilings while keeping their comfort in mind. This technology is used throughout Europe and is slowly integrating into the USA. With this project completed, it is one of the largest active chilled beam projects in Philadelphia with
well over 2,000 active chilled beams. This building also acts as a pathway for the cli- ent’s new central plant. We designed nine cooling towers to be placed on the roof of this building, carrying 20,000 tons
of cooling for the entire cam- pus. Without this building, the campus would not be able to expand as easily. How do you contribute to your company and / or the industry?
GLOBAL ENGINEERING & INTEGRATED DESIGN SERVICES
Congratulations to Ryan Schulok, 30 Under 30 Honoree!
POWERING HUMAN POTENTIAL
Mid-Atlantic Region Baltimore, MD Hamilton, NJ Philadelphia, PA Richmond, VA Washington, D.C.
akfgroup.com
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