Ryan A. Koval

Software Engineering, Architecture & Management

Starting his technical career in 2011, Ryan has been exposed to virtually all aspects of software engineering. Working exclusively at companies with fast-paced environments, he has competence that can rival that of engineers with many more years under their belts. A year of experience is not always a universal unit of measuring someone's expertise. As such, he's been exposed to a variety of unique systems. Frontend, backend, databases, devops, automation—you name it, he's likely done it. He has also worn hats in roles for product design and UI/UX and is intimately familiar with Agile principles as well (in fact, he's been officially certified as a ScrumMaster).

While he does strive for perfection, he also realizes that there is no silver bullet. Software exists purely in the confines of a business world and rarely the other way around; therefore, an immaculately coded product will likely mean nothing without customers or a business behind it. Ryan is firmly aware of this concept, and his design process is built around it. As such, extended discussions stressing over minor technical details that won't raise your bottom line or solve for long-term engineering problems are often hard for him to prioritize (although they can be fun to muse about in a social setting).

If you are looking for technical prowess that can architect and implement solutions of unparalleled quality and business value, look no further: scroll to see his skills and experience, view his formal resume, or contact him!


RobloxEngineering ManagerAugust 2021 to present

  • Working primarily within the Guilded team after its acquisition, Ryan directly managed 6+ engineers by facilitating the RoGRO corporate review process and by providing radical candor to bolster the performance of his direct reports
  • As technical lead, he steered 7+ projects and product initiatives involving 40+ personnel across engineering, design, community, trust & safety, and beyond
  • He pioneered a ChatGPT integration that allowed for a multiplayer chat experience with the LLM, fueling AI adoption within the product.

Roblox is an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to program games and play games created by other users. Created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel in 2004 and released in 2006, the platform hosts user-created games of multiple genres coded in the programming language Lua. For most of Roblox's history, it was relatively small, both as a platform and as a company. Roblox began to grow rapidly in the second half of the 2010s, and this growth has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Roblox is free to play, with in-game purchases available through a virtual currency called Robux. As of August 2020, Roblox had over 164 million monthly active users, including more than half of all American children under 16. Although Roblox has received generally positive reviews from critics.


Guilded

GuildedSoftware EngineerNovember 2018 to August 2021

  • Ryan was integral to the original core engineering team that secured a $7M Series A funding in April 2020 and ultimately the $90M acquisition by Roblox in August 2021.
  • He spearheaded recruitment and management helping grow the engineering team from 7 to 21+ people with less than 15% turnover over two years.
  • He employed growth engineering to elevate the product from effectively 0 to 110k+ DAU/0.9M+ MAU over 3 years
  • He directed many product and engineering initiatives from end-to-end, including gathering user requirements, collaborating with the UX design team, and shipping code to production
  • He served as a versatile full-stack engineer across web, desktop, mobile, backend, devops, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, moderation/abuse, data stores, developer experience, and more

(Guilded was acquired by Roblox on August 16, 2021) Guilded is a VoIP, instant messaging and digital distribution platform designed by Guilded Inc. and owned by Roblox Corporation. Guilded is based in San Francisco. Users communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "guilds". Guilded was founded by Eli Brown, a former Facebook and Xbox employee. Guilded runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android and iOS. Guilded is a Discord competitor that is primarily focused on video gaming communities, such as those focused on competitive gaming and esports. It provides features intended for video gaming clans, such as scheduling tools and integrated calendars. Guilded is developed by Guilded, Inc. which has been an independent product group of the Roblox Corporation since August 16, 2021.

LTK

LTK(formerly rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it)Senior Software EngineerFebruary 2016 to October 2018

  • Ryan led front-end development for a self-service collaborations portal, where he managed an international team
  • He helped craft two major versions of a screen-scraping infrastructure used to gather data from all influencers for a customer-facing recommendation engine and general business intelligence
  • He helped transition the organization from a two-week deploy cycle to rapid continuous delivery by designing and implementing new core infrastructure patterns
  • He revived multiple legacy node.js analytics projects plagued with stability problems and general disrepair
  • He overhauled infrastructure configuration for another failing project in charge of syncing critical internal data throughout multiple systems

In 2010, rewardStyle was just an idea—a dream of how to simultaneously help brands and lifestyle creators monetize the digital space. Today, celebrating our 10th anniversary, we’re a global community of more than 350 team members, 150,000+ top-tier creators, and 1 million brands across more than 100 countries. Pioneering a proprietary ecosystem of innovative technology, strategic growth consulting, global brand partnerships, and expansive shopper distribution, we’ve done more than just monetize Creator Marketing—we created the industry and are now defining the next decade.

Bottle Rocket Studios

Bottle Rocket StudiosLead EngineerNovember 2015 to February 2016

  • Ryan utilized his Scala experience to rapidly accelerate development of a complex eCommerce ordering solution for multiple high profile fast food and fast casual restaurants

Since our launch, Bottle Rocket has been at the forefront of the app revolution. We propelled forward-thinking brands through mobile strategy, design, and development. We push the limits of design, information architecture, and the capabilities of mobile platforms – and it shows by the way we connect users with information, brands, and entertainment. By day, we sweat the details and build awesome mobile experiences – and our passion doesn’t end there. After hours, we’re those people standing in line for the latest games and technology. We are a value-driven team of mature, self-motivated professionals that do what it takes to get the job done, but never stop improving ourselves and the services the we provide our clients.

Slalom Consulting

Slalom ConsultingConsultantNovember 2013 to October 2015

  • Ryan constructed core components for nearly all aspects of a multi-million dollar system prison telecommunication investigative tool
  • He was designated as an authority to navigate Scala-centric AWS data processing pipelines for a prominent agricultural enterprise

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Slalom Consulting has rapidly grown to more than 2,200 consultants and helps companies from the Fortune 500 to emerging businesses. We deliver award-winning solutions and innovation through a national network of local offices across 14 North American cities. Slalom can take on a full end-to-end project or only the key portion where we will add the most value. We can bring our own proven methods, work within a client’s framework, or work with a client to create a new delivery method. We want results for our clients, and we typically structure projects with smaller teams that deliver those results faster. Slalom has earned numerous national, regional, and local awards from our clients, partners, the media, and community organizations. Our executives are also frequently recognized on an individual basis for their leadership and business acumen.

Credera

CrederaConsultantAugust 2011 to October 2013

  • Ryan interacted with and developed for nearly all aspects of a multi-million dollar automotive eCommerce website, which contained over 50 technology integrations and spanned over both desktop & mobile platforms.
  • He captained front-end integration team of a classic Spring MVC implementation for a marketing tool used by an international marketing giant.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Slalom Consulting has rapidly grown to more than 2,200 consultants and helps companies from the Fortune 500 to emerging businesses. We deliver award-winning solutions and innovation through a national network of local offices across 14 North American cities. Slalom can take on a full end-to-end project or only the key portion where we will add the most value. We can bring our own proven methods, work within a client’s framework, or work with a client to create a new delivery method. We want results for our clients, and we typically structure projects with smaller teams that deliver those results faster. Slalom has earned numerous national, regional, and local awards from our clients, partners, the media, and community organizations. Our executives are also frequently recognized on an individual basis for their leadership and business acumen.

Dallas Pedicabs

Dallas Pedicabs(defunct)Freelance DeveloperFebruary 2013 to July 2013

  • Ryan overhauled unmanageable consumer-facing website for this small startup in favor of a custom WordPress solution.

Since our inception in early 2011 we have been trying to make sustainable transportation in Dallas a reality, while providing an enjoyable experience to all of our patrons. Whether it is a ride to dinner, a bar, friend’s apartment or just to grab a bite to eat, a ride with Dallas Pedicabs is the right decision. We also cater to groups, weddings, sporting events, parking lots and awesome historic tours of certain areas of Dallas. As a company, our mission is to provide fun transportation for the residents of Dallas around Uptown, deter drunk driving, and bring a new sustainable business to the area.

Tampa Bay Radiation Oncology

Tampa Bay Radiation OncologyAdministrative AssistantMay 2010 to July 2010

  • Ryan aided in various administrative jobs including faxing, mailing, filing, managing phone calls, and delivering packages.
  • He coded in VBA to organize, process, and analyze physician consult spreadsheets for data mining purposes.
  • He wrote macros to increase work efficiency surrounding repetitive computer-oriented tasks such as manual database information retrieval.

Tampa Bay Radiation Oncology (TBRO) formed in 2003, is a locally owned and physician managed organization committed to providing experienced, state of the art cancer treatments in a caring and professional manner. We practice in four free standing clinics, strategically located throughout the Tampa Bay Area to offer convenience to patients and state of the art planning capabilities offered at other major academic cancer centers across the country, so patients can receive their cancer care at home with support of family and friends.


Southern Methodist UniversityBachelor of Science, Computer Science (minor in Mathematics)

A nationally ranked private university with seven degree-granting schools, SMU is a distinguished center for teaching and research located in the heart of Dallas. SMU’s 11,000 students benefit from small classes, leadership opportunities, international study and innovative programs. SMU is celebrating the centennial of its founding in 1911 and its opening in 1915. Entering its second century of achievement, SMU enjoys recognition as a prominent national university. The University prepares students for leadership in their professions and in their communities. Our location near the heart of Dallas – a thriving center of commerce and culture – offers students challenging experiences on campus and beyond. Relationships with the Dallas region provide a platform for launching careers throughout the world. The University provides a strong foundation in the humanities and sciences and professional and graduate programs through seven degree-granting schools. The learning environment includes opportunities for research, community service, study abroad, internships and mentoring. SMU was founded by what is now The United Methodist Church, in partnership with civic leaders, and was shaped by the entrepreneurial spirit of the region. The University is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.