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!
Guilded(a Roblox subsidiary)Engineering Manager / Software EngineerNovember 2018 to present
- Ryan was a member of the original core engineering team responsible for the start-up's $7M Series A funding in April 2020 and ultimately the $90M acquisition by Roblox in August 2021.
- He was a leader in 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 grow the product from effectively 0 to 110k+ DAU/0.9M+ MAU over 3 years
- He led 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 worked as a full-stack engineer across web, desktop, mobile, backend, devops, CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, moderation/abuse, data stores, developer experience, and more
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.
End to End ProductionsFounder / CEOApril 2022 to present
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 build two major versions of a screen-scraping infrastructure used to gather data from all influencers for a customer-facing recommendation algorithm and general internal business intelligence
- He was involved in designing and implementing new core infrastructure patterns to push the organization from a two-week deploy cycle to rapid continuous delivery
- He revived multiple legacy node.js analytics projects plagued with stability problems and general disrepair
- He rewrote 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 StudiosLead EngineerNovember 2015 to February 2016
- Ryan utilized his Scala experience to rapidly speed up development of a complex eCommerce ordering solution
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 ConsultingConsultantNovember 2013 to October 2015
- Ryan developed components for nearly all aspects of a multi-million dollar system prison telecommunication investigative tool.
- He was assigned as a senior lead to drive Scala development of a huge AWS data processing pipeline for an agricultural business 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.
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 led 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 PedicabsFreelance 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 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)August 2007 to June 2011
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.