Ryan Spak has a passion for Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, their history and its real estate. This passion, coupled with almost 20 years of entrepreneurial experience in building maintenance, construction and real estate development ignited his firm belief that no distressed property should ever remain in an inhabitable, unsafe condition. Spak is one of the co-founders of Spak Group. Spak Group is a Philadelphia based, vertically integrated real estate management and development company with a Mission that aims to create profitable real estate holdings that prioritize the rehabilitation, repositioning and revitalization of highly distressed, under-utilized properties with a focus on building more equitable developments. Simultaneously, Spak created and manages the very successful, Project Rehab program for University City District to help property owners resolve for their distressed properties. As a result of his creative solutions to resolving distressed properties, he has won the University City Historical Society’s “Outstanding Preservation Award” three times for his work (2013 and 2014) and as a member of the Spak Group Team for its renovation of Larchwood Flats at 501 S. 52nd Street (2016). Spak Group’s Larchwood Flats property has also won the 2016 Extreme Makeover Award presented by the Design Collaborative / Commerce Department; and the Preservation Alliance Grand Jury Award for 2017. Spak is also a proud Mentor and Speaker for the Jumpstart program; a Board Member of the affordable housing non-profit Federation Housing; a Board Member of UC Green and a consultant for many non-profit agencies in Philadelphia. Spak loves being a resident of West Philadelphia, but even more, he loves being married to his wife, Jessica and being a father to his daughter, Charlotte. When not engrossed in matters of brick, Ryan is a fanatical basketball enthusiast, bleeds “Flyers” orange, loves saving animals from a cold Philly night, and is quite nuts over ‘80’s movie and TV vehicle memorabilia!

Mahari Yared Development Company is a Philadelphia based holding company focusing on residential and mixed use urban development. Our mission is to provide luxury residential housing with a focus on art and design at an affordable price while revitalizing urban areas in Philadelphia. We also specialize in commercial development and design projects.

Algernong Allen is a real estate agent, investor, and lifelong resident of West Philadelphia. His company Al Allen Sells Houses affiliates with Keller Williams Philly, and has strong roots in the community. Algernong developed a 6 unit mixed use property on 49th and Baltimore in 2018. Algernong has serves on the Board of Friends of Clark Park, and has served on the Boards of the Baltimore Avenue Business Association and Cedar Park Neighbors.

Richard Olaya is the Principal and Founder of Olaya Studio and most recently O Z Collaborative – the merger of Olaya Studio and BWA architects + planners. O Z Collaborative creates beautiful spaces that reflect the best of contemporary society and fill their designs with life, passion and excitement through the thoughtful use of light, space and materials. Their core values are rooted in approaching every project with a keen interest in contextual design, increased technology and sustainability. Rich has been in the architecture field for over 28 years and has been a registered architect in Pennsylvania since 2005. His extensive experience of project types include museums, religious, university, commercial and high rise multi-family buildings. Born in Bogota, Colombia, Rich’s multi-cultural background provide clients with a unique global and cosmopolitan perspective. As a Philadelphia resident for over 30 years, Rich also provides an intimate understanding of the region’s history and context. Rich, along with his two sons have been residents of University City for the last 20 years. He’s an active member in his community volunteering and contributing his time towards various arts and cultural organizations in the city. Rich’s interests out of the office includes participating in Olympic distance triathlons, early morning surfing excursions at the Jersey Shore and making traditional Colombian dishes like arepas.