As someone who has spent his entire professional career at KEPHART, Ryan Bender's journey reflects dedication, growth, and a commitment to helping both projects and people succeed. Over the past 13 years, Ryan has evolved from a designer learning the ropes to a studio leader helping shape project strategy, mentor team members, and support the firm's continued success. We sat down with Ryan to talk about his career journey, leadership philosophy, and what has kept him passionate about KEPHART for more than 13 years.
How did you get your start at KEPHART?
My connection to KEPHART started while I was in graduate school, when I participated in a housing design charrette. Our class was split into two teams, with one team working alongside KEPHART and the other partnering with another firm.
That experience opened the door to an opportunity that ultimately shaped my career. About five months after graduating in 2013, I joined KEPHART, and it’s been my professional home ever since. Looking back, it’s been incredibly rewarding to grow alongside the company and build my career here over the past 13 years.
How did your role evolve?
I started at the very bottom as a designer with no real-world experience, and over time I was fortunate to gain exposure to a wide variety of project types. I’ve worked on affordable housing, market-rate communities, senior apartments, assisted living, memory care, and plenty of multifamily housing projects in between.
Today, my studio focuses primarily on mid-to-high-density multifamily work, particularly four-story center-hall projects, along with some smaller podium and wrap designs. Having the opportunity to work across so many housing types has given me a well-rounded perspective that’s been valuable throughout my career.
What types of projects do you enjoy working on most?
I enjoy working on projects with clients who are engaged in the process and committed to achieving a successful outcome, whether they bring extensive development and construction experience or are looking to KEPHART to provide guidance and expertise.
Some clients come to us with a clear vision and deep knowledge of how projects are built and financed, while others rely on us to help establish that roadmap. Both can be incredibly rewarding. What matters most is building trust, maintaining alignment, and working together toward shared goals.
My favorite projects are those that create success for everyone involved, supporting our client’s objectives, fostering growth and development within our team, delivering great design solutions, and generating strong financial results for both the client and KEPHART.
How have you evolved as a leader?
If I had to describe my leadership style in one word, it would be “coach.”
I believe the best leaders focus on helping their team improve and succeed. For me, the most rewarding part of leadership isn’t necessarily the project itself, it’s seeing team members grow, develop confidence, and reach goals they may not have thought were possible.
My career path has taken me from designer to project manager to Director of Studio, and now into broader leadership responsibilities. As my role has evolved, my focus has increasingly shifted toward helping others perform at their highest level.
What does your current role involve beyond project work?
In addition to studio leadership, I’ve become heavily involved in our proposal and fee development process. I recently joined our fee committee, where I help write project scopes and structure fees for new opportunities.
I’ve always been pretty organized and data-driven, so that side of the business is something I genuinely enjoy. It allows me to work closely with teams across the firm while helping set projects up for success before they even begin.
What’s something people may not know about you?
I’m very luckily to have had a hole-in-one when I was 11 years old.
Another fun fact is that my oldest son and I have birthdays just one day apart. We’re both Sagittariuses, and share the same competitive and organized personality traits, so things can get pretty lively around the house.
What keeps you busy outside of work?
Most of my time outside of work revolves around my family. My wife and I have three boys, ages 3, 5, and 7, so life is always busy and full of activity. Between coaching baseball, camping trips, and keeping up with three energetic kids, there isn’t much downtime. When I do find a little free time, you’ll usually find me on the golf course trying to squeeze in a round.
I also enjoy taking on hands-on projects around our property. My latest project was converting a shop into a game room for the family, complete with a TV, shuffleboard table, and even a full-size pickleball court. It’s quickly become a favorite gathering spot for family and friends.
What do you enjoy most about working at KEPHART?
What has kept me here for more than 13 years is the opportunity to continue growing while working alongside great people. I’ve been fortunate to learn from talented mentors, work on a wide range of projects, and help develop the next generation of leaders.
At the end of the day, the most rewarding part is seeing teams succeed together and knowing you’ve played a role in helping both people and projects reach their full potential.
