Ladan Eslami.

Ladan specializes in HVAC system design and calculations for various projects, particularly in education. With experience in office and lab projects, she has enjoyed the challenge of identifying unknown variables and adding to her skill set with Akela.

As a high school student, Ladan chose to focus on math and physics, which eventually led her to her career in engineering. Her passion for learning and engineering motivated her to leave her home country of Iran, where she faced limitations as a minority woman. One of her significant projects was a large lab and office project with many unknown factors, and despite the complexity of the system and designs, she enjoyed the challenge.

Ladan’s interest in HVAC systems led her to intern with an HVAC contractor, where she discovered the complexity of seemingly simple systems. She enjoys the challenge of this complexity and appreciates the supportive environment at Akela, where mentorship is encouraged, and continuous growth is fostered. The company holds weekly seminars where employees can ask questions and benefit from the experience of mentors. Ladan aims to become a project manager and hopes to be a successful and knowledgeable engineer whom others can learn and grow with.

She advises students to persevere through the struggles of their college careers and urges them to push through to the rewarding end, noting that while it may seem unreachable, “if you push forward and not give up you will look back and it [will all be] worth it.” In her spare time, Ladan loves to travel and experience new places, cultures, and food, particularly in the Middle East.