With a “significant portion” of its technical staff comprised of women, structural engineer Keast & Hood has been an anomaly in a traditionally male-dominated milieu for more than a decade—“a rarity in the engineering profession,” says Denise Richards, a firm veteran and majority shareholder.
Keast & Hood achieved another notable designation on June 8 when the Philadelphia-based firm received national certification as a woman-owned enterprise. Only approximately 13% of construction-related companies were owned by women as of 2018, according to a survey conducted by Randstad, a Dutch multinational human resource consultant.