Leadership

Kolapo Akinbami serves as General Counsel for Ducere Construction Services, Inc., providing executive-level legal oversight across the firm's construction, real estate, and corporate matters. A Solicitor of England and Wales admitted in 2013, Kolapo brings rare cross-jurisdictional legal depth to Ducere's leadership — spanning US, EMEA, and Middle East regulatory and transactional environments. His career spans the highest levels of institutional finance and international law. He has served as Vice President of Legal at MUFG EMEA in London, and held senior legal positions at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Nomura, and Liquidnet — where he specialized in derivatives, ISDA documentation, and investment banking transactions across global capital markets. Kolapo's appointment as General Counsel positions Ducere with legal infrastructure typically reserved for publicly traded firms and large institutional contractors — bringing institutional-grade contract review, risk management, and cross-border legal capability to every Ducere engagement.

Markesia Akinbami is a co-founder of Ducere Construction Services and a dynamic real estate entrepreneur with a proven track record across more than $100M in commercial projects and over $15M in residential developments. As a licensed realtor with Norluxe Realty, she brings unmatched expertise in residential acquisition, renovation, and disposition strategy. Her accomplishments have earned recognition in national publications including "Implementing Supplier Diversity" and "Entrepreneurship: The Practice and Mindset." A graduate of the University of Florida Mentor Protégé Program and holder of a Master Staging Design Certification, Markesia blends strategic vision with creative design to deliver exceptional outcomes across every Ducere project.

Matthew Webster serves as Qualifying Agent for Ducere Construction Services, bringing over 25 years of institutional construction executive experience to the firm's project delivery capability. As former Associate Vice President at the University of Florida, Matthew managed a construction program exceeding $2.5 billion in contracts with an annual construction spend surpassing $250 million per year. His portfolio includes landmark projects such as the $34M Harrell Medical Education Building and the $118M Groves K-12 School. A Certified General Contractor licensed in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, and a LEED Accredited Professional, Matthew's addition as Qualifying Agent positions Ducere to compete for larger commercial, institutional, healthcare, and public-sector capital programs with the full backing of his credentialed oversight.

Eric Drummond brings 30 years of commercial construction experience to Ducere Construction Services, with a project history spanning the southeastern United States. His practice focuses on construction and renovation of commercial spaces — office, medical, retail, and food service — with a signature expertise in maintaining owner business operations throughout active construction. After 25 years with a large regional construction manager, Eric founded Drummond Construction Group in Gainesville, Florida, operating as both general contractor and owner's representative.

Kathey Porter Brown is a nationally recognized business strategist and award-winning expert in inclusive procurement and supplier diversity. As Founder and CEO of Porter Brown Associates, she serves as Executive Coach for Goldman Sachs, Inc Magazine's Inc 5000 program, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Babson College. A LinkedIn Learning Instructor, Kathey provides Ducere's leadership with strategic advisory perspective on business development, institutional partnerships, and positioning within public and private sector procurement ecosystems.

Korey Akinbami is the founder and principal of Ducere Construction Services, Inc., a state-licensed general contractor in Georgia, Florida, and 16 additional states under NASCLA reciprocity. With 9 years of active project delivery, Korey has overseen $100M+ in commercial and residential construction, including ground-up new builds, complex structural renovations, retaining wall systems, and commercial build-outs across the Atlanta metro, coastal Georgia, and Florida. He operates at the intersection of construction execution and technology, having built proprietary digital systems to de-risk construction investments through data-driven project management. Ducere was selected for the inaugural 2019 Mentor Protégé class of Charles Perry Partners, Inc. (CPPI) — an ENR Top 400 contractor ranked #288 nationally. Korey holds an academic background spanning Morehouse College, Emory University, Clark Atlanta University, and the University of Virginia Medical School, and previously built epidemiological surveillance and national budgetary applications for Northrop Grumman, the CDC, and the State of Georgia.