Praful M. Kulkarni

Praful M. Kulkarni, a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and former Los Angeles County Highway Safety commissioner, is the founder, president and CEO of California-based GKKWorks, a leading architectural and construction management firm in the United States.
Early life
Kulkarni was born and raised near Nashik, India. On a full scholarship, he attended the Indian Institute of Technology, a school that selects only 1 percent of its applicants
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1974.
On a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship: he earned his master’s in Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He later earned an executive MBA from Pepperdine University in Southern California.
Career
In 1991 Kulkarni founded gkkworks to fulfill his dream of being a “master builder” (both architect and construction manager). The firm, which provides the uncommon combination of both construction management and design, was ranked by Engineering News Record as one of the United States’ "Top 100 Construction Management Firms", and it was selected as one of Zweig White’s "Top 100 Fastest Growing Design Firms".
Kulkarni started his business with the financial backing of two investors, both of whom he bought out within five years.
Since he founded the firm in 1991, gkkworks has completed several earthquake retrofits, built a variety of public schools and built an annex to a medical center. During the ceremony following his firm’s completion of the William Jefferson Clinton Elementary School in Compton, Calif., former President Bill Clinton publicly thanked the firm for the work completed and personally thanked Mr. Kulkarni.
gkkworks has received over 11 awards for its work in Southern California, including one from the Los Angeles Business Council, the AIA, San Fernando Valley Chapter, DBIA Western Pacific Region and more. The firm has expanded to include 278 employees in California and the Middle East and 15 offices with eight in California, one in Honolulu, one in the Chicago area, one in the Atlanta area, one in Princeton, New Jersey and two in India.<ref name="Los Angeles Business Journal"/>
Before founding gkkworks, Kulkarni worked with URS Corporation, a major architecture/engineering/construction firm, eventually serving URS as their Southern California region’s vice president and managing director. Prior to URS, Kularni worked from 1976 through 1982 with international architectural firms. He served as architectural designer with Merrill, Owings and Skidmore, and as senior designer with Karlsberger. The firm has expanded to include 278 employees in California and the Middle East and 15 offices with eight in California, one in Honolulu, one in the Chicago area, one in the Atlanta area, one in Princeton, New Jersey and two in India.<ref name="Los Angeles Business Journal"/>
Kulkarni has served as a Los Angeles Highway Safety Commissioner and on various boards, including the Community College Facility Coalition, Design-Build Institute of America and the Indian Institute of Technology Foundation and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. He is also a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Hospital Association of Southern California.<ref name="Los Angeles Business Journal"/>
Awards
Kulkarni received the [http://www.gkkworks.com/index.php?optioncom_content&viewarticle&id37:gkkworks-ceo-praful-kulkarni-is-named-ernst-a-young-entrepreneur-of-the-yearr-2011-award-winner-&catid6&Itemid=38 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year© Award] in 2011.

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