About

The business side of inspiring arts projects

 

Arts organizations work hard to bring inspiration, beauty and joy to the communities they serve. But despite the value they add to life, these groups must be very careful in funding the building projects to house their performances and exhibitions.

Venue provides expert estimating and cost control services to liberate organizations to pursue their passion and realize their grandest artistic visions.

Client Composition

 

  • Cultural Organization Owners 50% 50%
  • Architects 25% 25%
  • FEASIBILITY/CULTURAL ARTS CONSULTANTS 25% 25%

Why Venue is the Obvious Choice

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Flexibility of Service

  • Service tailored to meet the client’s and design team’s requirements
  • Listen to the client’s needs, which can range from a one-time order-of-magnitude initial estimate, to total cost control services throughout the design and construction stages

Reliable and Thorough

  • Provide detailed, user-friendly, venue construction costs
  • Based on real experience with real costs
  • Feedback on how decisions made during design and construction will impact the client’s bottom line

Long-Term Relationships

  • Not just a short term estimating service but a long term cost management partnership
  • Service oriented and focused on ensuring the client’s needs are satisfied
  • Collaboration/teamwork is key to a successful outcome for all

Experience Counts

  • Years of solid experience by highly qualified professionals

  • Specific experience for unique projects

  • Consistency of results

Competitive Fee

  • Based on the level of information provided, and required, by the client

  • Efficiency of service yields efficiency in fee

The Venue Team of Experts

Nakoto Rentz, Principal/CEO

Mobile: 813.478.1091 | nakoto.rentz@venue-consulting.com

As CEO of Venue, Nakoto is responsible for guiding the firm’s strategic vision, fostering client relationships, and ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality, design-phase cost consulting services across the U.S. and abroad.

Background and Experience:

Nakoto Rentz is an accomplished Cost Consultant and the Principal/CEO of Venue, bringing nearly 30 years of experience to the planning and execution of complex cultural and performing arts projects across the United States and internationally. Since joining Venue in 2013, he has played a critical role in the cost control of some of the most successful performing and cultural arts facilities in the industry.

As CEO of Venue, Nakoto is responsible for guiding the firm’s strategic vision, fostering client relationships, and ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality, design-phase cost consulting services across the U.S. and abroad.

Nakoto began his construction career with a multinational construction management and general contracting firm, as well as a Florida-based, family-owned commercial and residential contractor. These early experiences provided him with hands-on knowledge across a wide range of building types, including hospitals, public schools, houses of worship, and custom homes.

Throughout his career, Nakoto has collaborated with design and construction teams on over 100 complex projects, managing budgets ranging from $10 million to more than $500 million.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 1998: Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology (BS), Florida A&M University
  • Certified General Contractor State of Florida
  • Nakoto’s duties include establishing project budgets at all design stages, cost control, value engineering, local market cost research, and contractor/construction manager bid and GMP validation.

Charlie Jelke

Mobile: 610.308.3703 | charles.jelke@venue-consulting.com

Charlie is a Senior Cost Consultant and Director of Technology Innovation and Optimization at Venue, responsible for guiding design teams to design projects to budget and applying new and existing methods to do so even more accurately and efficiently.

Charlie JelkeBackground and Experience:

Charlie Jelke is an accomplished Senior Cost Consultant credited with over 15 years of experience in estimating and over 5 years of cost consulting in the commercial construction industry.

In 2006, while Charlie was still in high school, he began his construction career in cost estimating for his family’s steel fabrication business. From there, he moved to steel subcontractors in the Philadelphia area where he gained hands-on experience in both cost estimating and project managing for awarded projects from start to finish.

Charlie transitioned to cost consulting in 2018, budgeting projects for aviation, offices, labs, hospitals, and cultural arts, ranging from a few million to upwards of $7 billion.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 2013: Bachelor of Science in Energy, Business & Finance (BS), Penn State University
  • Charlie’s duties include establishing project budgets at all design stages, cost control, value engineering, local market cost research, and contractor/construction manager bid and GMP validation.
  • As Venue’s Director of Technology, Innovation, and Optimization, Charlie is responsible for leading the firm’s digital strategy, streamlining internal processes, and implementing new tools and technologies that enhance accuracy, efficiency, and client service across all project phases.

Cathy Byrd

Mobile: 813.293.4663 | cathy.byrd@venue-consulting.com

Cathy is a Senior Cost Consultant at Venue, responsible for guiding design teams to design projects to budget.

Cathy ByrdBackground and Experience:

Cathy Byrd is an accomplished Cost Consultant credited with highly successful performing arts projects under her cost control belt, spanning a 35 year career.

Cathy has worked in the construction industry since 1980, primarily in the commercial segments, with a heavy emphasis in complex renovations and historic restorations. She entered the construction industry as an estimator in the subcontracting trades while attending the University of Colorado majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Studied for Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado
  • Certified General Contractor State of Florida, current
  • LEED AP through the U.S. Green Building Council
  • Registered Certifying Agent for the Florida Green Building Coalition
  • Qualified Green Building Verifier for the National Association of Home Builders
  • Nominated as one of the 10 Most Influential Women for a Sustainable Planet by the Mayor of the City of Tampa
  • Cathy’s duties include establishing project budgets at all design stages, cost control, value engineering, local market cost research, and contractor/construction manager bid and GMP validation

ryan scott

Mobile: 870.733.7145 | ryan.scott@venue-consulting.com 

Ryan is a Senior Cost Consultant at Venue, responsible for guiding design teams to design projects to budget.

Ryan ScottBackground and Experience:

Ryan Scott, BS, is a Senior Cost Consultant with Venue credited with highly successful projects under his cost control belt, spanning a 28-year career.

Ryan’s formative years since he started in 1996 were principally spent running a construction company with his Dad, so he knows the ins and outs of building construction. Upon his Dad’s retirement, Ryan transitioned into cost consulting where he gained hands on experience on design and engineering projects including museums, temples and other cultural projects ranging up to $250M. He also picked up a degree along the way in biomedical engineering!

Ryan has collaborated with design and construction teams for projects in the US and has assisted in varying capacity, design and construction teams.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering (BS), University of Memphis, 2019
  • Associate of Arts (AA), Arkansas State University, 1997
  • Ryan’s duties include establishing project budgets at all design stages, cost control, value engineering, local market cost research, and contractor/construction manager bid and GMP validation

Greg Babiak, SENIOR COST CONSULTANT (MECHANICAL)

Greg’s forté is leading the Mechanical department with expertise in cost control of complex and critical projects such as decarbonization initiatives, museums, and performing arts facilities.

Background and Experience:

Greg Babiak, PQS, is a Principal with A.W. Hooker, bringing extensive capability and practical working experience to his role. His career spans a wide range of industrial, institutional, commercial, and residential projects. Greg’s strength lies in collaborating with design teams on a peer-to-peer level, providing practical advice and ensuring successful cost control throughout the design stages. He also provides mentoring and leadership to colleagues, fostering collaboration in measurement, quantification, and project coordination to deliver the highest standards of quality in cost estimates. Venue has partnered with A.W. Hooker for electrical cost consulting for over 15 years, relying on their expertise to ensure accuracy and consistency across projects.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design and Drafting, Sheridan College

  • Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS), Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors

  • Member, Ontario Association of Certified Technicians and Technologists

Ryan Paterson, SENIOR COST CONSULTANT (ELECTRICAL)

Ryan’s forté is electrical cost management and estimating, delivering precise cost control across all stages of design and construction for complex projects.

Background and Experience:

Ryan Paterson, PQS, is a Senior Associate with A.W. Hooker, bringing extensive expertise in electrical cost consulting. He has completed detailed cost estimates from Feasibility through bidding stages and is recognized for his deep knowledge of building electrical systems and electrical estimating processes. Ryan also has experience with Post Bid cost control, commissioning witnessing, and electrical construction progress review. Venue has partnered with A.W. Hooker for electrical cost consulting for over 15 years, relying on their expertise to ensure accuracy and consistency across projects.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Advanced Diploma, Electrical Engineering Technology, Ontario College (Sept 2009 – Dec 2012)

  • Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS)

  • Member, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Sean Ryan, ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mobile: 813.500.9126 | sean.ryan@venue-consulting.com

Sean’s forté is client/design team liaison and project cost control, together with business development responsibility for Venue.

Background and Experience:

Sean Ryan, FRICS, a Principal of Venue, is an accomplished Cost Consultant credited with many highly successful performing, visual, educational, entertainment arts and museum projects under his “cost control” belt, spanning a 40 year career. Over 20 years have been on performing and visual arts projects internationally and in the US spread over 37 states and 80 cities.

Projects vary in scope from a $10 million renovation project to a $1.2 billion masterplan study, and everything in between.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 1976: Qualified as a Quantity Surveyor in Construction Management and Economics from The Dublin Institute of Technology
  • 1990: Inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), a worldwide cost consultant professional organization based in London
  • 1994: Inducted as a member of AACE International, a US based organization promoting cost planning
  • United States Institute for Theatre Technology Inc. (USITT) Annual Conference
  • American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Exchange East Conference

Steve Ryan, ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mobile: 813.500.9993 | steve.ryan@venue-consulting.com

Steve’s forté is facility estimating and cost control, together with technical cost management supervision of all Venue projects.

Steve RyanBackground and Experience:

Steve Ryan, BS, QS, LEED AP, a Principal of Venue, is an accomplished Cost Consultant credited with many highly successful performing, visual, educational, entertainment arts and museum projects under his “cost control” belt, spanning a 35 year career.

Over 20 years have been on performing and visual arts projects internationally and in the US spread over 37 states and 80 cities. Projects vary in scope from music, theatre, opera and multi-use facilities with construction costs ranging from $10 million to over $500 million, and everything in between.

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Steve originally hails from South Africa
  • 1985: Qualified as a Quantity Surveyor in Construction Management and Economics from the University of Cape Town.
  • 1986: Moved to London to further his quantity surveying career
  • 1996: Moved to the US
  • 2009: Became an accredited member of the U.S. Green Building Council with the designation LEED AP
  • Stays involved with professional organizations by attending cost management related conferences