Born as a first-generation American from parents Sabri and Meryem Akman – who left Turkey to give their children a better future – Akman moved from Webster Square to New York City for leadership roles at places like Bank of New York and Carnival Cruise Lines. He returned to Worcester and learned the jewelry trade from his father before striking out on his own with Pleasant Pawn & Jewelry in 2005, seeing the rising demand in the pawn industry. Akman markets his custom jewelry and focuses on superior customer service, a friendly environment and workmanship.
Akman serves on the board for St. Mary’s Church in Shrewsbury and support nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester. He and wife Barbara have two children, Joey and Adessa.
What do you daydream about? Making my kids’ quality of life better.
Best career advice? My parents said, “Always be honest in business.”
What Central Mass. location should everyone visit? LifeTime Fitness. Best gym I’ve seen, and I love to workout.
Meet the other 40 Under Forty winners for 2017
Brendan Aylward – Unified Health and Performance
Greta Bajrami Campoverde – Golden Group Construction Corp.
Kathryn Behan – UMass Memorial Healthcare
Heather Belair – Bay State Savings Bank
Neil Callahan – R.H. White Construction
Michelle L. Cote, Esq. – Law Offices of Richard S. Ravosa
Julianne Dahrooge – Chan & Dahrooge Financial Group, LLC
Patrick J. DiGregorio – Veterans Inc.
Courtney Ross Escobar – Doucette & LaRose, LLC
Robert Fecteau – BirchTree Bread Co.
Hilary Gardner – The Davis Cos.
Ashleigh C. Gelinas, Esq. – Gelinas & Ward, LLP
Avra Hoffman – BirchTree Bread Co.
Maryann C. Johnson – Oak Hill CDC
Kevin G. Johnson – O’Connor, Maloney & Company, P.C.
Heather Mangione – United Way of Central Massachusetts
Jay Merrill – Clifford & Rano Associates
Meghan E. Montaner – The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
Edward Murphy – Baystate Investment Fund
Joy Rachelle Murrieta – Main IDEA
Dr. Milka Njoroge, PharmD – Century Homecare, LLC
Andrew B. Palumbo – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
John T. Pitcavage – Endless Energy
Julia Randall, M.D. – Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
Keith Reardon – Commonwealth Consulting Group, LLC
Giselle Rivera-Flores – The Learning Hub & IgWorcesterMA
Jamie Salois – Atlas Distributing
Lindiana Semidei – Raices Latin Dance
Jody Staruk – Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Francisco Torres – Town of Westborough
Abel Travis – Hanover Insurance Group
Elizabeth Tripp – Hanover Insurance Group
Alexis G. Vallejos – Columbia Tech
David Viens – Bowditch & Dewey, LLP
