Graduating in 2005 and commissioning as an Infantry officer, he was patrolling in Southern Baghdad when his vehicle was hit by a particularly devastating type of IED - Improvised Explosive Device.  Despite significant internal injuries and ultimately the loss of his lower left leg, Ryan persevered in recovery, and in 2014 earned both an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.  He has since helped launch the start-up Arx Pax, bringing a revolutionary new technology to the marketplace, and now works for DaVita, managing an incredibly dedicated team of caregivers who provide life sustaining dialysis in hospitals across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ryan also proudly serves on the board of Warrior Rising, a non-profit dedicated to creating a future where all returning U.S. Veterans are able to achieve financial independence through business ownership or gainful employment.  In addition to professional and academic pursuits, Ryan enjoys Skydiving, SCUBA and Triathlons.  Ryan speaks on powerful topics such as overcoming adversity, how veteran skills translate to the private sector – in both entrepreneurial and big corporate pursuits, and team building through shared hardships.