A 2002 graduate of Messiah College, Ryan has a background of project management, international, state and local politics, public relations, and business. He is currently president of Forgotten Voices International. Prior to that Ryan was the Coordinator for the Harrisburg Market Keystone Innovation Zone, a Governor Rendell Administration project focused on enhancing the entrepreneurial culture at educational institutions in Southcentral Pennsylvania.  Ryan has also served as the National Outreach Chair for the Student Advisory Council, a division of the Massachusetts Department of Education, where he helped advise the state Board of Education on policy decisions, as well as worked with education institutions on implementation of that policy. In addition to his work with Zimbabwe, Ryan is on the Messiah College Alumni Council, the Community Advisory Board for WITF, Inc., and recently served as a Commissioner & Treasurer for the Harrisburg Mayor's Literacy Commission, a committee appointed by Mayor Reed to address literacy issues faced by children and adults in the Greater Harrisburg area.