Ryan founded Forgotten Voices after being overwhelmed by the needs of orphaned children in Zimbabwe. Ryan met many local pastors who knew what to do, but their needs were not being heard. Their stories compelled him to take action to solve this issue, and Forgotten Voices became a nonprofit in 2006. Previously, Ryan led innovative, job-creating economic development programs in Central Pennsylvania. Ryan is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School with a master’s degree in public policy, where he was named a Pforzheimer Fellow. He holds a BA in politics from Messiah College. Ryan and his wife, Katie, live near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with their three young children.