After growing up in San Antonio (Reagan High School), Ryan attended UT Austin where he enrolled in the legendary Plan II Honors program. While at UT (during the Mack Brown golden years with Vince Young and Colt McCoy), he contracted a lifelong “bug” for Longhorn football.
He went on to obtain his J.D. at NYU, one of the very best law schools in the country.
As a young lawyer, Ryan spent several years as an associate in the corporate departments of two highly-prestigious global mega-firms (top 5 & top 50), where he learned about the “art of the deal” and worked on transactions ranging from small contracts to multi-billion dollar acquisitions. Ryan has also served as General Counsel of a San Antonio-based tech startup founded by two highly successful entrepreneurs which raised over $10 million in private funding.
Ryan also regularly trains Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at a local gym. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, descended from Judo, that focuses on ground fighting and the use of superior position to submit an opponent. The “gentle art,” as it is called, is not only a rapidly growing sport but also generally known as the most effective martial art in existence, ever since its practitioners dominated early mixed martial arts tournaments such as UFC. If you have ever watched a UFC fight or listened to the Joe Rogan podcast, you have likely seen or heard about the otherworldly effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques. You can find Ryan on the mats several times per week, most weeks. Oss!
He is also currently enrolled in the training course to be certified as a Texas Master Naturalist.
Ryan also volunteers his time as a teacher and mentor with various small business incubators, startup accelerators, and co-working spaces in San Antonio, where he provides guidance to entrepreneurs and small businesses both in the tech sector and beyond. From time to time, he also teaches workshops and classes with various universities and community colleges around the state, including as part-time faculty of the Alamo Community College District. He is an involved participant in various charitable organizations and activities.
He is a member of the San Antonio Texas Exes (UT Alumni Association), the San Antonio Bar Association, the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, the Exit Planning Exchange (XPX), and others. In addition, Ryan has been selected as a member of the Texas Bar College, a distinction held by less than 5% of Texas lawyers.