“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” Proverbs 31:8-9 (NLT)
Ryan has a rather unique perspective of the innate nature of Purpose. His biological mother was raped yet courageously rejected the violence of abortion. Ryan was adopted and loved by a diverse family of fifteen.
Today, he is an Emmy® Award-winning Creative Professional who founded The Radiance Foundation, a faith-based, life-affirming, educational nonprofit, along with his amazing wife, Bethany. He is a factivist, international public speaker, columnist, educator, and author of the powerful book, Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong. He and Bethany also co-authored the ground-breaking children’s books He is He, She is She, and Pro-Life Kids! (See all of their books here.)
From congressional briefings on Capitol Hill to launching billboard campaigns in major cities across the country to advocating adoption via their AdoptedAndLoved.com initiative to inspiring youth & adults with their one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations, Ryan has had incredible opportunities to address hundreds of thousands in live events across the country.
The first Radiance billboard campaign was launched in Atlanta, GA.
He was the creative force behind the first ad campaign to expose abortion’s hugely disproportionate impact in the black community. The bold TooManyAborted.com billboards/web campaigns made an unexpectedly huge impact in the pro-life movement. The effort received massive media coverage from The New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, CNN, MSNBC, the Associated Press, Washington Times, Fox News, ABC World News, and across social media. The extensive media attention enabled The Radiance Foundation, and Ryan’s personal story of adoption, to reach millions. Working in conjunction with noted national civil rights leaders like Dr. Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.), Ryan is involved in national efforts to expose and defund Planned Parenthood by illuminating the social injustice of abortion. He has also traveled the country helping pregnancy help centers raise millions of dollars at fundraising events to support women and their children (born and unborn).
His regularly published OpEds cover core issues such as abortion, adoption, racism, fatherlessness, gender radicalism, religious liberty, free speech and the War on Common Sense. He’s been denounced by the ACLU, George Soros’ Media Matters for America, Planned Parenthood and even the NAACP. The nation’s oldest civil rights organization sued Ryan and The Radiance Foundation for exercising their First Amendment right to parody the organization’s name. In a national OpEd, Ryan called out the NAACP branding it the “National Association for the Abortion of Colored People”. With the incredible help of Alliance Defending Freedom, Radiance was victorious after two years in federal court!
Through Radiance, Ryan has worked with organizations around the world to illuminate the truth about human dignity. Ryan earned his Masters in Communications from Regent University where he was named an Alumnus of the Year. He and Bethany also received the Messiah College Christian Stewardship Alumni Award. Ryan was recognized for his leadership on pivotal social issues by Star Parker and given C.U.R.E.’s inaugural Lion Chaser Award (based on 2 Samuel 23:20). In March 2017, Ryan was honored to be given the Ignite Courage Award by the Delaware Family Policy Council for his courage in standing for the truth in love (I Corinthians 16:13-14). The Institute on Religion & Democracy also named Ryan as one of the 100 Influential Protestants You Ought to Know. In the Summer of 2023, Ryan was honored as “one of the Fifty Top Pro-Life Leaders in the Last Fifty Years” in the incredible new book, Legacy of Life.
Ryan has several decades of experience in leadership as well as in mentoring and educating young people. As a creative professional who loves to educate he has been able to share with diverse audiences about core identity issues (life, “race”, sexuality). Through creative ad campaigns, powerful multimedia talks, groundbreaking books, fearless factivism, and compassionate community outreaches, The Radiance Foundation addresses culture-shaping issues in the context of God-given purpose. As Chief Creative Officer of The Radiance Foundation, Ryan hopes to continue to impact millions to embrace their inherent and equal value and the incredible possibility with which we are all created.
Ryan is happily married to the love of his life, Bethany. They are the proud homeschooling parents of four amazing children, two of whom were adopted. They are his daily inspiration in illuminating that every human life has God-given purpose.
