What I Do
Facilitation
Workshops, Sprints and Cohort-Based Programs
Collaboration
Project-Based Consulting and Venture Building
Education
Speaking, Guest Lecturing, and Content Development
Facilitation is a powerful method that helps people and organizations effectively solve problems and find new opportunities.
Whether it's a workshop, sprint, or program, facilitation guides people through a curated journey that combines different approaches for exploring and understanding topics thoroughly. This blend of methods allows for a comprehensive examination, helping participants discover innovative solutions and new insights with clarity and depth that traditional methods may not provide.
Facilitation Clients Include
Workshops
Workshops are valuable for in-depth exploration of topics. They help participants understand and implement subject matter efficiently through hands-on activities.
Interactive sessions are often held for various groups, including entrepreneur support organizations like accelerators and incubators, as well as at events like trade fairs and conferences. Workshops are also directly provided to businesses, both large companies and startups, to help them better understand and implement effective ideas and strategies.
Workshops
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Workshops are best for group settings, including: accelerators, incubators, universities, and events. Also, workshops are ideal for teams in corporations, SME’s, NGO’s, startups and scaleups.
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Specific topics are chosen in collaboration with clients, but general topics include: Innovation, Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship, Investment Readiness, Collaborative Economy, Future of Work, Internationalization, and Fashion/Retail Tech.
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Workshops can be adapted and modified according to the needs of the audience, including its content and delivery. Generally, workshops range from 1-4 hours, on-site or virtually.
The first step is a conversation, so feel free to contact me so I can start to understand your needs.
Sprints
Sprints are most effective for understanding a topic deeply and holistically, and rapidly generating solutions and opportunities uncovered through its unique approach.
A sprint is a methodology used to validate ideas through design, prototyping, user testing, and collaboration — typically in a matter of days —offering a more structured, effective approach to creative thinking and problem solving. These sprints are most suitable for a deep dive on a specific topic or issue, and can be modified as a design, product, strategy, or innovation sprint.
Sprints
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Sprints are best suited for teams and organizations, with a specific problem or opportunity to explore more deeply. It requires cross-functional participation by the team to engage in the entire duration of the sprint, usually lasting 3-5 days.
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Sprints are less topic driven, and more problem or opportunity-driven. The form of the sprint can be for Design, Innovation, Product, or Strategy, but most important is setting a clear objective, and an understanding for the general desired results.
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Sprints typically last 5 consecutive days, however Mini-Sprints (3 days) and Extended Sprints (8-10 Days) are possible depending on the project needs and scope. A Sprint is best facilitated on-site, but it can be performed virtually in some cases. Different relevant stakeholders of a team should be present, to ensure diversity of thought and contribution across different aspects of a problem or solution.
If you are interested in a Sprint, contact me so I can start to understand your needs and explore if there is a good fit.
Programs
Program facilitation typically involves leading a cohort through a learning experience, in a professional, entrepreneurial, or educational setting.
In-house or in a collaborative role, I help programs develop and deliver their content. Programs can range from accelerator programs, to university programming, or programs run in coordination with governmental institutions. Generally, these programs are at the convergence of innovation, education, and entrepreneurship.
Programs
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As a program facilitator, I primarily work with Entrepreneur Support Organizations. This includes: accelerators, incubators, venture studios, universities, enterprise centers, innovation hubs, government institutions, non-profit organizations, and corporate innovation programs.
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Programs that I specialize in are on the topics of entrepreneurship, design thinking, innovation, strategy, and the fashion/retail industry.
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If you have a program that you need help with to get off the ground, or if you have a program in place that needs a facilitator to deliver part or all of the program, we can collaborate. Generally, I work with programs that have a clear focus and objective, but need someone to help deliver on developing or delivering the program content.
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“ I’ve had the pleasure of having Ryan as the main facilitator for several Angel Challenge programs in both Oslo and Trondheim in Norway. The programs purpose is to matchmake and educate both investors and startups. Ryan excelled in program development and implementation, creating a collaborative environment that fostered growth and meaningful connections between startups and investors. With his experience from other accelerator programs and exceptional interpersonal skills, he improved the curriculum and made the program a resounding success. It was an honor to work with Ryan, and I look forward to a next time. ”
Eirik Lilland Nerdal | Fmr. Head of Investor Programs @ Startup Norway
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“ Ryan has worked with VentureVilla Accelerator GmbH as a mentor for several years. In our Mastermind Session he supported early stage startups on a weekly basis and provided excellent value for the founders with his profound knowledge and experience.”
Niklas Engemann | Program & Partnerships Manager @ VentureVilla Accelerator GmbH
Interested in Facilitation?
Learn more about Workshops, Sprints and Programs
Collaboration typically takes the form of Project-Based Consulting and Venture Building. This kind of input is most ideal for complex challenges and projects, with a need to dive deeper and engage in more thorough contributions.
These kind of collaborations leverage the facilitation from Workshops and Sprints, but applied to a longer and more comprehensive approach. These collaborations are driven by strategy and implementation, as a sparring partner on your project, and strong preference for taking action to validate ideas and assumptions. For projects that need consistent support along the way, collaboration is a hands-on approach to ensure measurable progress.
Collaboration Clients Include
Project-Based Consulting
Project-Based Consulting is a deeper level of engagement for greater impact in a project or organization. As a collaborator, ‘me’ becomes ‘we’, and ‘your project’ becomes ‘our project’, so we can achieve our goals together.
Project-Based Consulting is most ideal for companies looking to apply innovation and transform for the future, or emerging ventures needing help to make their goals a reality. ESO’s can engage in this type of collaboration to cultivate their ecosystem and impact, and educational institutions can collaborate on projects in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Project-Based Consulting
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My method of working is more of a collaboration; a sparring partner. I work with companies (large or small) who need help to “put the pieces together” for a product, service, program, experience, or ecosystem. I work with companies who are open to input, from an empathetic perspective, and I help them solve problems and build great things, together.
More pragmatically, this includes Entrepreneur Support Organizations that need help with developing or delivering a program or project, as well as emerging innovative ventures that need help getting off the ground or scaling.
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These kinds of projects involve both strategy and implementation. Consulting Projects are general in the fields of innovation, education, and entrepreneurship. This can be working with ESO’s and their cohorts, or directly with businesses of all sizes. Generally, there should be a focus on the need for design, regarding the development of a product, service program, or experience. However, these is always a business focus to this approach, so this will be applied to the collaboration.
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These kinds of collaborations are longer and more complex than what can be achieve through a Workshop or Sprint. These consulting projects are a minimum of 3 months, with a specific project scope and objectives, and an emphasis on taking action. These collaborations can be on-site in person, or virtually.
If you have a project that needs some help, free to contact me and we discuss it further.
Venture Building
Workshops are best for when you want to explore a topic quickly and directly, in a short period of time. The objective of a workshop is to facilitate the understanding of a topic, through taking decisive action.
Typically workshops are delivered for entrepreneur support organizations (accelerators, incubators, etc.), events (trade fairs, conferences, etc.), and directly to businesses (corporates, startups, etc.).
Venture Building
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Venture Building can happen through an Entrepreneur Support Organization, like an accelerator, incubator, enterprise center, or venture builder. Alternatively, venture building can happen independently, directly with a startup or project.
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Industry-specific domain expertise is within the fashion/retail industry, specifically how tech and innovation is disrupting the industry. Additionally, extensive experience within Entrepreneur Support Organizations — specifically accelerators — is an area of expertise.
Agnostic to industry, strengths in Venture Building include Product, User Experience, Design Thinking, Investment Readiness, Operational Roadmap, Business Models, and Operational Strategy.
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If you represent an Entrepreneur Support Organization, I work within the framework of your program, deployed to the startups in your portfolio. In cases directly with a startup, we collaborate in a capacity that mimics an accelerator in developing your enterprise.
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“ Ryan came into our business with a fresh pair of eyes and listened to our views and frustrations. He was able to quickly get into the heart of the matter and offered solutions in a productive and innovative manner. With Ryan's expertise and network of professionals, we were able to redefine our business strategy and realign it with our core objectives. Thank you for your ongoing insightful, incisive and extremely helpful support! ”
Joan Ayguadé Jarque | Director @ Materia Rica
Interested in Collaboration?
Learn more about Project-Based Consulting and Venture Building
Education
Passionate about educating students, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs around topics that cultivate agency, innovation and impact.
Through lectures and teaching opportunities at educational institutions, or speaking engagements at corporations and events, it presents a chance to impact people’s lives and industry as a whole.
Education Clients Include
Teaching
I identify as an educator, and have taught in various formats and settings for the past decade. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with those who want to learn, and take great pride in developing peoples’ careers.
Teaching collaborations usually happen in a guest lecturing role, either within a university curriculum or a separate educational program. Additionally, I work with universities to develop educational content, including entire educational courses and programs.
Teaching
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In a teaching capacity I specialize in working with Business Schools, Design Schools, or Fashion Schools. Generally, within these educational institutions, I teach with Graduate and Undergraduate students, usually with an inclination towards entrepreneurship, innovation, tech and the fashion/retail industry.
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Subjects are typically centered on the topics of: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Tech, Globalization, International Business, The Future of Work, Creative Industries, and the Fashion/Retail Industry.
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If you have a program or course in mind, and are looking for an experienced profile that can quickly and easily contribute as a guest lecturer or adjunct professor, please reach out so we can explore if it’s a good fit.
Additionally, you can learn more about previous teaching collaborations here.
Speaking
Speaking is an opportunity to share and educate about meaningful topics to an audience that hopes to apply these learnings.
Speaking engagements include at conferences, trade fairs, corporations, and university events.
Speaking
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Speaking engagements include conferences, trade fairs, corporations, and university events.
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I am always open to new ideas, however historically I have given spoken on the following topics: Fashion/Retail Tech, Entrepreneurship, Innovation Ecosystems, Design Strategy, Sustainability, Globalization, The Collaborative Economy, Digital Transformation, The Future of Work.
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If you would like to book me as a speaker, please get in touch with me so we can discuss your needs. Additionally, you can learn more about previous speaking engagements here.
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“ I had the pleasure of collaborating with Ryan not too long ago. Ryan participated in an event at the HP offices in Barcelona. The event involved HP customers and business partners. The objective of the event was to connect the participants to each other, which was challenging because they do not typically connect in their day to day lives. Ryan’s talk about the Collaborative Economy was a spark that helped this network start to pull together. I was not very well versed on this topic, and it was clear from my many conversations with Ryan that he is a subject matter expert. I am very grateful for getting a masterclass from Ryan. His relaxed, calm and empathetic style helped all of the participants look outside their comfort zones without hesitation. I would warmly welcome collaborating with Ryan again in the future.”
Terry Raghunath | Worldwide Business Development Manager @ HP
