Ryan's recent experience includes work at UnitedHealth Group, where he architected and implemented numerous innovations and capabilities, including Optum’s Service Design Studio, a transformational business called Harken Health and many large programs. He is a recognized pioneer and leader of human-centered service design and innovation and his award-winning designs have made a significant impact in the health care industry.

Prior to Optum, Ryan created and directed the SPARC Design Lab at Mayo Clinic, a new and novel center for innovation in healthcare services that preceded and evolved into Mayo’s Center for Innovation.

Ryan received the inaugural Alumni Innovator Award from the University of Minnesota in 2014. He often provides invited talks at forums around the world on the topic of making health care work better for people.

Designed the first Innovation course for the Minnesota MHA Program in 2006 and have been teaching it to both graduate and executive students since then.   The course covers a broad range of topics related to innovation in health care delivery, including human-centered design, organizational structures for innovation, and value creation.

Also designed the first Climate Change and Healthcare Organizations course and delivered it in 2019 for the Minnesota MHA Program.   The course covers important adaptation and mitigation considerations for healthcare organizations.