As most know, Ryan was a vegan and gluten free.  So getting dinner/lunch/snacks with him was always fun.  Food became one of our many connections.  To his credit he wasn't shy of trying different foods though (e.g. went out for Ethiopian one evening in HTX) and we were always exchanging really good high protein natural power bars and treats.  I always felt the need to feed Ryan (must get this from my Jewish mom); he reciprocated by sending me care packages of his favor vegan/gluten free high protein bars.  

Always a bright light and will not be forgotten - his impact on me personally is lasting.  Love you Ryan!

I met Ryan at work. Shortly after he started, I was going through a very difficult moment in my carreer and I remember that he called me out of the blue and asked me how I was doing and how my mental health was.  I remember thinking that it was a very weird question from someone I had not know very long. Well, that simple question led to a long conversation and after we hung up I felt so much better. That was the beginning of our friendship.

We were very different culturally, me being Mexican and from Texas and him from the North East. We would very often joke about our differences and would share reels that would make fun of them. Sending him pictures of Texas themed items that were sold at HEB or at Bucee's became a very common occurrence. At one point, he mentioned that all the instagram reels I had sent him must have broken his algorithm because half of them were in Spanish. That made me laugh for hours.

He loved Halloween and would send me pictures of his 12ft skeleton and his skeleton dog. My kids loved them. He also asked me about my family and what their costumes were going to be. I would send him pictures of my children dressed up and he would send me pictures of Max in his pumpkin costume.  

He loved talking about Mindy and Max. He loved them so much. He would share pictures about their travels and tell us so many stories. One of the funniest one was when they traveled to Africa and had to get on a tiny plane that they were not sure would get off the ground.

He would also talk about UConn so much. I learned so much about that university and their rankings in different sports. I also learned about Jonathan the husky.

Ryan was just such a positive influence in my life. He mentored me in my career and was my dear friend. Everyone that worked with him loved him. I will miss him very much.

I’ve been lucky to know Ryan since 2015, and when I look back on our friendship, there are countless things I’m going to miss. But two stand out most.

First, the way we could bicker or challenge each other one minute and, two minutes later, be talking about our latest house project, our dogs, or our families.  I'll miss how easy going our friendship was in that way. 

Second, no matter where our careers took us, he not only remained a close friend but became one of my most trusted confidants and sounding boards. Most of our check-ins would turn into hour long phone calls about life, career or otherwise. I knew that when we talked, there was no judgment, no ego, he just wanted to be a friend there to listen and help if he could. He became someone I could rely on for clarity, encouragement, or the person who would tell me the hard truth. He is the reason I’m at the company I’m with today. He saw potential in me long before I saw it in myself. He pushed me to grow, to know my worth, and to believe in what I could do. 

I feel lucky to have had him for a friend, and the impact he had on me is something I’ll carry with me always.