Ryan Honick: Disability Advocate, Speaker, and Professional Persuader

“I was truly inspired by Ryan’s engaging and insightful fireside chat with me and our workshop attendees on accessibility. His expertise, authenticity, and ability to share lived experiences as an individual in the disability community made the conversation not only impactful but also deeply personal. He reminded us of the importance of designing with inclusivity in mind and left the audience empowered to take actionable steps toward creating more accessible work environments. His perspective and leadership are invaluable, and I can’t recommend him highly enough as a speaker!”

“Ryan participated in an RVOHealth-hosted panel on hybrid work and disability inclusion. He was articulate and spoke eloquently on the issues, while interacting with senior company leaders in the panel. Leading up to the event, he was easy to communicate with and participated in all the planning. He asked pointed questions and took time to learn and understand our company. He was a pleasure to work with and we would be happy to feature him at a speaker in upcoming events”

“I had the privilege of managing Ryan directly from 2014 to 2018 when he joined the Office of Chief Communications at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

From the outset, Ryan demonstrated an exceptional ability in the realm of communication. His keen eye for detail, combined with his adeptness at public relations, ensured that our agency received top-tier media placements for many of our initiatives and programs. Ryan’s commitment to excellence was evident in every task he undertook. He consistently went above and beyond, proving himself to be not only an expert communicator but also an invaluable asset to our office.

One of Ryan’s most commendable attributes is his ability to foster strong relationships. He built and strengthened connections with members of the media, which significantly bolstered our agency’s public image. Moreover, his interpersonal skills led to the development of meaningful relationships with senior leadership, high-profile media outlets, and renowned journalists. This network greatly assisted us in effectively communicating our agency’s message to the public.

Ryan’s innovative spirit was evident when he developed several systems to streamline our communications, enhancing our efficiency in the fast-paced environment of our work. His contributions, such as the internal communication document sharing system, played a pivotal role in improving our department’s operations.

In my capacity as Press Secretary for America’s innovation agency, having Ryan as my deputy was a tremendous advantage. His expertise, dedication, and passion for communication made him an integral part of our team. I was honored to mentor him and witness his remarkable career growth.

Ryan is a consummate professional with a wealth of experience in communication and public relations. His skills, combined with his unwavering dedication and passion, make him an asset to any team. I am confident that he will continue to excel in any endeavor he undertakes and wholeheartedly recommend him for any position that aligns with his expertise.”

“My highest recommendation!

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ryan 20+ years. He’s a prolific writer, editor, speaker, storyteller, and disability activist. Among our projects, Ryan was a team player on editing blogs, essays, articles, social media, screenplays, venture pitch decks, and a NY Times Bestseller. I’ve seen Ryan hit deadlines and power through tough assignments at the highest levels of government and industry. His humor & people skills are a rare gift. His command of language, PR, brands, marketing, and communications are also an asset to any project, team, or company fortunate to have him.”

“Ryan provided a great workshop on Accessible Design and remote inclusion. It was highly engaging and thought provoking for our team members. Would highly recommend Ryan for companies starting there disability inclusion journey or ones that are already on their way! ”

“Ryan is a paramount communications professional. For one, he’s extremely sharp. His detail-oriented and polished work products, along with his natural ability to establish positive, high-quality working relationships with team members also make him the kind of asset I’ve been trained as a seasoned recruiter to hire and retain. As an experienced federal government Comms employee, the idea-provoking conversations I’ve had with him have helped me clarify the direction I want to head in my own federal career. His DEIA advocacy among LinkedIn’s Top Voices brought him on my radar, and I was thrilled that our agency had the honor of having him on board. I have no doubt he will continue to add tremendous value to any position he accepts in his federal career. He’s an outstanding communicator, and definitely pursued the right career field. ”

“We hired Ryan Honick as a guest speaker at our Communication Always Matters Always (CAMA) Conference. He was an absolute delight to work with and he was able to tailor his speech to the needs of our audience. Ryan is witty, real, easy to work with, and he is passionate about his message. Ryan’s masterful ability to shift the audience’s perspective to see that the world as we know it is not very accessible was incredibly powerful.”

“A long-time friend of The Fool, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with and learn from Ryan on many occasions. So, I was thrilled to have all of our internal Fools meet Ryan as a guest speaker during an all-company meeting focused on expanding our perspectives and nurturing an inclusive workplace. The conversation also dug into his ADA advocacy work and how it has both intersected and collided with the many cultural and workplace implications due to COVID-19. We heard from employee after employee about the positive impact his talk had! Ryan’s a true Fool through and through and any organization would be fortunate to have the chance to learn from him.”

““Ryan and I worked closely on behalf of one of our firm’s longest-standing clients. It is a client relationship I have personally managed for nearly ten years, and so I am very particular in terms of which of our talented Fellows I ask to support the account. Ryan was the perfect addition to our team. His tenacity and creativity enabled him to achieve great success on our client’s behalf, establishing key relationships with major media outlets leading to high visibility for one of their chief PSA campaigns. He is a team player in the truest sense, he has been a real asset to our firm, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with him.””

““I had the pleasure of working with Ryan for nearly two years at HHS, and he was in a word, a lifesaver. My entire team found him to be a highly competent and dedicated communications professional. His responsiveness, attention to detail and strong organizational skills ensured a smooth run of my program’s marketing efforts. Communications can be a fast-paced, deadline driven field with many last minute updates and changes to processes, but he remained flexible and forward thinking through it all. In addition, Ryan’s energy and warm spirit made every interaction an enjoyable one. He would be a great asset to any team.”
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““I have worked with Ryan in both an academic and professional setting. The quality of his work and attitude are both great. He clearly excels on the writing side of PR, but he has demonstrated abilities in many forms of public communication, particularly social media. He was a tremendous asset to our company.” ”

““Ryan did a great job in our master’s program and as my graduate research assistant. He brings a strong background, but more importantly a lot of ideas and enthusiasm. He is (and will be) a great asset in any office or project team.””

““Ryan was an extremely bright, conscientious grad student and is staying true to form as he launches his professional career. He can be counted on for fresh perspectives infused with finely focused energy.””

““Ryan was an MA student at American University in the spring of 2010 when he took my course in Political Communication. He was one of the top students in the class. He was always prepared and peppered the guests, usually political professionals, with sharp, incisive questions, which gave the entire class new insights into their work. Ryan is a hard worker with a very analytical mind and strong grasp of new media. He not only has the skills but, more importantly, has the strategic sense to use technology for maximum impact. He is the epitome of a modern communications professional.” ”

““I was Ryan’s professor and thesis advisor while he was a Master’s student in the School of Communication at American University. Ryan is smart and hard working, and demonstrates an incredible amount of self-discipline and drive. His thesis — a survey analysis of the privacy concerns and behaviors of college-age Facebook users — contributed useful insights into the challenges and opportunities of our new media environment. Ryan is also extremely personable and easy to get along with. I highly recommend him!””

““I had the privilege of working with Ryan last year here at American University. Ryan was one of my research assistants and did a wonderful job helping me with various projects. Ryan was brought in to help me as the faculty advisor to the Public Relations Student Society of America. Our students will co-host the 20l0 national conference in October 2010. Ryan helped with a couple of fundraising events and I was so grateful for his passion and hard work. I also called on Ryan to help serve as a researcher to a student who is working on a film about a former death row inmate. Ryan is passionate about many issues and his work on this film including outreach, fundraising and creating marketing materials was invaluable. Ryan always gives l00 percent and goes the extra mile. He is talented, hard working, and bright. He is a quick study and works well with his colleagues as a team player. He is passionate and he cares about all issues. Ryan has dealt with many challenges in his life, and that has not stopped him from being a wonderful human being who is full of life and compassion. Ryan would be an amazing asset to any organization or business. I’m honored to write this recommendation for him. He represents the best of this generation, and I know he will make his mark wherever he goes.””

““Ryan Honick worked on a major project at Puget Sound, the creation of a listing for schools and universities in the US and abroad that offered theatre programs with an emphasis in dramaturgy. Ryan was adept at all aspects of the project: updating lists of contacts, communicating with contacts, carefully handling the information they provided. Ryan brought great positive energy with him into every aspect of this project, along with the collaborative and technical skills of a professional. He has my highest recommendation.” ”

““As his direct supervisor, I had an opportunity to see many of Ryan’s talents and capabilities in action. Ryan worked independently without hesitation while also making strong contributions to meetings and group discussions. He was always timely on email, fastidious about notes and updates, and organized with all of his project materials. He’s also just a lot of fun to know- he’s got a great sense of humor, helpful insights, and a positive attitude that’s contagious. I couldn’t have been happier—it was a joy to work with Ryan. I know that he will be an asset to any organization that he works with in the future.””

““Ryan and I worked together at YES! Magazine, a nonprofit near Seattle, WA, in 2007. He was always enthusiastic and committed to his work. Full of bright ideas, charisma, and initiative, Ryan made the office a livelier and more innovative setting for everyone. He is a talented writer and a genuinely compassionate and thoughtful individual. I highly recommend him.””

““I have known Ryan Honick for five years stemming originally from our interactions as student and professor here at Loyola Marymount University. As part of his core requirements for psychological studies at Loyola Marymount Ryan enrolled in a Human Anatomy and Physiology survey course that I had instructed for a number of years. Immediately, I was impressed by Ryan’s personality and character as he demonstrated incredible confidence and maturity that far surpassed that of his peers. He was an extremely active contributor to class discussions as he volunteered questions daily both during and after class. From these constant interactions, I became aware of his magnanimous personality that is always pleasant, welcoming, and jovial. Due largely to the content of the course being completely new to the previous studies of a student of the humanities, the content of this anatomy course did pose a substantial challenge. However, in 12 years of university instruction, I have never seen a student work as diligently and steadfastly for a prolonged period of time. Despite the 15 week long semester and over 70 other students in this course, the most memorable event of that particular course is the diligence and time that Ryan committed to the successful completion of the course. Through these events and subsequent years, we have maintained in contact with one another and as a result, Ryan and I have shared numerous in-depth conversations about academic, professional, and personal life. From these interactions, I have grown to see the indomitable spirit of this fine person. Faced with numerous personal obstacles, he tackles all of life’s challenges with an amazing sense of self-deprecating humor and positivism that success in all of his chosen paths is a virtual guarantee. I thus know him to possess a responsible, respectful, polished, and gathered personality that exudes creativity and optimism with all that he does.” ”