Hi, I’m Ryan
Driven by curiosity, guided by journalistic ethics, I’ve had a vast and winding career ranging from leadership roles in digital journalism, esports and video games, sports media and IP building. Check out some of my best work over the years and let’s work together.
Featured Projects
I have been at the cornerstone of several large-scale projects and companies in my career beginning at Jacksonville.com (Florida Times-Union), then to the Los Angeles Daily News, ESPN, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, and most recently Chief Creative Officer at Pangea Entertainment Productions. Here are three projects and positions that stand out, which required significant leadership, stakeholder buy-in, budgetary responsibility and editorial judgment.
ESPN Esports
CO-FOUNDER and EDITOR
Recognizing the explosion of competitive gaming in the United States, I led a small team to build an entire coverage ecosystem and physical studio space that supported a staff of traveling journalists for three years. I also built a studio by hand, installed streaming software and created the first gaming studio at ESPN, which was sold to HP Omen and sustained the entire staff for two years.
Global X Games
SENIOR EDITOR
As a senior editor at ESPN, I sent over 20 journalists, photographers and video producers around the world to cover the biggest expansion in X Games history, edited stories, helped redesign our website and grew traffic inside and outside of the action sports community. I was responsible for planning coverage, growing audience and organizing international travel and visas for a staff of journalists traveling to Barcelona, Munich, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, and Tignes, France.
Pangea Entertainment
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
As CCO at Pangea Entertainment Productions, I led the creative effort and built concepts for several game shows, unscripted reality shows and sports documentaries, all at the intersection of sports, technology and gaming. Founded by super-agent David Falk, PEP has an innovative library of IP primed for large audiences. I created pitch decks, helped with budgeting and trailers, and presented our IP to studio heads and executives. Contact me to see more of my work at PEP.
My favorite stories and videos
I was one of the original digital-first journalists at the onset of the internet. With a career spanning two decades, I’ve edited and coordinated hundreds of written stories, videos, features and projects. Here are a few of the best pieces of work:
Mike Tyson plays Mario Kart in the ESPN Esports Studio
Like many athletes, Mike Tyson became fascinated with esports and stopped by our studio to play some Mario Kart with Arda Ocal. The idea when building this studio was to play games and talk about life, and Iron Mike didn’t hold back upon discovering Street Fighter character Balrog was modeled after him.
Bearing witness to the disaster at 12
When defending champion Jordan Spieth’s four-shot lead at the 2017 Masters, it quickly became the biggest breaking news story in golf. Several award-winning writers clamored to write the story, but only one could do it. Kevin Van Valkenburg submitted this gem on deadline, and it was a pleasure to edit. (ESPN.com by Kevin Van Valkenburg)
Carlos’ private tour of the new G2 Esports office in Berlin
I coordinated and produced this hilarious video of G2 Esports headquarters in Berlin. With over 800,000 views, it’s still the most popular video on ESPN Esports YouTube page.
Mike Shultz: Life is about adapting
Mike Schultz lost a leg in a horrific accident, but that didn’t stop him from living — and competing. Wayne did a remarkable job telling Mike’s story, whose work in prosthetics continues to change lives of amputee athletes. (ESPN.com by Wayne Drehs)
Ninja is Living the Stream
The first global superstar coming from video game streaming, Ninja, got the ESPN Magazine treatment where I was a contributing editor and helped organize and plan this story. (ESPN Magazine by Elaine Teng)
Busan and BlizzCon bring StarCraft back to life
Gwangalli Beach in Busan, South Korea, holds a special place in competitive video game history. Writer Young Jae Jeon perfectly encapsulates the feeling of watching a cultural moment. (ESPN.com by Young Jae Jeon)
“While working with him, I saw time after time how he used his skills and vast experience in journalism to masterfully navigate very difficult editorial situations…”
Paolo Grassini
Owner, Jigowatts Productions
Skills and Interests
Over 20 years of work in a variety of creative and editorial roles, I have developed a deep and diverse skillset, fueled by a natural curiosity and the ability to comprehend complicated systems and procedures.
Editorial Leadership
I’ve recruited and built teams of the highest level of creativity, both large and small, and maximized productivity in the most challenging of environments.
Budgetary Oversight
As a senior leader of a startup production company as well leadership roles in large corporate conglomerates, I have managed PnLs and department cash flow, always with an eye on efficiency coming in at or under budget.
Creative Execution
In several roles inside and outside of journalism, I led creative concepts from napkin-level ideation to fully realized execution. I can take your ideas and bring them to life.
Ethical Stewardship
I have a deep understanding of journalistic ethics, no matter the platform or device, guiding a clear and transparent set of principles that help align young teams and reassure senior executives and legal counsel, no matter the size and nature of the teams I lead.
Technical Proficiency
Right out of college I was a hybrid of a coder and a writer, and have continued to hone my skillset in a variety of tools including creative design, PowerPoint, AI LLMs, CMS, SEO, social media platform management, and business and budgeting tools.
Communication and Dependability
In an age of physical disconnection and an array of communication tools, I’m a chameleon, easily adapting to the different ways departments communicate. After years of experience running remote teams, I’m a consistent communicator up and down the org chart.
