Publisher Mike Ryan

Mr. Ryan has been publishing Motif for almost 12 years, and wrote the film column for a number of years before that. After graduating from Portsmouth Abbey, he earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Princeton University, a degree in graphic design from RISD and an associate’s in marketing from Johnson & Wales University. He spent his early employment in advertising, first as a writer, then as a designer and ultimately as a creative director at RI-based ad firms. He has helmed a number of startups, getting involved in the web development industry very early on (the year html was invented), and was a principal at Envision Technology Advisors for 10 years, where he oversaw web and communications projects for clients including Titleist, AMICA Insurance, Met Life, Bryant U, Brown University, BankRI and hundreds more as Envision grew to 35 employees. He worked full-time in the communications department at AMICA, in the creative department at RISD, was a founder of the non-profit, RI Film Collaborative and the first RI Producer of the 48 Hour Film Project, He continues to be involved in countless local arts initiatives and boards. He is a serial entrepreneur who has managed to sell his interest in four different highly profitable start-ups over the course of his career, two in communications and two in the tech sector.