Ryan Green
Iron Light
Ryan Green is the co-founder and CEO of Iron Light, a full-service marketing agency that empowers purpose-driven brands to change the world. His extensive agency experience includes co-founding Firebone, an integrated design and marketing firm, and serving as the Chief Operating Officer at RR&A, a management, marketing and fundraising firm. He served as the Vice President of Marketing at Illinois Policy for nearly a decade before launching Iron Light. His award-winning work spans cause-based organizations to Fortune 100 companies.
What is a personal piece of advice (business advice/saying/quote) that you lean on and could pass on to others?
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” —Steve Jobs
Best business book you’ve ever read?
Change by Design by Tim Brown
One misstep you took in your business that you could caution others about? I started my first company with a business partner who didn’t align with me on culture and values. While we did great work, it was not a healthy partnership. Culture fit trumps talent.
How to you de-stress after a particularly hard day?
Video games with my daughter.
What’s something about you that would surprise everyone reading this?
I’ve played a role in changing nearly 40 state laws and I’m not, nor have I ever been, a politician or lobbyist.
What part of EO are you most looking forward to?
Connecting with peers. The life of an entrepreneur is difficult and there are not a lot of folks in my friend group who can relate to the challenges and offer advise or counsel.
Any exciting plans for 2022?
I made my first investment in a company that I’m not running.