Tamra Ryan
Women's Bean Project
Denver, CO USA
"Whenever we think that we’re giving, we’re always getting. I came to this place thinking that it was about others’ transformation, and in the process, I’ve been transformed."
Career Roadmap
Tamra's work combines: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
This isn't something I've heard directly, but many people subscribe to the idea that you can't make a big enough difference to change the world. I've learned that you don't necessarily need to change the world. Making a difference for one person or a couple of people is enough. If I can do that, that's a good enough legacy for me.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Kinesiology
University of Colorado at Boulder
Graduate Degree
Physiology, General
Adelphi University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the eldest of four children.
2.
When I graduated high school, my dream job was to design shoes for Nike, so I went to the University of Colorado at Boulder and earned my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
3.
After graduating from college, I thought I might want to be a researcher, so I moved to New York for graduate school and earned a master’s degree in physiology.
4.
By the time I finished graduate school, I knew becoming a researcher was not the right fit for me, so I moved to Chicago, Illinois and started my career.
5.
As I gained more experience, my career path led me into marketing.
6.
I eventually realized that the things I valued most were back in Colorado, so I moved back to my home state.
7.
I learned about Women’s Bean Project and felt drawn to the mission, so I spent about six months volunteering on the sales and marketing committee.
8.
When the position for CEO opened up, I decided to apply and ended up getting the job—I’ve been the CEO of Women’s Bean Project for 18 years now!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
You can't change the world.
How I responded:
This isn't something I've heard directly, but many people subscribe to the idea that you can't make a big enough difference to change the world. I've learned that you don't necessarily need to change the world. Making a difference for one person or a couple of people is enough. If I can do that, that's a good enough legacy for me.