What was your first job, and what did it teach you about yourself?

My first job was as Chuck E. at Chuck E. Cheese (yes, I actually wore the mouse suit!). This job taught me that organized chaos can be productive and useful for imagination, creativity, connection and growth.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Ryan Turner serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for Baltimore’s Promise. His greatest hope for humanity is that youth and adults alike are able to live out the best and fullest versions of themselves—as they define it—without interference. He gets out of bed each day with a desire to build social support structures for communities that have been historically marginalized.

Ryan has hallmarked youth engagement in his career. Prior to joining Baltimore’s Promise, Ryan served as the Baltimore-based Executive Director of a national grantmaking intermediary. Within that role, Ryan partnered with community members and grassroots leaders in Baltimore to scale proven nonprofit models that would partner with local NPOs and fill gaps in social support services. One such model provides direct cash transfers to youth experiencing homelessness in the City of Baltimore.

As a Baltimore native, he was motivated to establish a nonprofit that would give back to the city—The Akoben Foundation. The Akoben Foundation was developed to ensure that Pre-K through third grade students were able to read at or above grade level.

Ryan attended Hampton University and completed his baccalaureate studies at Coppin State University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology. As a committed servant leader in Baltimore, Ryan was identified as an Emerging Leader by the Baltimore Banner in 2024 and as a VIP Professional by the Daily Record. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Green Street Academy in West Baltimore and is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He attributes his commitment of servant leadership to his spiritual and family foundation.