Biography

Through her tenacity, sense of creativity and a commitment to collaboration, Beth Ryan has been empowering young adults since she first moved to Los Angeles in 2003. With a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, a minor in Public Relations from Northeastern University, a certificate in Administration and Management from Harvard University, and a Master’s Degree in Applied Community Psychology focusing on foster youth emancipating from the foster care system from Antioch University, Beth's lifelong passion has been serving her local community.  Whether in Pennsylvania, Boston or Los Angeles, she has found a way to utilize her community-building skills to tackle the most prevalent problems addressing her neighbors. Prior to working with former foster youth, Beth was Senior Vice President of the Los Angeles Police Foundation. She was responsible for budgeting, grant management, evaluation and reporting, staffing of the board audit, program and finance committees, overseeing the annual audit and setting up all internal controls as well as the day-to-day office operations. Before her role at the Los Angeles Police Foundation, she partnered with the Los Angeles Police Department to create a youth program in the summer of 2006, after three youth were shot and killed by gang activity in her community.  Beth collaborated with key players from the community – Captains and officers from LAPD, the Principal and Deans from Hamilton High School, City Councilmembers, School Board Members, Neighborhood Prosecutors, Park Directors, Neighborhood Councils and Councilmembers, local homeowners, neighborhood associations and community members.  This program earned Beth awards and commendations from city, state and federal officials.  Her program was responsible for transforming an entire community and reducing violent crime by 80%.

Currently, Beth uses that same tenacity, collaboration and creativity in her work with foster youth. She connects the young adults to a community of mentors, offers hands-on employment training through an internship and connects them to a variety of resources. Most importantly, she is committed to giving foster youth a sense of belonging and providing them with the tools they need to accomplish their goals. Beth's focus for the future is to continue to expand programs that have a direct and immediate impact on foster youth. She plans to accomplish this by creating leadership programs for the youth to continue to build their skills and to give back to those still in care. Her ultimate goal is to ensure that no foster youth feels alone or abandoned and has everything they need to be successful.