Meet Ryan Shadrick Wilson.
Founder and CEO, Boardwalk Collective
Ryan Shadrick Wilson has often been referred to as “the good food whisperer” for the quiet yet significant role she has played in launching many of the innovative ideas and companies shaping the food revolution.
Today, Ryan wears several hats. She is the founder and CEO of Boardwalk Collective, an advisory and investment firm. She is the Chairperson of Territory Foods, a healthy meal delivery food tech company. And, she serves on the Board of Directors of public company Acon S2—a sustainability-focused special purpose acquisition company. Ryan founded Feeding Change at the Milken Institute—a global effort to catalyze a healthier food system focusing on the finance community. And, she serves on the advisory boards of numerous companies, including Benson Hill, Brightseed, Upside Foods, Apeel Sciences, Voyage Foods, and Perfect Day, as well as several nonprofit organization advisory boards, including Feeding America, Food for Climate League, ReFed, and Yellow—the new foundation founded by Pharrell Williams.
Throughout a career that has spanned law, civil rights, public policy, marketing, philanthropy, and finance, Ryan has maintained a devotion to creating a healthier, happier, and more equitable future.
Previously, Ryan served as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel of Partnership for a Healthier America, Michelle Obama’s health and wellness initiative. Prior to that, Ryan practiced law for nearly a decade at international law firm Hogan Lovells, where she counseled food and agriculture companies around the globe, as well as their trade associations in Washington, D.C. While at the firm, she also maintained a commitment to a robust pro bono practice, handling civil rights, death penalty, and political asylum cases.
Ryan graduated with honors from Princeton University and Harvard Law School.