Ryan spoke to our hosts, Erik, Dave, and Jeff, about his own personal journey that has inspired his following his life's passion to bring recognition, agency, and awareness to the stories of migrants and refugees around the world. 

Born in Kuwait to refugee parents, Ryan Letada was raised in the Philippines before his family immigrated to the Bronx.  His journey from failing student to CEO of his own organization has taught him a thing or two about luck, grit, and survival. 

While living and going to school in the Bronx, Ryan was awarded the Posse Foundation Scholarship. This recognition paved the way for a Fulbright, which he then used to launch the One Laptop Per Child program in the Philippines. His team launched and piloted the country’s first one-to-one digital learning program in rural communities.

Today, as the founder and CEO of NextDayBetter, a media company that exists to humanize the migrant experience. With the goal of creating the world’s largest library of migrant stories, the company seeks to reimagine migrants, immigrants, and refugees as a benefit to humanity. Its agency arm, NextDayBetter Studios, partners with mission-aligned brands (such as AARP and Mailchimp) to launch award-winning campaigns that engage multicultural, immigrant communities.

Continuing his work as an entrepreneur and storyteller, Ryan also serves as a Google Next Gen Policy Fellow focused on advocating for inclusive tech policies. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Posse Foundation Alumnus, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Wheaton College Massachusetts.

Follow Ryan and NextDayBetter here:

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/rletada 

On Instagram: ​www.instagram.com/rletada  ​& www.instagram.com/nextdaybetter 

On Facebook: ​www.facebook.com/nextdaybetter 

Check out the Website: ​www.nextdaybetter.com

Additional Reading:

Check out Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari