Since 2008, Ryan has helped multinational companies reach their goals through customized training and coaching. With experience in a range of industries, from tech, entertainment, and finance, to construction, automotive, and education, Ryan has helped professionals from all walks of life.

After receiving a B.F.A. in Film and Television Production from NYU: Tisch School of the Arts, Ryan worked for 5 years in New York City and 5 years in Los Angeles working in the film industry in various jobs including marketing, distribution, film crew, technician, and talent agent.

In elementary and middle school, Ryan attended a neighborhood karate dojo in Bakersfield, CA. In Los Angeles, he became hooked on martial arts again and attended a dojo every day after work for 2 years.

Ryan went to Japan in 2006 for a year to deepen his martial arts experience. (Ryan met Makiko in Tokyo and changed his plans.)

Spending another 10 years in Japan working as an educator and corporate trainer, Ryan received an I.C.F. coaching certification to better help his middle-manager and executive level clients.

After receiving an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from National University in San Diego, Ryan and Makiko moved to Montana where he works at Montana State University, helping students reach their academic goals.

Passionate about cinema and visual media, Ryan utilizes metaphor and narrative to facilitate learning. Academic interests include complexity studies, especially how complexity can be utilized to develop leadership skills, experiential learning, and systems thinking.

After graduating from the School of Commerce at Waseda University, Maki worked for a business consulting firm for 14 years as a project manager and the Tokyo general director of the PLM division, where she was involved in consulting projects for over 30 companies. Maki has a passion for helping non-Japanese people living in Japan through her experience as an instructor and a developer of a business culture training program for international students in Tokyo, and as a Japanese language instructor for immigrants and refugees in Tokyo.

Maki started working for an educational nonprofit organization in Tokyo as a consultant for higher education institutions. She interviewed 300 students, including international students, and provided consulting and training to university faculty and staff throughout Japan.

At the request of her husband Ryan, Maki moved to San Diego, USA in 2016. They chose San Diego as they loved surfing. She had planned to live in Tokyo for the rest of her life, and this move abruptly changed her life. She worked as a teacher at a Japanese after school in San Diego, and as an assistant Japanese language instructor at the University of California, San Diego.  

In 2020, Maki moved to a beautiful town in Montana. Montana is known as Big Sky for its magnificent sky. She started working as a Montessori school teacher, as she had been interested in that learning approach for a long time. She also enjoys working as a Japanese culture and language coach at a local educational non-profit organization.

As a member of Team AIFA books & publication, she published a book “Cocoro no Iro Handbook” in 2022.

Top 3 Most Impressive Overseas Trips

1. Saipan

When I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, my whole family took our first trip abroad. I was intrigued by the huge supermarket, the clear and beautiful ocean, and the people who spoke a language other than Japanese. I was walking alone in a hotel restaurant when I was approached by a guest who thought I was a staff member. I wondered, “How can this person think a little kid like me works here?” I was so surprised. I still remember the song that the band played on the cruise.

2. Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey

When I was in college, my best friend and I backpacked through Istanbul and Cappadocia in Turkey. We didn’t make hotel reservations in advance, but instead knocked on hotel doors to find available rooms. We bought long-distance bus tickets locally, and went ice skating together at the invitation of the hotel staff. I am amazed at how well I did in the age of no-Internet.

3. Fez and Marrakech, Morocco

We went to Fez and Marrakech in Morocco for our honeymoon. The scenery, the people on the street, and the scorching heat were all things I had never experienced in my life. On the last day, I took a cab to the airport, and the cab driver could not understand English for “station.” In desperation, I remembered the French word “gare” that I had learned in college a long time ago, and managed to make it to the airport.

There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan.

Groucho Marx

Achilles, without his heel, you wouldn’t even know his name today.

Stan Lee

What is needed to accomplish something is not talent, but the accumulation of daily efforts.

Katsu Kaishu

Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty of the blue sky? Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just enjoy it.

Thich Nhat Hanh