Below is an excerpt of an impartial, transparent conversation with my family friend Danny Ryan about his dedication to serving the Autism community as well as the families of those individuals. Danny Ryan bestows his time and resources to better the lives of people with Autism and their loved ones due to his personal connection to the cause.
Her Campus: What does “charity” mean to you?
Danny Ryan: Charity has been an intrinsic part of my life. Acts of charity can take a legion of forms but love and kindness are always at the core. I would like to believe that humans are inherently compassionate and selfless. I started on Wall Street at a young age. My first boss was very involved with the New York Stock Exchange’s Members Handicap Children’s Fund. I started volunteering with MHCF at the age of 21, we would work with the children in hospitals all throughout Manhattan and the outer boroughs. I knew then that I wanted to devote my life to bringing happiness to children and those who are not as fortunate. After having children, the concept was further solidified. I have three boys. The middle son has Autism which led to my involvement with special needs charities. I think it is extremely important to understand the disorder that your child has so I looked to local support groups. I joined the Davis Support Group which is a parent support group for newly diagnosed kids. From there, I was introduced to the people associated with the National Alliance for Autism Research and served on their board for a few years. The NARR merged with Autism Speaks, the largest national organization. Not only did Autism Speaks conduct biomedical research, the organization aimed to advocate and educate which was huge because at the time Autism was not spoken about or prioritized in any shape or form. Finally, I started my own foundation called Unsung Siblings. The foundation is for, of course, the individuals who have a developmental disorder, but also the siblings of these individuals. After my brother passed away, I began to raise money for veterans as well.
HC: It is evident everyday giving is very meaningful to you on a personal level. Where does this devotion stem from? In other words, what or who is your inspiration?
DR: My inspiration is, definitely, my son Jonathan who has Autism. Jonathan has taught me an entirely different way to view life, understand it, and approach it. His passions in life, his innovative brain, and his eternally elated energy motivate me to be my best self. I feel that having a special needs child transforms the whole dynamics of the household. My two other sons, Michael and Daniel Thomas, inspire me each and every day because of their dedication and support for John. They realized at a young age that they had to sacrifice certain things and continue to do so in the most selfless way. They are Jonathan’s best advocates and teachers. I truly believe that kids learn best from peer modeling. They are the reason I started Unsung Siblings because I have found that the siblings of those with special needs sacrifice the most and benefit the least.
HC: How have your endeavors in the financial and investment sectors (Notorious Pink) helped fuel the prosperity and influence of Pop Earth?
DR: The women and men of Wall Street are very charitable because they feel that they have been blessed with having a profitable job that generates a great sum of money that lends to a large degree of donations. Working on Wall Street for 31 years has allowed me to meet a diverse group of benevolent and successful people who have tremendously helped the causes I devote my life to. I really believe that most people want to help but only a small portion of these people will make the initiative and act with intention. It is important to always ask for help whether that is for a donation or volunteer work because the worst thing someone could say is no. I would like to believe that humanity is considerate. We are living in a very polarizing time and world, but we must remember we have to rise above it to work together towards a worthy cause.
HC: When you reflect on your unwavering altruism in each and every sphere of your life’s successes, what advice would you give to parents with a child who has Autism or another developmental disorder?
DR: In one quick sentence, I would remind these parents that these children are different but not less than. As a parent of a child with a developmental disorder, you have to do different things to make them learn. You should never speak about your child as if he or she is not present or cognizant of what is being said. They understand and have meaningful, true feelings so you must do your best to be sensitive to that. You must love your child with every ounce of your being and push them to be the best that they can be. Whether your child is the CEO of a corporation or like my son, an individual who works for a t-shirt company that hires people with Autism, you must be proud and support that they are working hard and passionate about what they are doing.
HC: Humanity, as a whole, has been overwhelmingly generous in response to the myriad of crises we have been subject to over the past year. How do you sustain everyday giving for the long term?
DR: That is a very difficult question because the world has changed tremendously. We have used this whole pandemic to raise money in unique, unconventional ways. My mother passed away from COVID-19 a few months ago. I raised over $100,000 for the first responders in New York as well as building a playground for a school in my mother’s honor. We have become more specific in how we raise money. It is critical to show the donors where the money is exactly going. I think that national organizations struggle to inform the investors how their funds are being utilized.
HC: What is your ultimate goal for the future?
DR: My goal for the future is to make the lives of those with special needs and their families as easy as possible. Most times, people focus all their attention on people with developmental disorders. If I could, I would ultimately aim to create a housing system for adults with Autism so that they can be cared for and thrive in a healthy, nurturing environment. It is important for the families of these people to know that it is not selfish to live life for themselves and do things that bring them happiness outside of cultivating their familial relationships. I hope to educate people that being a good parent means you have to live your own life and at times people do not have the means so creating the housing establishment would give families a wide variety of opportunities.