ryanchien

What do you love about your business?
I love the research and analytics required to create and implement a successful marketing campaign.  I also love meeting and working with business partners.  It’s an exciting time to be in business in Reno/Sparks, and I’m very lucky to be a part of it.

What do you get out of being a member of YPN?
Networking.  There is great expertise within the YPN.  At 23, I’m still very young and very green – the YPN gives me connections to people who I can model myself off of.

What is your favorite special event in the region?
This one is new but special: the Battle Born Enduro Race.  The first one was held this year and brought over 200 mountain bikers to Reno!  We have an amazing lifestyle here and the race is a wonderful way to show it off.

If I weren’t at work right now, I’d be….
Cycling.  Drinking a beer.  Drinking coffee.  Reading business/financial/economic news.  Catching up with my family and friends.

My favorite time of day is…
Early morning
because…
Lots of time to get things done – no distractions.

If you could take anyone in town out for a cup of coffee, who would it be?
Dr. Lars Strother from the UNR Department of Psychology for two reasons.  First, he is on the bleeding edge of his science.  Second, he has taken a leadership role and is helping transform UNR into a world-class research university.  I hope to be in a similar position in 10 years.

To me, networking is about….
Expanding horizons.  I’m interested in figuring out my career options by talking to people who have walked the path before me.

If you could fix one problem in our community, what would it be? 
I would improve our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.  Although our state has made progress in graduation rates, we still struggle to deliver consistent and broad STEM education.  Nevada is modernizing.  Some of our fastest growing (and best paid) industries are Business IT and Health and Medical Services.  We need the education system to support that growth, or those jobs will be taken by Californians and Oregonians.

What was the last gift you gave someone? 
I recently sent a box HUB coffee (best coffee in town) to a friend in Portland who works at a boutique coffee house called Public Domain.  He mailed some of their coffee samples back.  Our local roast is way better!