I co-founded the investing team at Citi Impact Fund, a $500m venture fund that makes investments in companies that build for vulnerable populations.
I formerly led entry into new countries and markets for Zipline between its Series B and Series D. Prior to Zipline, I launched a small fund to rehabilitate landmine-affected agricultural land in Angola, went to grad school where I focused on the economics of social impact and technology, and started my career in investment management where I invested in dozens of private equity and venture capital funds. I’ve lived, worked, and built teams on three continents. I went to school at USC and Harvard.
Current areas of interest
Leveraging the private sector to help solve large social and structural challenges.
Small business enablement and worker ownership.
Labor market shifts due to AI and mitigants to mass unemployment.
Land management and the intersection of ecology, culture, and public art. Developing a 55 acre conservation + art project on the east coast.
Supporting San Francisco local political campaigns.
Work
Investor in:
- Cityblock, Clerkie, Guild, Hopscotch, Intus, Forerunner, Pathstream, RapidSOS, Renew Home, Stepful, TailorMed, Wellthy, Wooj, Vitable
Recent talks: Harvard Business School Africa Business Conference, Milken Institute, World Vaccine Congress, Thermo Fisher Innovation Summit, Social Enterprise Conference
ryan@ryanalam.com · Github · Linkedin
Portraits of smallholders
My maternal grandparents were cotton farmers on the border of Texas and Mexico. I've stayed interested in smallholder agriculture and my roots to it. These are portraits of smallholder farmers and fishermen and their lives in Angola, Cuba, Ghana, Kenya, Texas, and Mexico.
