Ryan D. Shadrick Wilson - Board Member

Ryan Shadrick Wilson has often been referred to as “the good food whisperer” for the quiet yet significant role she has played for nearly 25 years in launching many of the innovative ideas, organizations, and companies shaping the future of food globally.

Today, Ryan wears several hats. She is the founder and CEO of Boardwalk Collective, a venture catalyst and advisory firm. She is the Executive Chairperson of Mealogic, a healthy meal delivery food tech company. She is Co-Chair of the Investor Coalition on Nutrition (ICON), which represents nearly $3 billion in assets under management. And, she serves as Executive Chairperson of the Future of Food Entrepreneurship program, co-founded by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Ryan also serves on the advisory boards of numerous companies, including Instacart, Benson Hill, Brightseed, Upside Foods, Apeel Sciences, Voyage Foods, and OneBio, as well as several nonprofit organization advisory boards, including the Food for Climate League, ReFed, and Yellow—the new education foundation founded by Pharrell Williams.

In 2017, Ryan founded Feeding Change at the Milken Institute—a global effort to catalyze a healthier food system. In this role, she created and hosted Food Leaders Retreats around the globe, bringing together government officials, corporate leaders, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, academics, and investors to break down silos and catalyze progress. Ryan also recently served on the Board of Directors of public company Acon S2—a sustainability-focused special purpose acquisition company. And, in 2022, she launched and co-hosted the Mighty Dream Forum with Pharrell Williams, an annual gathering of global leaders advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations.

Previously, Ryan served as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel of Partnership for a Healthier America, where she led partnership, development, and legal teams, as well as architecting the FNV fruit and vegetable promotion campaign. Prior to that, Ryan practiced law for nearly a decade at international law firm Hogan Lovells, where she counseled food and agriculture companies around the globe, as well as their trade associations in Washington, D.C. While at the firm, she also maintained a commitment to a robust pro bono practice, handling civil rights, death penalty, and political asylum cases.

Ryan graduated with honors from Princeton University and Harvard Law School.