Eric Ryan

Eric Ryan is a serial entrepreneur best known for co-founding Method, the innovative cleaning products company that proved eco-friendly could be elegant. He launched Method in 2001 with Adam Lowry after spending seven years in advertising, realizing the cleaning category lacked design and sensibility. The company grew into a billion-dollar business, eventually selling a majority stake to Ecover in 2017.

Before Method, Ryan studied business and communications at the University of Rhode Island, where he arrived thanks to a passion for sailing—not necessarily for the academics. That category-first approach became his signature: he didn't start with passion for vitamins or first-aid, but saw stale categories ready for reinvention. He applied the same formula to Olly (gummy vitamins and supplements), Welly (modern first-aid products), and Cast (everyday jewelry), building a portfolio of brands that blend function with intentional design.

Today Ryan invests, advises, and supports emerging founders. His playbook—find a large, overlooked consumer space, inject design thinking, and scale through mass retail—has influenced a generation of CPG entrepreneurs.