Ryan was born in Emporia, Kansas, and graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School in 2005. Prior to founding Patton Dean, LLC, he worked at a high-volume law firm in downtown Kansas City where he specialized in handling bankruptcy and personal injury cases. Ryan handled hundreds of bankruptcy cases and a large number of automobile accident and slip and fall cases. Through this work, Ryan developed a passion for assisting others in their time of need. During his free time, Ryan participates in the Volunteer Attorney Project, part of Legal Aid of Western Missouri, which provides free legal assistance to low-income residents of Missouri.