Ep. 21: The Fosscast - Getting to Know New Filener Ryan Foss

A New Filener: We get to know our newest member of the team: Managing Director of Innovation, Ryan Foss. Ryan highlights his background outside the credit union industry, spotlighting various adventurous activities including climbing the tallest mountain in North and South America, attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean, and participating in marathons and ultra-races.


Passion for Innovation: His professional experience involves managing innovation areas in the credit union industry, particularly focusing on creating and distributing products differently to serve nontraditional and younger clients.



Community Engagement: Ryan’s past experiences in community development in Kenya and Uganda align with the principles of human-centered design, emphasizing immersion in communities to understand deeply-rooted problems and create meaningful solutions.



Impactful Work: Ryan is drawn to the Financial Empowerment Incubator at Filene—he recognizes its potential for social impact by changing people's financial pictures and views this potential as a deeper, more purposeful aspect of his role.

Challenges of Innovation: He acknowledges the challenges in the innovation sphere, emphasizing the importance of being open to failure, honesty about results, and the necessity to start with understanding consumer needs rather than jumping to solutions.