Ryan Ouellette
Chief Program Officer
As the Chief Program Officer, Ryan leads a team of best-in-class coaches, visionary leaders, and operational experts who are dedicated to serving learners to bring Merit America’s mission to life. With a passion for expanding access to opportunities through education, Ryan brings 15+ years of public service and leadership experience. His career spans leading workforce certificate programs at Dallas College, teaching nonprofit leaders in Iraq, volunteering with City Year NH, and designing public diplomacy programs for individuals from over 100 countries—giving him a firsthand view of education’s transformative power at every level.
Ryan joined Merit America with a drive to move fast, challenge the status quo, and build something groundbreaking: a scalable pathway to the middle class for working adults stuck in low-wage work. Despite working at a tech-focused company, Ryan, a New Hampshire native, feels most at home outdoors—always in search of a new trail or mountain to climb (ideally one with an alpine lake).
