Tamra Ryan Steps Down as CEO of WBP

As we celebrate the 35 years since Women’s Bean Project’s founding, and after 21 years of serving this organization, it is time for me to announce I will be stepping down as the CEO of Women’s Bean Project, effective June 30, 2025.

As all announcements in this vein, this is bittersweet for me. Leading this organization has been a great privilege and has shaped my perspective on leadership and the needs of women in communities around the world. We all know Women’s Bean Project is a special organization, and I have had the honor of seeing firsthand how special. I am proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure:

• Watching hundreds of women overcome barriers to employment and keeping jobs for the long-term, reunite with their children and affect the next generation in their families.
• Overcoming a financial crisis and growing organizational revenue from less than $500,000 per year to over $3 million.
• Building a model of employment social enterprise that keeps in mind the needs of the women served as well as the business that creates the jobs.
• Helping Women’s Bean Project become known as a model of social enterprise across the US and abroad.
• Leading the move from Firehouse No. 10 to 1300 W. Alameda Avenue, raising the funds, and creating a reserve to increase the economic security of the organization.
• Shepherding the first $1 million dollar gift to the organization that will fund the implementation of the latest strategic plan and set WBP on the path to its future.

Though I plan to continue doing work that can impact lives, it will be in a different capacity. My second book is almost finished, with the release date planned for early 2025. The book will serve as a platform for keynote speaking, and I will continue writing and advising on policy and issues related to economic mobility through my work as the Coors Economic Mobility Fellow for Common Sense Institute. I also look forward to providing short-term coaching to new leaders to help them get grounded at the start of their own tenures. I’ll be open to other opportunities and projects as they arise.

I am completely confident the Bean Project is ready for its next chapter, and I am excited to see what the team, led by my successor, can accomplish. I look forward to watching from the sidelines and feeling proud that I played a part in the future success of the organization and the women who will be served.

As for next steps, Women’s Bean Project will post the CEO position in the coming months and will conduct a national search for my successor. The search committee is comprised of a talented group of board members and former board members, including some who have experience with executive searches. There will be more updates to come as the search progresses.

Many people have been integral to our success through the years, and I am truly grateful.
Onward!
Tamra Ryan