Editor’s Note: This October, we will celebrate our 30th class of 40 Under Forty honorees. Each week in 2022, The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia will highlight one of our 2021 40 Under Forty honorees leading up to the announcement of our milestone class this fall.
In the same way that sharks never stop swimming, Ryan Shipley is always on the move.
“I hate being bored,” he said. “I have to always be doing something.”
Shipley’s restless nature is our region’s gain. It translates into grit and dedication that is applied in most cases to locally owned startups, nonprofit organizations and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Shipley was not able to afford college and did not have any official training, but according to Heath Guinn of SyncSpace, he arrived on the scene with a skillset that facilitates success. His sphere of influence is known throughout our region, and Guinn often hears people in our regional business community say things like “Ryan has really helped our organization” or “If you don’t know, ask Ryan, he’s built relationships with those national companies.”
Shipley will tell you he’s involved in a thousand different things, but his role as Business Development Manager at ActionVFX holds a place near the center of his attention. Luke Thompson, Chief Technical Officer at Action VFX credits Shipley for providing top-notch service to the company’s top clients in Hollywood and around the world. Additionally, Thompson said Shipley has managed and helped grow multiple revenue streams.
Outside of the business ventures he is involved in, Shipley works behind the scenes to help countless nonprofits in our region. Sometimes his role is visible, other times he offers his video or marketing acumen free of charge. Either way, Shipley is keen on putting down roots here, which is good news for everyone that calls our region home.
“I want to see the area grow,” he said. “That’s really why I’m sticking here. There have been plenty of opportunities to go to bigger markets, but we have something super unique here that I want to see grow as much as possible.”
Next week we will profile Aaron Sims of Sims Venture Capital. If you would like to nominate someone for inclusion in the 2022 class of 40 Under Forty, visit 40under.com and follow the instructions.
