Ryan is an engineer by training and a tinkerer by instinct. He enjoys the feeling after a good run, reading up on filmmaking and photography, and the first sip of something cold on a hot day.

Lisa is a dreamer with her feet on the ground. She gravitates toward community-centered work and splits her time between sailing, painting, reading, and studying French—parfois, all in the same weekend.

They affectionately refer to each other as “Ideator” (Lisa) and “Executer” (Ryan)—a nod to the way her big-picture ideas and his methodical approach somehow meet in the middle. Together, they have built a life that draws from their roots—part Texas heat, part Vietnam spirit, part Georgia hospitality—and reflects their shared love of good conversation, good food, and the good people (you!) they have met along the way.

The Bay Area, where they met and fell in love, has been the backdrop to many firsts: their first date (watching the movie Soul at Ryan’s place in Mission Bay), their first apartment (yes, the one across from Burma Love), and their time teaching at the d.School (Ryan on designing courageous conversations and some other AI stuff; Lisa on designing for altruism).

They are excited to celebrate this next chapter with their beloved community, in the city that brought them together.