Here’s a bit

About Me

My name is Ryan Grist (he/him).

I’m a leadership and wellness coach for socially conscious changemakers.
I help my clients…
Feel fulfilled in their work amidst the complexity of 21st century life
Foster well-being in their body, mind, heart, and relationships so they can stay in the game long-term
Live the collective vision for a more just and inclusive future

Read My Full Bio

I’ve spent my life asking three questions:

Who are we? How’d we get here? Where do we go from here?

Over the last 8 years…

I’ve led an experiment in collective, community-supported agriculture.

Coached community leaders working on local, sustainable foodways.

Healed from panic attacks and IBS through mindfulness and somatic practices.

Provided integrative health coaching to underserved community members in recovery.

Coached (and continue to coach) leaders in higher education, healthcare, and large companies.

My work is all about…

Harnessing the best qualities of the human spirit to heal our hearts, change our world, and find beauty in the midst of it all.

About me personally

I am a gardener who can’t stop growing. A brother, son, friend and partner. A descendant of Irish, English, Dutch, and German settlers. I’m racialized white, I use he/him/his pronouns, and I identify as heterosexual and able-bodied. I live on the traditional ancestral lands of the Ho-Chunk Nation in a special place called Dejope, which settlers named Madison, WI. I am a warrior for the human spirit, called to keep alive the goodness in each of us as the uncertainty in our world grows.

My approach is rooted in:

Graduate-level training as an Integrative Health Coach
Background in sociology, systems thinking, and sustainability foodways
Grounded spiritual practice, mindfulness, and somatics
Cultural critique of whiteness, patriarchy, and systems of domination that rupture our human spirit
The belief that humans are innately good, that we can do better, that we must do better, and that when we all do better, we all do better

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Formal credentials

I am a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. This is the gold standard for wellness coaches ensuring comprehensive training and ethical scope of practice.
I am a graduate-level trained coach with 700+ hours of training and 1000+ client hours. I received a Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Wellbeing Coaching from the University of Minnesota with a graduate minor in Health Equity from the School of Public Health.
I have trained with Jim Dethmer of the Conscious Leadership Group, Nicholas Janni of Leader as Healer, Otto Scharmer of Theory U, Margaret Wheatley, and John Prendergast.
Training in restorative justice facilitation from world-renowned leader Mark Umbreit.
Comprehensive Community Services network certified health coach specializing in integrative mental health

National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach

“Ryan has a very calm and reassuring nature about him. He helped me to focus on areas that needed attention, but also took time to focus on my strengths and celebrate small victories.”