The story, mission, and approach behind the impact lab
Hi, I'm Ryan, founder and director of the impact lab. I help charities, social enterprises, and socially conscious organisations report, learn from, and amplify their impact. My focus is on keeping impact work simple, practical, and genuinely useful so teams can be purpose led and data driven without losing sight of people.
Make social impact measurement clear and actionable. I design lightweight frameworks and live data tools that give leaders fast feedback, better decisions, and stronger stories for funders and stakeholders.
Theory of Change, outcome frameworks, and practical measurement plans tailored to your capacity.
Dashboards and web tools that track progress in real time, like IMD lookups, mapping, and purpose evaluators.
Combining validated measures with stories that bring impact to life for boards, funders, and partners.
Coaching and light lift processes so your team can run with it day to day.
I trained in psychology and have worked across prevention, research, and evaluation for more than two decades. Before founding The Impact Lab, I held roles with the NSPCC, the NHS, and the Scottish Government. I’ve partnered with organisations including Help for Heroes, Shell, Cadent, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Good data tells stories. It helps teams make better choices, unlock funding, and improve people’s lives. I love turning messy information into insight that moves work forward.
I also believe in access. Smaller charities can create big change with the right support, so I offer reduced and pro bono help where it can have outsized value.
I’m Chair of Trustees for Manchester Young Lives and a Trustee for the YMCA. I’ve represented England in Touch Rugby for over 18 years, winning European gold and World Cup bronze. Coaching and strategy in sport has shaped how I think about leadership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
If you need a clear framework, a simple dashboard, or a quick sounding board, let’s talk.