Ryan Brown, recognized with the 2025 OWL President’s Award, shares his emotional journey and dedication to service, inspired by his mother’s philanthropic work. He discusses his involvement with Dogs Helping Heroes, an organization pairing rescue dogs with veterans, and his support for Stop Soldier Suicide. Ryan emphasizes the importance of showing up and being present in service, drawing from his mother’s advice, and highlights his passion for volunteering, military background, and collections of flower lapel pins and sneakers. Ryan, who is national director of professional relations at Sun Pharmaceuticals, encourages others to engage with OWL through various events to build a supportive community.

What does receiving this OWL award mean to you?

Ryan: It means a lot. I did not expect to get emotional at ASCRS when that was presented, but I just have a hard time of talking about and connecting any type of service without tying it back to my mom. And she just was someone who I grew up seeing her always serve in different capacities. She started nonprofits, and that was just always her space. That’s what I grew up seeing. OWL’s just always been an organization that I’ve enjoyed being a part of. It’s helped me network, it’s helped me get more comfortable in the eye care space. It’s helped me learn different skills, some of the soft skills that sometimes we don’t talk about as much. I love the organization. I love being able to serve any way I can and just raise my hand if something was needed. It was a nice night. I felt honored that I could use that to sort of honor my mom a little bit, too.

You wear flower lapel pins in honor of your mother. Can you talk about their significance?

Ryan: I didn’t always do that. I lost my mother to breast cancer in 2020, and that progressed pretty rapidly. In 2019, I was coming from a work meeting to sit with her during chemo, and I happened to wear a flower lapel pin that day, and she loved it. It just kind of lit her face up. My mom was a master gardener, and that was something she loved. I thought, “I’m probably never going to wear a suit around mom again without a flower lapel pin.” When I lost her, I couldn’t stop doing it. My wife and daughter also got into it and started making pins for me. It’s a special way to keep my mom close to my heart, and I have a good collection to match different outfits.

Tell us about your passion for volunteering.

Ryan: I’m very fortunate to have landed in the eye care and pharmaceutical space, and I think my passion for service was ingrained early on with my mom’s philanthropy, my dad being an Army veteran, my stepdad a retired police officer, and my brother and I serving in the Marine Corps. My mom was the first board chairman of Dogs Helping Heroes, which rescues dogs and places them with veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families. Recently, I got involved with Stop Soldier Suicide, since the veteran suicide rate is 72% higher than the national average. My son and I did a fundraiser where we played 72 holes of golf in one day to raise money for this cause. Anything connecting back to my military service is close to my heart, and I feel driven to support these causes.

One comment you made upon receiving the OWL Award was “just keep showing up.” What does that mean?

Ryan: My mom told me, “You make an impact not by standing out but by showing up.” Sometimes I feel imposter syndrome receiving an award because I think, “I didn’t do anything, I just showed up.” They asked if I could help with the membership impact committee, and I thought I could. Then, being with like-minded people and sharing ideas made an impact. People underestimate that the majority of the battle is showing up, being present, and being invested. You don’t have to stand out; you just need to show up to make a difference.

For anyone thinking about becoming more involved in OWL, what advice would you give?

Ryan: Show up! We create many ways to engage—signature events, webinars, new member mixers—to connect people in eye care, share ideas, and build community. This fall, for example, we’re hosting a webinar for clinicians who have transitioned from practice to industry, which is a unique group with special experiences. I’d love to build a community of veterans in eye care to discuss challenges and translate lessons from service to this space. Whatever way you can step in, take the opportunity and start sharing ideas. OWL can help make it happen.

We talked about flower lapel pins, but there’s another accessory—sneakers.

Ryan: I’m a sneakerhead. I discovered this after knee rehab from skiing injuries, wearing sneakers with a suit for support. It’s now more socially acceptable, especially seeing athletes wear suits and Jordans. My first pair as an adult was Jordans, and the nostalgia reminded me of growing up in the ’80s, cutting grass to buy new Jordans for back to school. Since then, I’ve collected many pairs—more than I need, fewer than I want—but it’s something I’m passionate about.