Hope Starts With Us: What It Means to “Man Up”

We hope this podcast encourages you, inspires you, helps you and brings you further into the collective to know: you are not alone.

Episodes will air every other Wednesday and will be available on most major directories and apps.

Randy Ryan

Randy Ryan has been working in entertainment and with underserved communities since leaving the military. Channeling his desire to heal, the best medicine for him has been to continue his service to the nation as a civilian. As a member of the Farmer Veteran Coalition’s California Initiative, Randy was asked to lead the TEACHING GARDENS program for the American Heart Association. Uniquely qualified as a spokesperson, men’s health advocate, and with a curiosity to thrive in any environment, Randy worked with over 10,000 students to build urban gardens at ten of the most at-risk schools in South Los Angeles, connecting children to gardens; addressing food access concerns in their neighborhoods; and supporting health, nutrition, and environmental stewardship.

Randy is also a contributing writer for Lima Charlie World News and leads the HOMEFRONT program for NAMI-Westside Los Angeles. He has appeared as an actor in many high-profile television and film projects and is currently writing a book.

Dedicated to his physical health as well as mental health, Randy plays a lot of basketball, but he’s always happy to be home in Oak Park, California, with his wife and two daughters.

Daniel H. Gillison, Jr.

Follow on Twitter/X: @DanGillison

Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. is the chief executive officer of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Prior to his work at NAMI, he served as executive director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) in addition to several other leadership roles at various large corporations such as Xerox, Nextel, and Sprint. He is passionate about making inclusive, culturally competent mental health resources available to all people, spending time with his family, and of course playing tennis.