Dr. Ryan J. RussellPsychology • Learning • Growth
Emerging case • Nonprofit & systems building

Full Lives Initiative: building the organization around a larger idea of adulthood.

Working concept for a disability-led nonprofit focused first on Duchenne/Becker and designed around adulthood, relationships, independence, education, employment, benefits, community, and a fuller life.

The design challenge is not a single program. It is building an organization that can connect education, mentoring, opportunity, community, and practical navigation.

What I am building

  • Mission and positioning centered on disabled people leading work about their own adult lives.
  • Governance and board design for a credible, disability-led organization.
  • Program concepts including mentoring, career and employment support, relationships/adulthood education, scholarships, and professional/community education.
  • Partnership and funding strategy including grants, sponsorships, and potential fiscal-sponsorship relationships.
  • Content and learning systems that can connect future courses, mentor development, and educational resources.

Why it belongs in a professional portfolio

Full Lives is an emerging build, not a completed outcome. It shows how I work with an ambiguous, systemic problem: define the mission, identify constituencies, create structure, build program architecture, recruit people, pursue resources, and keep the work tied to practical human outcomes.

In development