Ryan Odom

Ryan Odom serves as Program Coordinator for MDC’s Rural Prosperity and Investment team, joining the organization in May 2026. His work supports collaborative efforts focused on rural prosperity, community capacity-building, and equitable investment across the South through research, coordination, and relationship-centered engagement.

Raised in Durham, NC, within a family and a community shaped by longstanding traditions of social justice and community advocacy, Ryan developed an early understanding of the importance of resilience, collective care, and the lasting impact of place and community. A first-generation college graduate, he earned his BA in liberal Studies from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), where he participated in Kingdom of Youth, a student-led organization focused on uplifting BIPOC youth in the Greensboro community.

Prior to joining MDC, Ryan served as a Fellow at the Laughing Gull Foundation, where he supported philanthropic learning, research, organizational operations, and relationship-building across justice-centered issue areas. Through this work, he became increasingly interested in how institutions build trust, how communities navigate systems, and how long-term investment in people and place can share more equitable futures.

Ryan’s background also includes mentoring and local outreach initiatives, such as his “ChangeDurham” initiative, which focuses on youth engagement, resource sharing, and community dialogue through clothing drives. Across his work, he is guided by a reflective and community-centered approach grounded in curiosity, connection, and a belief that meaningful change is sustained through relationships and shared investment in one another.