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My name is Ryan Swagar. I have lived in Scottsdale, Arizona for almost twelve years 'geeking out' as a serial entrepreneur, digital media maniac, investor, connector, blogger, startup advisor, social media monster and web 2.0 Evangelist.

My personal mantra is "hit it clean." This applies in all aspects of life, from the tee box to the execution of a strategic plan. I only play in the circles of those with the highest integrity. My philosophy is "F%#K UP FAST". Doing the deed is more than half the battle. If you mess up, fix it quickly and get back on track.

Before moving to Scottsdale, I attended Southwest Texas State. I leveraged a full-ride golf scholarship to learn and craft the most important lesson in life. Relationships.

I am currently the CEO and Co-Founder of the Republic Project. In addition, I am a Partner of Venture 51. Previously I was consulting for startup companies in the web 2.0 space. My last consulting gig was with Flypaper Inc., reporting directly to CEO Pat Sullivan (Founder of ACT! and SalesLogix). I am formerly Co-Founder of Brightspot Media, VP at Ghelfi Capital Investments and Founder of Nellie Golf.

At Venture51 we help support entrepreneurs who create cool and "purple” startups. We dabble mostly in early-stage internet companies, but we also work with early-stage consumer brands which blend nicely with the Web. In particular, we help startups improve their launch strategies by focusing on product strategy, user/customer experience, Web & social marketing, demand management, community evangelism and sales & bizdev 2.0 strategies. I have always enjoyed helping startups with internet marketing, product strategy, creative approach and viral strategy.

My current passion is the Republic Project, a stealth music technology company.

My personal interests include golf, music, skiing, concerts and good beer and my hanging with my beautiful fiancé.