About Ryan

From the interrogation roomto the boardroom.

For years, Ryan was the person others called when everything was on the line. Today he helps leaders become that person for their own teams.

Ryan Dunlap as a Gwinnett County police officer
ThenDetective & SWAT Hostage Negotiator
Ryan Dunlap today, in a light blue blazer, standing with both hands on a desk
NowConflict Strategist & Founder

Founder · Keynote Speaker · Author · Former Hostage Negotiator

Meet Ryan Dunlap

Ryan Dunlap is the founder and Chief Conflict Officer of Conflictish®, an internationally recognized conflict strategist, keynote speaker, and university lecturer. His short-form videos connect a global community of more than 1 million followers and reach over 6 million people every month.

Ryan is a former pastor, former SVU detective, and SWAT hostage negotiator. He is the author of How to Untie a Balloon: A Negotiator’s Guide to Avoid Popping Under Pressure, and in 2026 his TEDx talk, “There’s No Such Thing as Healthy Conflict,” earned an Editor’s Pick from TED.

Today, Ryan is a trusted advisor and voice to leaders around the world, from global companies and major league sports teams to government organizations.

20+Years of experience
5,000+Leaders trained
3,600+Hours of specialized training
1MFollowers

A Note From Ryan

“I believe there is no such thing as healthy conflict. Only healthy people.”

If I’ve learned anything from navigating conflict with leaders around the world, it’s that conflict and pressure don’t create who you are; they reveal who you are. If you want better outcomes when it matters most, you don’t start with the conflict. You start with you.

For years, I was one of the people others called when everything was on the line. As a hostage negotiator, I learned that the calmest person in the room isn’t calm by accident. They’re calm by conditioning and preparation. We did the internal work so that when the pressure arrived, we could stay clear, stay grounded, and lead through the challenge.

Most leaders were never taught how to do that, and that’s why I’m here. My goal is simple: to help as many leaders as possible build the resilience, emotional intelligence, and composure to lead themselves and others through conflict and adversity well. Every leader can do it. I’ll show you how.

Ryan

The Origin

A napkin idea in a Chattanooga coffee shop

When Ryan moved into executive leadership after years of working in law enforcement, he expected to find the same discipline, clarity, and accountability in the boardroom that he knew from the interrogation room.

Instead, he watched capable leaders under pressure behave much like suspects across the interrogation table. Many lost their composure and hid what they weren’t proud of, afraid of being found out. The stakes looked different, but the fear underneath was the same, and it left even strong leaders more likely to fuel conflict than resolve it.

That observation led Ryan to build programs for the conflict happening inside leaders, not just the conflict happening around them. What started as a napkin idea in a Chattanooga coffee shop in 2021 is now an internationally recognized conflict strategy firm that helps leaders around the world get their ish together, one conversation at a time.

Ryan in his studio with a Conflictish mug

The Journey

How Ryan got here

  1. Law Enforcement

    The negotiation table

    As an SVU detective, gang intelligence investigator, crisis intervention officer, and SWAT hostage negotiator, Ryan facilitated hundreds of high-stakes interviews, interrogations, and negotiations.

  2. Ministry & Leadership

    The executive table

    Ryan served as an executive pastor in three churches and led as a nonprofit executive, learning how pressure shows up in organizations, teams, and leaders.

  3. A New Beginning

    Conflictish is born

    A napkin idea in a Chattanooga coffee shop became a conflict strategy firm built to help leaders handle the conflict inside them first.

  4. The Book

    How to Untie a Balloon

    Ryan’s book introduced the F.I.R.S.T. Steps, a practical framework for navigating pressure and difficult conversations.

  5. A World Stage

    TEDx Editor’s Pick

    His talk, “There’s No Such Thing as Healthy Conflict,” was recognized with an Editor’s Pick from TED.

  6. Today

    Stages, classrooms, and screens

    Ryan keynotes around the world, teaches global cohorts of leaders through the University at Buffalo, and reaches millions online every month.

For Event Planners

Everything you need, ready to go

Grab Ryan’s media kit, biography, book details, and professional headshots, ready to drop into your event page, program, or approval process.

Book Ryan to Speak
01Media KitDownload ↓ 02Ryan’s BioDownload ↓ 03Ryan’s BookView on Amazon ↗ 04HeadshotsDownload ↓