Ryan J. Woods is an educator and historian who serves as President and CEO of American Ancestors, the nation’s oldest organization dedicated to family history, heritage, and culture. Founded in 1845, the institution engages hundreds of thousands of people each year through scholarship, public programming, and digital resources that illuminate the complexity of the American story. 
 

Central to Ryan’s work is the 10 Million Names project, a landmark initiative that restores the identities of millions of African Americans suppressed in the historical record by the institution of slavery, reconnecting living descendants with their ancestors—using genealogy as a tool for repair, remembrance, and belonging. American Ancestors is also a key collaborator for PBS’s Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 
 

With more than two decades of leadership experience in cultural institutions, Ryan has advanced inclusive scholarship and public-facing history that bridges past and present. His work has been recognized nationally, and he has received multiple awards and fellowships for his contributions to the field. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Boston University in history and education. 
 

Born in Texas and raised in New England, and shaped by a multiracial heritage that includes Black, Asian, and European roots, Ryan believes honoring interconnected histories is essential to educating, inspiring, and bringing people together—and to building a future informed by truth and remembrance.