FROM FOREST TO FORMULA
An Accidental Entrepreneur with a Purpose
Ryan Wade never set out to start a business—but RAW Forest Foods, his plant-based herbal company, has become an unlikely success story born from passion, curiosity, and craft. Since 2010, Ryan has been the driving force behind a brand that creates adaptogenic and tonic herbal products designed to support innate health. And while the formulas are intentional and deeply researched, Ryan himself is refreshingly grounded. “We try to act as conduits,” he says. “Conduits for connecting people with their already present, innate health.”
Ryan’s journey began not with a business plan, but with a genuine love of plants and making things with his hands. From there, he began sourcing and formulating boutique herbs—each one crafted with care and curiosity. More than 20,000 customers in over 90 countries have since come to trust RAW Forest Foods, a fact Ryan calls “humbling and awe-inspiring.”
Community as the Secret Ingredient
Community is central to Ryan’s vision. “Community is everything,” he says. “It’s the special sauce that binds, that motivates, that inspires.” At RAW Forest Foods, community shows up at every level—from growers and suppliers to customers who share their wellness journeys. For Ryan, community isn’t just support—it’s flavor. It’s complexity. It’s the essential ingredient.
Ryan blends a poetic sensibility with practical advice: plant the tree today, don’t wait. Take a walk. Close your laptop. Learn when to stop. And if you’re struggling? “Ask for help. Ask yourself the hard questions.” These personal habits and mindset shifts, he believes, are essential to sustaining creative and entrepreneurial work.
Signs You’re on the Right Track
He credits his career with several turning points, but none more powerful than seeing the global reach of products he crafted from scratch. “Sometimes you have to take a wide-angle look at what you’ve done,” he says. “And if you can find humility in it, then you just might be on the right track.”
His reading recommendation? Skip the business section. Read fiction—Haruki Murakami, in particular. And when all else fails: send the text, make something, get your hands in the dirt. Even metaphorically.
Because, as Ryan reminds us, “You become the person you want to be by pretending like you already are that person. Because you are.”
