Ryan Leong is the Deputy Director at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi where he serves as the head of Operations, Finance, and Human Resources.
Ryan has worked in the non-profit field for the past 19 years. In 2009, he co-founded Hands In Helping Out (HIHO), a Hawaiʻi based non-profit organization that believes in sustainable volunteerism through human connection. Under his leadership, HIHO developed an innovative volunteer program that engages both the volunteer and non-profit in service.
Prior to joining the ACLU of Hawaiʻi team, he served as the volunteer Executive Director of HIHO and the Associate Executive Director at the YMCA of Honolulu, Kalihi Branch. In 2023 he was elected to serve on the ACLU Indigenous Justice Working Group Steering Committee and continues to champion indigenous rights across the pae ʻāina. He is a 2014 Pacific Business News 40 Under 40 Honoree, a 2022 Empowering ʻŌiwi Leadership Award (E OLA) recipient. He continues to serve as the Vice President of the HIHO Board of Directors. A Kānaka Maoli servant leader, Ryan believes in a connected and compassionate Hawaiʻi and our ability to build it together.
Born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, Ryan currently resides in Kuliʻouʻou and calls Pālolo and Kalihi his home.