If Not Me, Then Who: Ryan Manion on Service, Sacrifice, and Going Big
On this Veterans Day edition of the Going Big podcast, Kevin Gentry sits down with Ryan Manion, president of the Travis Manion Foundation, to explore how one family’s loss turned into a nationwide movement rooted in service, character, and civic leadership.
From Tragedy to Purpose
Ryan’s brother, 1st Lt. Travis Manion, was killed in action in Iraq in 2007. In the wake of that devastating loss, Ryan and her family launched the Travis Manion Foundation—not just to honor Travis, but to empower veterans and Gold Star families to continue serving even after their military careers ended.
“It started as a labor of love,” Ryan says. “We just wanted to keep Travis’s name alive. But over time, it became much more—a movement rooted in service, leadership, and unity.”
Service Is the Antidote to Despair
At the heart of the Foundation is a powerful belief: service can transform pain into purpose. And through community service projects, character education for youth, and leadership training for veterans, the organization is filling a critical void. Veterans, she emphasizes, are not broken—they are national assets.
“We wanted to flip the narrative,” Ryan explains. “Veterans aren’t just people who need help. They are people who can help—leaders who want to continue serving.”
A Million Youth, One Powerful Message
The Foundation’s flagship “Character Does Matter” program has already reached over a million young people across the country. Veterans lead these sessions in schools, sports teams, and youth groups—serving not only as mentors, but as living examples of values like courage, integrity, and service.
“Young people today aren’t apathetic—they’re hungry for meaning. They just need someone to show them the way,” says Ryan. “Veterans can be that someone.”
Bottom-Up, Not Top-Down
What sets the Travis Manion Foundation apart? It empowers veterans to take the lead. Every program is built from the ground up, giving veterans ownership over how they serve their communities.
“If our veterans walked away tomorrow, our programs would cease to exist,” Ryan says. “They are the program.”
Living for the Fallen
One especially moving story Ryan shares is of Veronica Ortiz, a Gold Star wife who transformed her grief into action. And after joining a Foundation service trip to Puerto Rico, she found new purpose—and recently completed the Marine Corps Marathon in memory of her husband.
“She told me she wanted to quit from the first step,” Ryan recalls. “But every step, she thought of her husband—and she kept going.”
If Not Me, Then Who?
That mantra—If not me, then who?—was spoken by Travis before his final deployment. And today, it fuels a national movement. Ryan challenges us all to ask ourselves that same question: “How am I stepping up, right now, in service to others?”
A New Generation of Leaders
Despite national headlines about youth apathy, Ryan remains hopeful. “I see the opposite every day,” she says. “When given a chance, our youth rise. They want to be part of something bigger.”
With a daughter now at the U.S. Naval Academy, Ryan has come full circle—continuing the family’s legacy of service across generations.
Going Big, Against the Odds
Ryan admits she once battled impostor syndrome. “I wasn’t a veteran. I wasn’t a man. I didn’t have a nonprofit background,” she says. “But I made a choice—I was going to believe in myself and keep going. That was the boldest step I ever took.”
If She Could Put It on a Billboard…
Ryan Manion: “Live a life worthy of their sacrifice.”
So, want to be inspired to turn your own challenges into purpose? Want to help bridge the civilian-military divide and empower the next generation of leaders?
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