Ryan Francis is from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and is a member of Wasoqop’aq (Acadia) First Nation. Ryan co-founded the Indigenous Girls Hockey Program and for this work, was named a finalist for the 2022 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by the National Hockey League. Through these experiences, the inspiration behind Ryan’s work, the Genevieve Francis Memorial Fund, was created. Ryan now lives in Dartmouth with his wife Carly and daughters Jasmine and Audrey.