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Ryan J. Smith is an AI product manager, author, and speaker whose work centers on AI literacy: helping working people understand what these systems are, where they fail, and how to check them.
By day he runs a portfolio of AI products for the supply chain at one of the largest healthcare companies in the United States. He created Grain, an AI agent readiness method for companies that want agents working in production, not just in a demo. He holds an MIT Professional Certificate in Designing and Building AI Products and Services.
He wrote the first draft of Punching Above Your Weight in a week, and the first edition became a Top 10 Amazon AI New Release. The revised edition, published in 2026, puts the research in the text, rechecks every quotation, and adds rules for using AI at work. It is the first book in The Stack, a planned trilogy about using AI, leading yourself, and giving back.
Ryan speaks at public libraries, civic groups, and companies across Chicago. He is also a musician who plays synth, guitar, and live loops, and he lives in Chicago with his wife.
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