Day 2 – Breakout Session 7 – 1:30-2:00 PM
Room: Affectiv
Ryan Kohler is an AI systems architect, entrepreneur, and Founder & CEO of Refer.io, where he has built one of the most powerful recruitment marketing engines in the industry—sending over 100 million emails monthly and helping thousands of organizations scale their hiring efforts. A 12-time Inc. 5000 entrepreneur, Ryan has a proven track record of building and scaling high-performance companies, including bootstrapping ApplicantPro to over $30 million in revenue.
Today, Ryan is focused on helping businesses close the gap between AI hype and real-world impact. Through his work with AI4Teams and GPT4Work, he guides organizations in implementing practical, results-driven AI systems that increase efficiency, enhance team performance, and unlock scalable growth.
Known for his no-nonsense, execution-first approach, Ryan helps leaders move beyond theory and into action—embedding AI directly into business operations to drive measurable results. At RizeCon 2026, he brings a powerful perspective on how companies can leverage AI to reclaim time, increase output, and build a true competitive advantage.