Sam Ryan

Industrial Designer | Packaging Innovation | AI-Enabled Patient Experience

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

About

Experience

  • Founder at Tendercraft at Self-employed
    May 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    Tendercraft is a patient experience design studio focused on the intersection of pharmaceutical packaging, digital health, and artificial intelligence. We help healthcare innovators explore how packaging can educate, reassure, and support patients through connected experiences, smart packaging concepts, and AI-powered guidance. Designing packaging that cares.

  • Personal goal pursuit at Career Break
    Mar 2024 - Apr 2026 · 2 yrs 2 mos

    * Organized and funded independent expeditions and research projects * Explored AI, storytelling, design, and new venture development * Then focused on family and early parenthood

  • Co-Founder at Meta-Skills
    Jan 2023 - Mar 2024 · 1 yr 3 mos

    As a business-focused co-founder at Meta-Skills, I supported the team’s early efforts in securing over €1.5M in funding through strategic grant and subsidy writing, which fueled the R&D roadmap and early-stage product development. My role centered on shaping and testing value propositions through engagement with early customers, piloting prototypes to gather feedback and assess usability in various learning environments. Alongside this, I contributed to identifying strategic partnerships and aligning our product direction with emerging market needs, helping to position the AI-driven platform for long-term relevance and impact.

  • Co-founder and CEO at Parable (now Meta-Skills)
    Apr 2016 - Jan 2023 · 6 yrs 10 mos

    Launched the startup company through PortXL, one of Europe’s leading startup accelerators, and grew it through a mix of client engagements and non-dilutive R&D funding. Led all new business development efforts, secured multiple innovation grants and subsidies, and oversaw concept development, user testing, and full-cycle project management, from MVPs to polished client solutions. Also responsible for shaping the product’s competitive technology stack and market positioning.

  • Junior Packaging Designer at Kansas City Design (acquired by Oliver Design)
    May 2012 - Sep 2013 · 1 yr 5 mos

    Developed pharmaceutical packaging concepts from early patient research through prototype development and client presentation. Created functional packaging prototypes using thermoforming, industrial printing, die-cutting, and rapid prototyping techniques. Participated in concept generation and human-factors exploration for usability-focused packaging development programs for leading pharmaceutical clients including GSK, Merck, Pfizer, Takeda, Otsuka, Teva, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie. Supported engineering development and manufacturing-ready packaging concepts balancing usability, manufacturability, and regulatory requirements.