Ryan ZumMallen

Coming to Long Beach in 2003 mostly because of a selfadmitted love for the city, an additional bonus was that Long Beach State offered the one major he desired — Industrial Design. However, like most students, he opted to change majors to Print Journalism, feeling dynamism in its space of creativity and passion, driving him to forcefully make himself a part of Long Beach culture.

For Ryan, it is always about the people. His humbleness about the recognition is exemplified best in his own words: “The types of people [nominated] are the reason I fell in love with Long Beach in the first place — and I am humbled to be amongst them. At the same time, I feel that I have a lot of work to do to live up to the award. In fact, I consider 40 Under 40 not so much an award as a promise. A promise to live up to my potential as a member of the community, to take what I’ve learned and apply it responsibly, to do right by the city and its residents by both pointing out its flaws and celebrating its accomplishments. “

Currently serving as a sportswriter for the Grunion Gazettes, Ryan hopes to further his dream of gaining more ground in automotive journalism (and he’s half-way there, also serving as Associate Editor at AutoMedia.com). Despite who or what he is writing for, he takes immense pride in partaking in the telling of stories that he feels deserve recognition — particularly here in Long Beach.

“I care deeply about this city and I believe that it has been neglected, exploited, and treated unfairly throughout much of its history – including the present day. The potential of Long Beach has always been greater than its reality and I think that it’s time we recognize the things that are hurting this community and work together to change them.”