Shining a Light on America’s Social Safety Net
From a dedicated student entrepreneur to a successful social innovator, Ryan O'Donnell is transforming communities and addressing real-world challenges one business at a time.
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It started at NC State University when Ryan O’Donnell discovered the tools, community and inspiration to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges. From founding startups like Pennies 4 Progress to joining the Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN) with EmployUs to launching his newest venture, Sunlight, a company aimed at transforming child welfare systems, O’Donnell has demonstrated how entrepreneurship can drive meaningful change.
Exploring Entrepreneurship at NC State
O’Donnell’s time at NC State was essential in shaping his career. As a Poole College of Management student with an entrepreneurship concentration, he worked closely with Lewis Sheats and participated in key programs and resources like the Albright Entrepreneurship Garage. During his sophomore year, he cofounded Pennies 4 Progress, one of the first national scale “round-up for charity” campaigns. Ryan also joined activities like the VenturePack Challenge (formerly eGames), pitch competitions, the B Corp Clinic and class projects, gaining practical experience in building ventures.
“The most important aspect was the people I worked with,” Ryan recalls, “My co-founders and connections in the local Triangle startup community, including the co-founder for Sunlight and EmployUs, came through NC State events and programs.”
O’Donnell’s entrepreneurial involvement on campus opened doors through what is now the Entrepreneurship Clinic, connecting student entrepreneurs with local businesses and leaders. This network led to an internship with Groundfloor, a real estate investment platform, where he gained hands-on experience with startup ecosystems. These connections eventually paved the way to his first full-time role as a recruiter at The Nautical Group. There, O’Donnell worked alongside Jeff Stocks, then CEO of The Nautical Group and former CEO of Manpower’s largest franchise. Their collaboration, facilitated by Dean Weiss and Dr. Tom Miller’s efforts to bridge students with local entrepreneurs, ultimately inspired the founding of EmployUs.
Inspiration to Innovation
O’Donnell’s passion for entrepreneurship started early. In high school, he organized a food drive that set a Guinness World Record. But he realized it was only a small step toward solving bigger problems. He started looking for ways to make a bigger impact.
That is how the idea for Pennies 4 Progress started — because he wanted to do more. That same drive led to EmployUs, a platform that helps people find jobs through employee referrals. “I’ve always wanted to make the world a better place,” Ryan says. “Entrepreneurship is about getting your hands dirty and figuring out how to help people.”
Launching Startups to Solve Problems
Over the years, Ryan has founded several companies:
- Pennies 4 Progress: Founded during his sophomore year along with other Caldwell Fellows, the student team received grant funding from Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Muhammad Yunus and NC State’s Institute for Emerging Issues. They built a fundraising platform to raise money for dozens of top-rated charities and over 60,000 schools via a partnership with DonorsChoose.org. The team merged their efforts with one of their partners and reached a national scale — playing a key role in popularizing “round-up for charity” campaigns.
- EmployUs: Launched during his senior year at NC State, EmployUs made employee referral programs easier through a web and mobile app. The platform helped 30,000 people find jobs, grew to serve thousands of customers and was acquired by Hireology in 2021. EmployUs was one of the first companies backed by the WIN, which marked its first successful exit.
- RPO Ventures: Created following the EmployUs acquisition, O’Donnell started RPO Ventures to advise and invest in for-profit and nonprofit startups tackling social problems as well as incubate new “tech for good” products — leading to the creation of his current venture, Sunlight.
- Sunlight: Inspired by his experience as a foster parent, O’Donnell founded Sunlight to address inefficiencies in the child welfare system. Their first product, Your Case Plan, launched in 2024, provides a unified communication system, ensuring all stakeholders stay informed and organized. Their first client was the state of Oklahoma, and the company is quickly expanding across the country. Sunlight was a recipient of the prestigious NC IDEA SEED grant supporting entrepreneurship in North Carolina.
The Impact of NC State’s Entrepreneurship Program
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O’Donnell credits NC State’s entrepreneurship program for providing vital resources and connections. “The program gave me real-world experience and allowed me to meet co-founders, mentors and the local triangle startup community. That created a foundation that still supports me today.”
Think big and then do the work. Make something that doesn’t just address problems but actually solves them and changes lives.
Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
O’Donnell emphasizes the importance of solving real problems. “Focus on building a product people truly need,” he advises. “If you can solve a problem for one person, you can scale it to ten, a hundred or more.”
For social entrepreneurs, O’Donnell urges them to think big. “Good enough isn’t good enough when you are tackling critical issues like access to justice, employment, housing, food security or healthcare. If you have the capacity to help thousands or millions but don’t aim high enough, you’re letting down the people who you could be serving.”
What’s Next for Sunlight?
Sunlight has seen rapid growth since its official launch in 2024. “We’re expanding to more states and reaching thousands of families,” O’Donnell shares. “Our mission is to strengthen America’s social safety net, starting with the child welfare system. By improving communication and transparency, we’re focused on improving outcomes for children and families while reducing the time children spend in foster care.”
O’Donnell’s journey from NC State to social innovation demonstrates how entrepreneurship, when guided by purpose and persistence, can create lasting change.