Stacey Ryan: Leading a Global Community Through Music
Global brands must continually reconnect with their “why.” Systems should support people – not replace them. And education, especially arts education, is at its best when heart and humanity remain at the center, alongside strong operations. Stacey Ryan stepped into leadership at precisely that inflection point. As President of School of Rock, she brings a deeply held conviction shaped by that moment: that as the organization evolves, hope, purpose, and impact must remain central because the influence that School of Rock has on young lives truly matters.
From the beginning, Stacey believed in the transformative power of music not merely as a curriculum, but as a force that shapes confidence, belonging, and identity. Under her leadership, School of Rock has grown globally while staying anchored with what matters most: ensuring every student feels seen, connected, and capable of thriving both on stage and in life. While the brand’s patented curriculum remains the foundation, Stacey has guided how the experience is delivered, adapting alongside students and educators without losing emotional depth or human connection. Her work balances operational excellence with long-term vision, culture, and impact.
As the organization expands into new markets, Stacey remains steadfast in ensuring that every school experience feels personal, consistent, and transformative no matter the geography. For her, School of Rock is not just about building successful businesses, but about helping students, franchisees, and staff become the best versions of themselves. What may look like a career milestone is, in truth, something deeper: an evolution in leadership. A belief that when education is done right, when music, purpose, and people stay at the center, hope doesn’t fade under pressure. It grows louder.
A Journey of Purpose, Courage, and Transformation
Stacey Ryan’s journey to School of Rock began with a search for purpose, authenticity, and a calling to enrich the lives of young people through education. Raised in New Jersey and a graduate of Rutgers University, she spent more than two decades building a career in education-focused organizations. Along the way, she held senior leadership roles at companies like Huntington Learning Center and The Goddard School, where she developed a deep respect for the transformative power of education, strong operations, and people-first leadership. Working closely with franchise owners and multi-unit teams, she saw firsthand how purpose-driven businesses can be scaled while still making a meaningful impact on communities.
A defining moment in her career came when she made the difficult decision to leave a previous executive role after realizing the culture no longer aligned with her values. Confronted with a toxic environment and told she would be “more successful if she wore lipstick”, Stacey chose integrity over title. Walking away without a backup plan was a risk, but it became the most important decision of her professional life.
That leap of faith led her to School of Rock, where the mission immediately resonated. From her first interaction with the brand, it was clear that School of Rock was not simply teaching music, it was changing lives. She witnessed young people discovering confidence, connection, and purpose through performance, and felt a strong pull to be part of that work. Much like the students who step onto the stage for the first time, uncertain but determined, Stacey leaned in and found a new calling.
Today, as President of School of Rock, Stacey leads a global organization serving tens of thousands of students across almost 440 schools worldwide. What drives her daily is seeing the profound impact music education can have not just on developing musicians, but in helping young people find their voice, build resilience, and feel a sense of belonging. For many students and families, the experience is genuinely life changing.
Her commitment to authenticity and empowerment extends beyond School of Rock. Stacey is the founder of FrontWomen.org, an organization dedicated to supporting women navigating outdated norms and expectations in corporate environments and helping them lead with confidence and authenticity, resources she wishes had existed earlier in her own career.
At School of Rock, Stacey brings together purpose, resilience, and a belief in the transformative power of education. Under her leadership, the brand remains deeply committed to its mission: to enrich lives through performance-based music education. Students don’t just learn instruments; they learn collaboration, communication, risk-taking, and accountability. Standing on stage builds resilience and self-expression skills that endure long after graduation.
Through its global franchise network, School of Rock delivers this impact at scale, empowering local owners to serve as leaders within their communities while maintaining a consistent, mission-driven experience worldwide. As the organization continues to grow, Stacey’s focus remains unwavering: expanding access to music education, supporting franchise partners, and ensuring every student who walks through the doors can shine, connect, belong, and thrive both on stage and in life.
Scaling a Global Brand While Staying True to Purpose, People, and Performance
Throughout her time at School of Rock, Stacey has led the organization through periods of significant growth, change, and challenging experiences that have defined the milestones she is most proud of. One of the most pivotal moments came during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Stacey was serving as the brand’s Chief Operating Officer. During this time, the Operations team played a critical role in helping schools adapt quickly by developing safety protocols, reimagining program delivery, supporting virtual and hybrid models, and providing real-time guidance to franchisees navigating constantly shifting conditions.
While the period was deeply challenging, it ultimately revealed the strength of the School of Rocksystem. Franchisees, instructors, and support teams came together with resilience, creativity, and a shared commitment to students demonstrating just how connected and powerful the community truly is.
Stacey is especially proud of the work done to strengthen and scale the operations side of the business. By building the right infrastructure, talent, and processes, she helped establish a foundation for sustainable domestic and international growth. Over seven years, she led the expansion of the Operations team from just two people to twenty-two – a group she credits with delivering meaningful, consistent support to both franchisees and company-owned locations.
Her transition from COO to President marked another meaningful milestone. It represented not only a personal career achievement, but an evolution in how the brand is led balancing operational excellence with long-term vision, culture, and impact. Becoming part of the small 21% of women represented in C-suite roles in the United States was a moment of pride, paired with a deep sense of responsibility to help create pathways for future women leaders. That responsibility became the catalyst for launching FrontWomen, an initiative she proudly co-founded with a colleague, rooted in mentorship, visibility, and building a stronger pipeline of women in leadership. On a personal note, Stacey was honored as a SheRocks Champion Award winner at the 11th annual event sponsored by The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN). Both experiences reinforced her belief in the importance of representation, mentorship, and using leadership to open doors for other values she brings to her work every day.
In 2025, Stacey launched a landmark research study to formally measure what the School of Rock community had long believed — that the impact of the brand’s programs on young people extends far beyond musical proficiency. The independent study, commissioned by School of Rock and conducted by third-party research firm Sound Diplomacy, surveyed 1,443 parents of current students and delivered powerful, data-backed validation. An overwhelming 96.2% reported an increase in their child’s overall confidence, 95.9% saw improvement in teamwork skills, and 80.4% said their child was happier since joining the program*. Parents also cited meaningful growth in resilience, communication abilities, leadership, and a stronger sense of belonging — outcomes that speak to whole-child development, not just musicianship.
For Stacey, the study was not a marketing exercise — it was a strategic and cultural inflection point. It provided measurable proof that School of Rock’s band-based approach builds life skills that extend into classrooms, communities, and future careers. The findings now inform everything from brand positioning and franchise support to training, local marketing, and long-term growth strategy, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to being More Than a Music School.
Under Stacey’s leadership, School of Rock has evolved thoughtfully alongside shifts in music education, technology, and student learning styles while remaining anchored to its core philosophy. The brand’s patented, performance-based curriculum continues to serve as the foundation, but the way the experience is delivered, supported, and enhanced continues to adapt — ensuring that as the world changes, the mission remains both relevant and resilient.
Lessons in Leadership from a Moment That Changed Everything
One of the most defining challenges Stacey faced at School of Rock was navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the virus had spread beyond China, the leadership team came together to assess potential impacts on the business, franchisees, and the communities they served. They planned early, recognizing that the organization’s mission of enriching lives through music would be more important than ever at a time when young people were losing connection, routine, and emotional support.
Almost overnight, School of Rock restructured its entire operating model. Step-by-step operational, educational, marketing, and IT resources were developed to help schools manage closures, virtual instruction, and safety protocols, with medical expertise guiding key decisions. By mid-March 2020, these changes had been rolled out system-wide, enabling schools to continue serving students while many organizations were still trying to understand the scope of the crisis.
Creativity and connection became central to the response. The organization launched Artist Sessions, Master Class programming, and live-streamed performance opportunities, ensuring students could continue to experience the power of belonging to a musical community. When schools were able to reopen, it was done thoughtfully with clear guidelines, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to safety.
From a leadership perspective, the pandemic became one of the most instructive periods of Stacey’s career. It reinforced the importance of acting early and decisively, even without perfect information. It underscored how transparency and consistency build trust during uncertainty. Most importantly, it affirmed that when leaders anchor themselves in empathy and purpose, people rise to meet extraordinary challenges. What could have been an impossible moment for a performance-based music education organization ultimately made School of Rock stronger, more connected, and more resilient lessons that continue to shape how Stacey leads today.
Her guidance moving forward is rooted in one principle: leaning into the unknown. Lean into the work, the discomfort, and the people around you.
Creative industries rarely follow a straight line, and success often looks very different from what is imagined at the start. Stacey believes real growth happens in moments of uncertainty. Whether it’s a young musician stepping onto a stage for the first time, an emerging leader finding their voice, or an entrepreneur building something from the ground up, progress comes from showing up before you feel ready.
Stacey also emphasizes the importance of leaning into collaboration. Creative work is never done alone, and some of the most meaningful breakthroughs come from learning alongside others, listening, and remaining open to feedback. The ability to work across styles, perspectives, and experiences is just as vital as raw talent.
Equally important is leaning into discipline as much as passion. Creativity flourishes when supported by consistency, practice, and accountability. The artists and leaders who endure are those who stay committed to their craft, even when inspiration is absent.
Finally, Stacey encourages leaning into purpose. Understanding why the work matters—not just what is being built creates resilience when challenges arise. When passion is tied to something larger than oneself, whether community, impact, or helping others find their voice, it becomes a sustaining force.
More Schools, More Voices, One Mission
Stacey envisions School of Rock continuing to expand globally while remaining deeply anchored to the mission that has guided the organization from the very beginning. Today, School of Rock proudly supports almost 440 schools across 17 countries, a global footprint that brings both momentum and responsibility. As the brand grows, her focus remains on ensuring that the experience inside every school regardless of market feels personal, consistent, and transformative.
She sees School of Rock further solidifying its position as being more than a music school. The recent Social Impact Study has provided data-backed proof that School of Rock builds confidence, teamwork, happiness, and a strong sense of belonging in young people. Over the next five years, Stacey is excited to deepen that impact and use both data and storytelling to elevate the role of music education in youth development and to advocate for creative education on a broader, global stage.
An even stronger, more empowered franchise network is also central to her vision. Through continued investment in training, technology, and support systems, franchisees will be equipped to lead thriving schools, build strong teams, and serve as trusted leaders in their communities. As the system grows, collaboration and knowledge-sharing will remain priorities, enabling owners to learn from one another and scale best practices efficiently.
What excites Stacey most about the future, however, is the people behind the numbers. Every new school represents more students finding their voice, more instructors mentoring the next generation, and more franchisees building meaningful, purpose-driven businesses. As long as the organization stays focused on changing lives through music, she believes School of Rock’s next chapter at an even greater global scale will be its most impactful yet.
*Statistics from survey commissioned by School of Rock and administered by a third-party consultancy from 4/26-5/7/2025. Distributed to parents of currently enrolled students under the age of 18, with 1,443 parents completing the survey out of a total population of 19,302 minor students. This corresponds to a margin of error of ±2.48% at a 95% confidence level. Survey data based on a sample population’s self-reported experience. Results intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute a guarantee of future outcomes. For more information visit schoolofrock.com/signup
