“Big ideas don’t scare me. They inspire me.”

That simple belief has guided Alicia Ryan from the strategy rooms of Washington, D.C. to the global stage of advanced manufacturing in Huntsville, Alabama.

As the founder and CEO of LSINC, Ryan has built more than a company.

She has built a legacy of turning imagination into impact. Her journey is proof that vision, grit, and an unwavering commitment to service can transform industries, communities, and lives.

Strategy and startup

Ryan’s path to leadership wasn’t linear. It was strategic. Before launching LSINC, she worked in Washington, D.C. as a market analyst and strategist for large firms like Booz Allen, helping multinational companies and government agencies position themselves for emerging technologies.

She excelled at spotting opportunities others overlooked and aligning bold ideas with practical business outcomes.

When she and her family moved to Huntsville, Ryan carried that same ability to see around corners.

She founded Leadership Strategies, Incorporated, eventually known as LSINC, to help companies and government agencies navigate technology, markets, and strategy.

But what began as a consulting venture quickly grew into something more.

“I wanted to not just analyze ideas, but bring them to life,” Ryan recalls.

That vision led her to acquire a product development firm, and over time, LSINC expanded into engineering services, contract manufacturing, and ultimately designing and producing its own line of specialty machines and direct-to-object printers.

Today, LSINC is a globally recognized leader in industrial machine design, development, and manufacturing. Its technologies serve clients across aerospace, defense, consumer products, and advanced manufacturing.

But for Ryan, the company’s true success lies not only in the machines it creates, but in the team behind them.

“I’m most proud of my people,” she says. “When you take a couple of engineers and grow them into a brilliant team that can take a product from a napkin sketch to global distribution, that’s the real accomplishment.”

Courage to grow

LSINC’s evolution reflects Ryan’s willingness to embrace growth, risk, and change. Each step in the company’s development, from engineering services to contract manufacturing to launching its own patented product line, required her to take on new challenges and adopt new leadership roles.

“I wouldn’t say I was fearless,” Ryan admits with a smile.

“But I’ve always believed that if you see an opportunity that can benefit both your company and your clients, you take it, even if it means you won’t see a return right away. Vision means being willing to wait three years for the payoff, if you believe in the idea.”

Her approach has worked.

Today, LSINC products are distributed around the world, supported by international dealers Ryan herself has cultivated in markets from Poland to New Zealand. It is the same strategic skill set she once applied to global corporations, but now in service of her own vision.

Servant leadership at the core

At the heart of Ryan’s leadership philosophy is a commitment to servant leadership, a concept she studied deeply during her master’s work in organizational leadership. She believes organizations succeed when leaders focus on systems that empower people, build trust, and align everyone toward a shared purpose.

“Some people thought servant leadership was naïve,” she recalls. “But I believed, and still do, that you can make money and succeed in business by doing the right thing and helping the whole system work together.”

This belief has shaped LSINC’s culture, where innovation and integrity go hand in hand. It has also guided Ryan’s efforts outside the company, where she has poured her energy into education and community impact.

Building the next generation

One of Ryan’s proudest accomplishments isn’t a machine. It’s a school. She played a pivotal role in founding The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, one of the nation’s first high schools dedicated to preparing students for careers in cybersecurity and engineering.

Ryan helped launch the school from the ground up, serving as vice chair of its state board and leading the foundation. LSINC itself contributed expertise, leadership, and time to help the school succeed.

“We believe in giving back to children,” Ryan says. “And ASCTE is something the whole state, even the whole nation, should be proud of.”

Her vision was strategic: aligning the school’s mission with national security needs, industry demand, and state support. That alignment helped the school raise over $20 million and quickly establish itself as a model for education and workforce development.

Mentors and the power of inspiration

Behind every impactful leader are mentors who shaped their journey. For Ryan, several women played a transformative role.

In Washington, she was mentored by one of Booz Allen’s highest-ranking partners, a woman who had risen from secretary to executive.

“She told me, in my 30s, to decide right then what I wanted to give back to the world. She knew my work in business would someday prepare me to lead in the nonprofit and education space, and she was right.”

In Huntsville, another mentor was Dorothy Davidson, who, after the passing of her husband Julian, became a guide and friend. Dorothy’s advice was simple but profound: “Stop being so nice.”

For Ryan, this lesson was liberating. “As women, we’re often told we’re too aggressive. Dorothy reminded me that I didn’t owe anyone ‘nice.’ I owed them my best as a business leader.”

For Ryan, purpose is rooted in possibility. Whether it is a new product or a new school, she sees her role as creating the conditions for ideas to become reality.

“Most people focus on the reasons something can’t happen,” she says. “I focus on how it could happen, and then I find the people who can help make it real.”

That mindset has not only driven LSINC’s global growth but also shaped Alabama’s future in technology, defense, and education.

By aligning vision with market needs and rallying partners across sectors, Ryan has made Alabama a hub for innovation and a model for collaboration.

Recognition and legacy

Ryan’s impact has not gone unnoticed. She has received the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award, among other accolades, for her leadership and contributions.

She is an active member of organizations like the Association of the United States Army and Women in Defense, where she continues to advocate for national security and the advancement of women in the field.

But for Ryan, the true legacy isn’t in awards. It is in the people she inspires and the systems she helps build.

“I’m most proud of my family and my team,” she says. “I’ve been blessed. My role has been to hold on to the vision, to believe in the possibilities, and to bring others along to make it happen.”

A Woman of Impact

Alicia Ryan’s story is one of vision turned into reality, of strategy transformed into innovation, of leadership rooted in service.

From her role at LSINC to her work founding ASCTE, she has left an indelible mark on both Alabama and the industries it touches worldwide.

She embodies what it means to be a Woman of Impact: bold enough to dream big, wise enough to build systems that last, and generous enough to lift others as she climbs.

“Big ideas don’t scare me,” she repeats. “They inspire me. And when they inspire others, that’s when the real impact happens.”