Meet Ryan Cannon | Co-Owner and CAO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Cannon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of the PASS Program is our unwavering commitment to student outcomes. From the beginning, we’ve focused not just on helping students pass the USMLE but on ensuring they truly understand the material and feel confident applying it in real-life medical situations. This commitment to the student as a whole person—intellectually, emotionally, and professionally—sets us apart.

We believe that when students feel supported and understand the “why” behind what they’re learning, their confidence grows. This focus on individualized learning, combined with a compassionate and highly supportive environment, has allowed us to build lasting relationships with our students and create a reputation for helping even those who have struggled elsewhere.

Another critical factor is our adaptability. We recognized early on that to scale and continue helping students, we needed to innovate. That’s why we introduced our on-demand product in 2013 and expanded to live online programs in 2016, making our program more accessible without sacrificing the quality of education.

Ultimately, our long-term success has been fueled by the combination of our student-centered approach and our ability to evolve.

What should our readers know about your business?
PASS Program is a USMLE review program designed to help medical students succeed not only in passing their licensing exams but in developing the skills necessary to become confident, competent physicians. What sets us apart is our holistic, personalized approach to education. We don’t just focus on teaching students to pass exams—we focus on helping them understand the material deeply, think critically, and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. Our success lies in treating every student as an individual, ensuring they receive the guidance and support that suits their learning style and needs.

I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve had on students, especially those who come to us after feeling defeated or lost in other programs. Seeing students who thought they might never pass the USMLE turn their results around and go on to successful careers is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. That is what excites me—knowing we’re making a difference in the lives of future doctors.

But getting to where we are today was not easy. We started as an in-person program, and while we had great results, we realized that to grow and reach more students, we had to adapt. Launching our on-demand product in 2013 and later our live online program in 2016 was a big shift. It required rethinking how we delivered our content and convincing both our team and our students that these new formats could be just as effective as our in-person program. There were moments of doubt, especially around how to maintain the same level of personal connection and support that we were known for. But we learned how to leverage technology to keep that human touch intact, even in an online environment.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was scaling up without losing what made us special—our personalized attention and commitment to each student. To overcome this, we focused on building strong systems for feedback and support, ensuring that students always felt connected to us, no matter where they were. We also invested in building a team that shared our values, so that as we grew, our commitment to student success remained our number one priority.

Along the way, I’ve learned several key lessons. First, adaptability is essential. You have to be willing to embrace change, even when it is uncomfortable, if you want to continue growing. Second, relationships are everything. Building trust with your students, your team, and your community is what sustains you through challenges. And finally, perseverance matters. There were times when it would have been easy to stick with the status quo, but pushing through those hard moments has brought us to a place where we are able to serve more students than ever before.

What I want the world to know about PASS Program is that we’re here to change lives. We’re not just another review course—we’re a community of educators and supporters who believe in each student’s potential. Our story is one of growth, resilience, and a deep commitment to excellence, and I am proud of how far we’ve come while staying true to our mission.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am new to Houston and live just outside the city in Humble, TX. We have just touched the tip of the iceberg here. But we definitely would head into the city to grab BBQ from Truth BBQ and then see a show at The Hobby Center or Theater Under the Stars. We have seen several productions there, and my wife and I found it to be an intimate setting with such produced performances. There is not a bad seat in the house! We would grab some lunch from CAVA and picnic at Mercer Botanic Gardens, close to home, it is such a lovely way to spend an afternoon. We might hit up the Galleria for a stroll and dine at 51fifteen Cuisine & Cocktails inside of Saks. But we would probably both enjoy going to Ross or Marshalls, more, lol. We prefer to ball on a budget if you will. If I could convince her, we would also rent a kayak and take it out on Lake Woodlands, where is so peaceful and serene.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have poured into my life. I think I can say my partner, my wife, my co-pilot, Daphne has been my biggest champion, supporter, and collaborator, and in many ways has taught me how to love myself, more than anything else. She inspires me and sometimes leaves me in awe of her tenacity, commitment, and hard-earned achievements. She is always pushing herself, which keeps me motivated to grow. And she has shown me so much love and grace as I have weathered my own personal storms. And there is no one with whom I would rather co-parent.

Of course, my stepdad, Dr. Francis Ihejirika, who created this amazing program, called the PASS Program, which has grown into this multi-million-dollar company deserves a shoutout. His faith in God has carried him a long way. And he had faith enough in me to allow me to come into a leadership role in his business and, honestly make what were at times sweeping changes. I have watched him grow so much and really turn over the reigns of the day to day to myself, my brother, and the rest of the team.

And I have the entrepreneur spirit in my blood. I am a huge Daddy’s girl, and my dad, Rickie Cannon, has always been my biggest fan. I always jokingly call him, the hardest working man I know. And I know a lot of hard-working men! He grew up working in several family businesses including a small grocery store, called Cannon’s and a nightclub my grandfather owned. I remember at an early age, going into these establishments with my dad and being proud knowing how significant Black-owned businesses were even back then. He continues to inspire me to this day.

But for my mom and her sacrifices, none of this, what we are doing today would be possible. From jumping in and handling the management of my stepfather’s private practice, to managing properties, or handling HR needs over the years, not only has she played a vital role in the operations and strategic side of things, more importantly, she has been the strength, the foundation that has held us up and kept us together, even during the most challenging times. In many ways, she gave up her own life to support my stepfather’s vision. I do not think she gets enough credit.

I have to shoutout my brother, Jacoby Ihejirika. I try to refrain from calling him my little brother, but he will always be that in my heart. To watch him come into this business after college taking over the marketing and business development that I was just beginning, to creating his own vision for the company, and becoming our CEO has been a magnificent thing to behold. To watch him step into this leadership role and make it his own has been a privilege. And we have always worked well together, I think because we bring different strengths to the table, but also are alike in other important ways. I know he does not get enough acknowledgement for how much his efforts and forward thinking have kept us relevant and thriving. The beautiful thing about him and I, is we are willing to take calculated risks, try new things, and we are not afraid to say when something is not working, and we need to change directions.

Website: https://www.passprogram.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepassprogram

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/thepassprogram

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePASSProgram