Transcript
Katie Frey: Welcome to Law Meets Life, presented by Pond Lehocky, where conversations go beyond the courtroom and into the people, experiences, and moments that define who we are. I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today’s guest is the executive director of the Eagles Autism Foundation, Ryan Hammond.
Ryan, thank you so much for being here today.
Ryan Hammond: I’m thrilled to be here.
Katie Frey: I’m thrilled to have you here. We have so much to talk about.
Ryan Hammond: We do.
Katie Frey: Even before we started rolling these cameras, I feel like we already had so many things to talk about.
Ryan Hammond: Yes. The yap session has officially begun, right?
Katie Frey: Absolutely.
So, you have one of those jobs where I feel like your title doesn’t fully capture everything that you do. And after doing research on you, I believe you are Superwoman.
Ryan Hammond: Oh my gosh. Well, thank you.
Katie Frey: Like, you are Superwoman.
Ryan Hammond: It takes a great village behind you to, you know, put the cape on.
Katie Frey: I like that statement.
So, how do you explain to someone what you do if they’ve never heard of the Eagles Autism Foundation before?
Ryan Hammond: Yeah. I think I’ve had the privilege of being the founding executive director, so no one had this job before me. No one told me how to do it.
I really had the opportunity to dream with our chairman and CEO, founder of the Eagles Autism Foundation, Jeffrey Lurie. And when we talked about the goals for what this would be and what this could be, we really started with the basics of, you know, what do we want to accomplish?
We wanted to, one, give representation to the autism community, which is now one in 31 individuals. We’ve seen that prevalence rate continue to increase since we launched this initiative.
Two, we wanted to be an NFL sports team that was synonymous with a cause. And I think you see the power of sports, the ability to bring people together, to have a captive audience and passionate fans—and, for us, Eagles everywhere. How do we lean into that and create a positive conversation about autism, have resources, be unique, and then, on the flip side, raise millions and millions of dollars?
So, these ambitious goals of not just bringing people together, but channeling that into philanthropy.
I think when we set out, it was asking those really simple questions with Jeffrey and understanding that he wanted every dollar to make a difference. And I was like, great. We can engage sponsors to help support our operations, in addition to the commitment of the Philadelphia Eagles organization, but every dollar that someone donates is going to be invested in research or care.
That was just a really important standard that we set coming out of the gate. So, if you’re a donor, you can tell me what year you supported, and I can tell you what projects you funded. Again, that came from this simple statement from Jeffrey that he wanted every dollar to count.
I think for us, looking at the Eagles organization and being so ambitious with autism back in 2018, there was still stigma associated with it. People weren’t raising their hands to self-identify. There weren’t these employment initiatives that we’ve seen evolve over the past few years.
I think it forced us as an organization to say, if we’re going to tell everyone this is what’s most important to us off the field, then we need to make sure we’re the best at being inclusive.
So, it really then became an audit of the Eagles organization when it came to fan experience and community engagement. How inclusive were we? Because we needed to be sure that we were keeping this community in mind in everything we did fundamentally as an organization. That allowed us the privilege to ask people to support this cause.
We were the first NFL team to open a sensory room and create resources for inclusion when it came to a gameday experience. Lincoln Financial Field has a no-reentry rule. What do you do when you’re having a hard time? The sensory room seemed to be a really great tool for us to address that issue.
We’ve since had visual schedules, so you can go proactively before you go to a game and say, “What can I expect?” From walking through security, to knowing when those fireworks are going to go off to tell you to get to your seat because the game is about to start, to being aware of where resources are available at Guest Services and making sure everyone understands our staff is trained.
So, all 600-plus staff members at Lincoln Financial Field who you’re going to interact with understand what your needs are. It’s really just about continuing that throughout everything we do with intention, and that’s just evolved.
Obviously, it’s a long story for nearly 10 years, but we were able to really identify that accessibility point. And it didn’t just extend from fan experience.
What happens when we have football clinics for kids? We had brave parents who called us and said, “I know you care about autism. Is my child a fit at your football camp or your cheer clinic?”
It allowed us to ask the question: What about the parents who aren’t calling us, who assume their child isn’t a fit because they have different needs?
So, everything that we’re offering through those types of engagements is inclusive, but we’re also putting intent behind it by creating All Abilities Clinics, right?
And then probably our last component of what we’ve done is the employment initiative. Recognizing that 85% of individuals with autism are unemployed and knowing that having a paycheck and a sense of community is truly life-changing—not just for the individual, but for their families.
Katie Frey: Absolutely.
Ryan Hammond: So, we piloted an all-inclusive gameday staff program through the Eagles Autism Foundation with three people. We now support 50 individuals at Lincoln Financial Field who have autism.
Katie Frey: Ryan, that’s amazing.
Ryan Hammond: It’s life-changing. To have the ability to say, “What do you do with your paycheck?” Sometimes it’s buy pizza, and other times it’s to pay their bills.
What we’ve heard from families about the sense of belonging and community—we just continue to invest in those programs and the friendships that are formed.
We had a kiddo whose mom said, you know, he didn’t have people coming to his birthday party when he was younger. But he had a birthday party in his early 20s at Topgolf, and every person on the gameday staff who was on his team showed up and enjoyed golf.
It was just awesome to see that moment that everyone deserves in their life—feeling celebrated with their friends. And it was all possible because of this program and, more importantly, the lens of inclusion through which we practice everyday life at the Eagles.
Katie Frey: One hundred percent.
You and I talked about this right before we started rolling and how we can’t believe we’re coming up on the 10-year anniversary of the Eagles Autism Challenge. So many things have changed over that time.
Ryan Hammond: Oh, yeah.
Katie Frey: With the autism community, and you’ve grown with it.
So, I want to go back in time to 2017, when you got that phone call from Jeffrey Lurie. What went through your mind when you hung up that phone?
Ryan Hammond: I think I should start with a little bit of history. I started my career at the Eagles as an intern in 1999, and I was full-time for the team from 2000 to 2008.
It was such an interesting time because it was explosive growth. We were in a situation where all of a sudden Andy Reid enters the scene, he’s coaching, and we’re making the playoffs every year.
We opened what’s now the Jefferson Health Training Complex. We then moved to open the stadium. I got to be a part of all these incredible opportunities.
Being young, I got to raise my hand because, you know, the Eagles are a family business. So, I got to contribute in ways that I never imagined at where I was at that point in my life and even in my career.
To be able to grow within an organization and feel like the possibilities truly are endless set the stage for my trajectory and my future.
I met my husband. We got married. We had three daughters in 37 months. I was still at the Eagles when I had my second, but when I was expecting my third, I think it was a wake-up call that I couldn’t pass along three car seats on a gameday.
I really took that experience where I felt I mourned leaving my dream job, the dream organization, and asked, “What do I want to be when I grow up at this point?”
It really led me to nonprofit work.
Coincidentally, I didn’t plan for Jeffrey and me to stay connected in the way that we did—not that I wouldn’t admire his work or wouldn’t be a fan—but I went to Saint Joseph’s University, and a very generous family, the Hondros family, started the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support.
While I was newer to the higher education world, coming from the Eagles and having that ambition, work ethic, and those connections positioned me to help them build that center.
Helping them orchestrate it from the ground up with their leadership gift allowed me to think about the autism community every day. And that was something that was very important to Jeffrey, with his brother being on the spectrum.
So, when he connected with me, I never would have thought my journey with autism that started in 2009 would have led me back to the Eagles. But I knew so much about what the needs of the community were, being so ingrained in providing services, resources, and support every single day at the Kinney Center.
When I first talked to him, I was like, “You know, we can have an event and raise a million dollars. We’re the Eagles. Or we can change the world.”
That was truly my immediate reaction—knowing that platform, these fans, and Jeffrey’s leadership. I truly saw that this trajectory was possible for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
And he immediately was like, “Yes, let’s do that. Let’s change the world.”
Because I think it’s easy to conceptualize how an organization like the Eagles can have a fundraising event and do well, but really to be in a situation where we’re growing year over year—I mean, this year we raised over $16 million. We’re a baby foundation. We’re less than 10 years into this.
But we’ve done this so thoughtfully, and because this is so important, if you ask Jeffrey, the organization truly understands the priorities, right? To win a Super Bowl and the success of this foundation, because this is truly his legacy.
It allows him to honor his mom as a philanthropist and someone who led his family in giving over $100 million to autism research throughout his life, and to be able to bring his brother and his story in such an important way.
Katie Frey: Ryan, that’s amazing.
The way I see your career trajectory—because I love that career trajectories change and they shift, and that at any point in time you can sit back and be like, “Who do I want to be when I grow up?”
It’s not something you decide when you’re 18. It changes over time.
Ryan Hammond: I think I asked myself that question when I was coming back to the Eagles. Like, who do I want to be when I get to lead this organization?
And just like what happened my first time around, I can be really thoughtful and mindful about supporting other women who are having children with the Eagles and creating a space for them to be able to raise their families, create flexibility, and even recognize—I have a staff of mostly women—giving them the confidence to say, “This is what I need, and this is what’s going to help me be successful.”
How to access professional development, how to be able to stand in a room and command attention. That’s my goal: to not only make a difference in my career or in people’s lives, but also provide that mentorship that’s so important and support the next generation of women leaders.
As a mom of three girls, right? That’s what’s really important.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. You are one of the most driven people I think I’ve ever talked to in my life.
Ryan Hammond: Well, thank you.
Katie Frey: Where does that drive come from?
Ryan Hammond: I mean, I’m kind of obsessed with it, really. You can ask folks on my team. This is not a job for me. It’s a lifestyle.
I am Ryan Hammond, Eagles Autism Foundation, every single day. There’s no compartmentalizing me or this role or my family.
My daughters have been engaged volunteers for the foundation since I walked back in the door. My husband is an expert at carrying boxes or making connections and just being an incredible support person. He’s my hype guy.
It’s just aiming for greatness because I feel such a responsibility that this platform is a gift, and to not use it appropriately would be so irresponsible of me.
So, I’m the person who comes in in the morning like, “I thought of this last night. Did we do this?”
I’m also in a constant state of evaluation. I’m never satisfied with us doing it well. It’s constantly like, “But how are we going to do it better?”
Katie Frey: That’s something I wanted to ask you next. You have accomplished so much throughout your life. That drive, that sense of responsibility—it’s a constant.
Do you ever really take a step back and say, “Wow, I did that”?
Ryan Hammond: Sometimes.
I think, like, I’m the first person in my family to ever go to college. I didn’t even know a job like this existed, right?
And the fact that I’m in my second startup, where there’s been no roadmap and it’s really been about personality-driven leadership—I think it’s the work ethic that my parents taught me and just grinding it out.
I was the top candy seller in grade school. I’ve always had this knack for it. When I thought back, I think I had one of those light-bulb moments. I was like, well, I guess I could see this in my future if I look back to fifth grade, selling the most candy bars.
I think I won a dress-down-day pass or something for it. So, it wasn’t for the prize. It was just for the sheer fact of, “I’m going to make a difference in our school, and I’m going to be the best at this.”
So, I think it’s really how I was raised, and then not taking for granted my education and my parents—both my parents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles—being the first person to go to college and not taking that lightly, that investment, and being a good return.
Then being able to get an Executive MBA. It’s been amazing to just reach for the stars and continuously move the goal line and keep reinventing what success looks like, too.
Katie Frey: Wow.
Now, I do want to talk about Ocean Drive.
Ryan Hammond: Yes.
Katie Frey: I think one of the coolest examples of taking something Eagles and turning it into something bigger is Team 62 at the Ocean Drive event.
And I love the story of how casually this whole thing started. So, can you tell me a little bit more about your arcade experience in Sea Isle with Jason Kelce?
Ryan Hammond: Absolutely.
I think I should start with, you know, Jason became really one of the first ambassadors in the locker room for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
Again, being in a situation where I had the chance to present to the team, to be in front of the players—I don’t know if I would consider them a captive audience, but I was in charge of captivating them—and to be able to share what our goals were for the foundation, what role they could all play, and how they’re empowered to make these connections.
It was very simple.
I said, “The power you have sitting in those seats as players for the Philadelphia Eagles—you can change people’s lives every day. It shouldn’t feel hard, and you shouldn’t be scared.”
I would never ask them to do anything more than add water and stir. That’s the complexity of what giving back should be.
So, when I talked to Jason—or I talked to the team—Jason talked to me afterward and wanted me to meet his fiancée, Kylie, because she was working with the autism community.
Her neighbor growing up was on the spectrum and was such a huge part of her life. He told me she wanted to be a volunteer because he was sharing with her that this was happening at work.
So, I reached out to Kylie, and we became fast friends because we just had so much passion for giving back and similar personalities. We’re both over 5-foot-10, you know—all the important things.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Ryan Hammond: And this was early on. Now she’s surpassed me, but with four daughters close in age, we still have all these things in our lives that mirror each other in so many ways.
But we became really good friends. She was a volunteer. Then she worked full-time for the foundation, running event consulting—sending emails to get the permit to close down Broad Street for our cycling.
Finally, as her life changed, we had to reimagine her role.
But before that, we were out in Sea Isle, one of our favorite places. We’re now neighbors down there. They were still renting at the time, and we were out at the arcade.
Jason might have taken his 500th photo, and I was like, “You know, it’d be great if you put a QR code on the back of your phone that people could scan and donate every time they ask for a photo. You can give back.”
We were just joking about it.
And he was like, “I would do a fundraiser here.”
And I was like, “Okay. Okay. Let’s think about what you’re good at.”
We concluded he was pretty good at drinking beer in the offseason.
I called the Ocean Drive. I knew their owner. My daughter was good friends with their daughter.
The next day, the manager showed up with a yellow legal pad, a pencil in his ear, and a bag of sprinkle donuts for my daughters.
The only issue was, they were renting at the time, so their lease was about to be up on the 30th of June. We had to get it in.
So, we planned it in eight days.
We had no idea what it would be.
Katie Frey: Eight days?
Ryan Hammond: Oh, yeah.
We were just on the fly, like, “Okay.” Our Eagles Autism Foundation team was so small at the time, and everyone just chipped in, all hands on deck.
“Okay, we’ll sell raffle tickets. We’ll use the door. The bartenders will donate the tips.”
And we raised over $50,000.
Jason was like, “This was the most fun raising money ever.”
And they matched it.
So, that first year, we started with $100,000. It just easily became an event that we wanted to replicate.
By year two, Travis was attending. So now he’s behind the bar.
If you go back to the New Heights podcast, he wears Eagles Autism T-shirts to support us. I’ve been a guest on New Heights with them.
Katie Frey: So incredible.
Ryan Hammond: They’ve given me their platform that they’ve shared to talk about the mission of the foundation, which has been incredible.
Then it’s my job, just like every day, to audit and say, “How can we do this better? How can we bring in partners that are mission-aligned and want to make a difference?”
That’s really what led us to Pond Lehocky.
This year, we hit our second consecutive year raising over a million dollars.
And to think about it, right? Our footprint didn’t change. We can’t just add all of these people.
Katie Frey: Yep.
Ryan Hammond: Other than a very limited number of VIP tickets, it’s still $10 to get in.
We lean into the authenticity of what going to a Jersey Shore bar is.
And all that kind of goes back to Jason, right? I always want to honor who he is and not make him into something he’s not in the name of giving back.
So, I work around his preferences and find different ways, incrementally, to bring in support with awesome partners.
I mean, it’s one of the most fun days ever. And then other players join.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Ryan Hammond: They have a great time.
We had Ilona Maher this year.
Katie Frey: Icon.
Ryan Hammond: I mean, really, she’s incredible.
Katie Frey: My jaw was on the floor.
Ryan Hammond: And she already reached out to find out when next year’s event was.
Katie Frey: Oh my gosh.
Ryan Hammond: Yeah. So, shout-out to Ilona.
Katie Frey: Ilona, if you’re watching, come join the podcast. I love you.
Ryan Hammond: Yeah, she’s so incredible.
But, yeah, I think that’s the thing. People like Dan Orlovsky from ESPN have come this year, and people experience it and they’re like, “This is actually wild.”
And, by the way, we just raised a million dollars in like 36 hours. How?
I think our fans come out and they’re donating $100 for something to be signed. I’ll leave unnamed some of the things that get signed at that event.
But, yeah, it’s just been awesome. I think it’s in the spirit of giving back. It’s in the spirit of supporting the community.
We’ve had so many magical moments happen with fans.
Jason kind of believed in me pulling something off. I made it easy for him to give back—that “add water and stir.” It became a huge success, and I never asked him to compromise what his goals were.
I’ve been able to flex in, from a strategic way, by bringing in partners or having the Pond Lehocky flip-cup games, where people donate $1,000 to play a round of flip cup with Jason and friends.
We haven’t looked back.
And we already know that the event is next June 30th.
Katie Frey: June 30th. Okay, there we go.
Ryan Hammond: So, it’s always the week leading into July 4th.
It’s just so beneficial. The Ocean Drive isn’t necessarily that busy leading into the holiday week, so it’s a night for them that becomes like a July 4th holiday on a Wednesday.
We get to work with their incredible team, and they’re just like, “The answer is yes.”
It’s funny. We had some other partners this year, and they were like, “Can we have a production call?”
And I was like, “Let me just break it down for you. We’re at a Jersey Shore establishment where we have Kathy, Mayo, and Fur Dog as the supporting cast, and their answer is going to be yes.”
So, regardless of what your question is, they’re just going to be like, “Okay, we’ll figure it out.”
I said, “I don’t know. This whole production call might be too sophisticated. I think you should just get your list of what you need done.”
They’re the get-[expletive]-done crew.
There’s nothing that we’ve come to them with—
I don’t know if you remember a couple years ago, we filled a baby pool full of Jell-O and hid golden babies in it.
I had asked them if they could make us a giant Jell-O shot, meaning a pool of Jell-O. People dug through to find the golden babies.
And they were like, “Yeah, sure,” and had like 20 bouncers carry this Jell-O pool out.
Katie Frey: This event truly is a fever dream.
Ryan Hammond: It really is.
Katie Frey: Yeah.
Ryan Hammond: I know.
The unintended consequence of raising money is that we’ve raised this incredible amount over the years, but we’ve done it in a way where it’s been more fun than anything else.
It keeps players and celebrities coming back, in addition to fans already marking their calendars and waiting to see what the next year will bring.
Katie Frey: Absolutely. I’m so excited you shared the June 30th date with us. We’re already going to get moving on it.
Ryan Hammond: I love it.
Katie Frey: But something that’s a common theme among all the guests we’ve had on this season is meeting people where they’re at.
Ryan Hammond: Absolutely.
Katie Frey: And you met Jason Kelce where he was at. You met Jeffrey where he was at.
I think that, in and of itself, is a superpower.
Has there been another opportunity in your life where you’ve had to meet somebody where they’re at and something fantastic has come of it?
Ryan Hammond: Honestly, it’s the story of the Eagles Autism Foundation: meeting the autism community and families where they are.
I think that has been a pathway for accessibility, for celebration, for inclusion, for employment.
You mentioned having a connection to Wawa earlier, and I have a lot of affinity for Wawa—not just because I grew up in Delaware County, but because of the partnership that they’ve had with us.
So, a quick story.
Frank Gumienny, our chief operating officer, is at the Rutgers-Ohio State football game and comes back from the game and plops a bag of popcorn on my desk.
“Popcorn for the People. Made by adults with autism.”
And he’s like, “Look at this. It’s like our mission.”
So, we call Aramark, and Al Austin, who runs Aramark at the stadium, and we talk about the opportunity to have this popcorn that’s mission-aligned and something you would eat at a sporting event.
We’re not asking for charity here. We’re asking, “Let’s lean into this opportunity.”
Al immediately helped us set up a pop-up concession stand, sold popcorn at the game, and brought the adults with autism who made the popcorn to interact with our fans.
Then we wanted to help them do more.
We were looking at potentially opening a popcorn factory in the stadium.
If you’ve ever built a house or done a construction project, you have a number. They tell you what it’s going to be. Then, all of a sudden, they start to scope it out and it becomes much more.
Originally, we thought it was going to be a million dollars.
We worked with one of our partners, Nouryon. They were like, “Okay, we’re going to do a match of a half-million to help you get to a million.”
It was a magical experience.
Well, we had our million dollars, and then we got the bill, and it was like $2.7 million.
Katie Frey: Oh.
Ryan Hammond: And so, while I was extremely defeated in that moment, I just didn’t waver.
I was like, “This is going to happen somehow, some way.”
That same week, I ended up speaking at Wawa with Chris Gheysens, their CEO.
Katie Frey: Yes.
Ryan Hammond: We come off from the conversation with all of the associates there, and he said, “You know, you’re creative. What would you do with a closed Wawa in Philadelphia that’s kind of mission-related?”
And I was like, “Oh, I’d open a popcorn factory.”
Eleven months later, we turned the Ninth and South location of a closed Wawa into a popcorn factory for Popcorn for the People.
It didn’t cost us a million dollars because Wawa became a partner where they subleased it for a dollar a year.
To be able to employ adults and give them a place that’s safe for them to work and be themselves.
Then we took some of the funding and built a state-of-the-art concession stand at Lincoln Financial Field.
So, our friends making the popcorn get to come to every gameday and then have tastings and sell bags to all of our fans at the stadium.
We’ve been able to include them in not just our Eagles games and our special events. They got to be a part of the World Cup.
So, yeah. I mean, that’s the story of me.
I get to meet people where they are every day because that’s just the nature of serving the autism community—being able to be there for parents who maybe aren’t always heard or whose child isn’t celebrated.
And I get to do really special things with them.
We had a conversation today with a mom because Cooper DeJean is doing his own partnership. Through his partnership, they were like, “Can you identify a family?”
And he came right to Eagles Autism and said, “Can you help me select a family that would benefit from having a renovated space in their home?”
So, we identified a young girl on the spectrum who has sensory differences and is a toe walker. She’s going through physical therapy and going through these challenges. Single mom.
We got to call the mom today and say, “Hey, we’d like to renovate your daughter’s space and make it more sensory-inclusive and help with her physical therapy needs, so she can work on them daily outside of the therapist bringing the equipment.”
And, by the way, it’s all going to be thanks to Cooper DeJean and him thinking about this through this partnership.
The mom in the conversation was beyond grateful that we chose her and that we get to do something for her family. She was just so grateful for what we’ve done for her. She didn’t expect anything else.
But that’s been another awesome part of this journey.
We’ve sent people to the Super Bowl. We’ve given them their first job. We’re renovating a house. We’ve opened a popcorn factory.
Katie Frey: Amazing.
Ryan Hammond: Yeah. It’s pretty awesome.
Katie Frey: And I think it’s really important to say that the Popcorn for the People is delicious.
Ryan Hammond: Yeah. It’s like the best popcorn ever.
Katie Frey: It really is.
Ryan Hammond: I’m sad that they don’t make the cookies and cream anymore. That was my favorite.
But the caramel and butter are still—
Katie Frey: Can we bring it back?
Ryan Hammond: Yeah, I know. They keep saying they’ll make me a special batch, maybe one day.
Katie Frey: So, if you don’t mind, just send me one.
Ryan Hammond: There we go. You got it.
Katie Frey: So good. So good.
I want to get into talking a little bit more about Kylie Kelce.
Ryan Hammond: Sure.
Katie Frey: But before we come back with Ryan Hammond, the executive director of the Eagles Autism Foundation, Pond Lehocky has been lucky enough to be part of the Ocean Drive event through our partnership with the Eagles.
And this year, we got to catch up with a very special guest while we were there.
Welcome to a special episode of Law Meets Life. I’m your host, Katie Frey, and today we are live at the Ocean Drive in Sea Isle, New Jersey.
Jason Kelce is in here. Kylie Kelce is in here. There are Eagles players behind me, including our own founding partner, Tom Giordano.
There’s so much action. Twenty thousand people are having the time of their lives—playing beer games, getting free merch, giveaways, raffles.
It’s all happening to help raise money for the Eagles Autism Foundation with Team 62.
You’re not going to believe who we’re talking to today. I’m so excited to get to have a conversation with this person.
So, let’s go check it out.
